Problematic Witnesses
Jonas V. Brighton
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J. V. Brighton was a detective from Kansas, he came to Maryville shortly after the murder to investigate. Within a month of his arrival, he supposedly gained the confidence of the Talbott brothers after only three short meetings. He apparently heard the brothers confess to their fathers murder as well as the attempted murder of Henry Wyatt (the farm hand), and used this to arrest the Talbott Brothers.
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This detective had no clear reason as to why he felt it was his responsibility to move him and his wife to Maryville undercover and find the murder/s. He claims it was to collect a cash reward offered by Belle Talbott. It is later discovered that the detective had a criminal record and he was arrested during this time for opening and reading confidential letters.
Wilfred Mitchell
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Wilfred Mitchell was Albert and Charles’ uncle on their mother's side. He was initially accused by the detective to have been involved in the murder of the doctor. After this accusation, Mitchell took the stand and gave a statement that Albert and Charles did confide in him about the murder but that he himself was not involved. This false statement was a reason the boys were convicted.
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He was also important to the defense. Mitchell held a grudge against the Doctor because Mitchell’s wife had died on the Doctor’s hands. Albert and Charles’ lawyers used this to their advantage and tried to get the two boys to testify that they had overheard Mitchell and Wyatt planning the murder.
Henry Wyatt
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Henry Wyatt was a farmhand that lived with the Talbotts. He was home at the time of the murder. After being accused of being involved in the plot to kill the doctor, he made various statements and confessions that were different. It was speculated that Wyatt suffered from a mental illness. This left him very vulnerable to the prosecution and defense. He was easily swayed to respond as he was “supposed to” because he feared giving an unsatisfactory response. He played big role in the conviction of the Talbott boys.