Adam Kaufman Murder Trial (murder of Eleonora Kaufman - 11/7/07 - Aventura, FL)

Opening Statements Monday in Aventura Murder Trial
Developer Adam Kaufman charged with murdering wife in 2007

By Brian Hamacher and Ari Odzer
NBC6 - Miami, FL

Monday, May 14, 2012 | Updated 8:42 PM EDT

View more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com.

Opening statements began Monday in the trial of an Aventura developer charged with murdering his wife in 2007. Defense attorney Bill Matthewman and prosecutor Joe Mansfield speak to the jury in court.

Opening statements began Monday in the trial of an Aventura developer charged with murdering his wife in 2007.

Adam Kaufman, 39, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 33-year-old wife, Eleonora, also known as Lina, whose body was found in the couple's home in November 2007.

Jury selection in the case wrapped up last week. A list of potential witnesses read aloud in court included 11 officers from the Aventura Police Department, 10 members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and members of the Kaufman family.

Read more and view additional videos:

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Opening-Statements-Monday-in-Aventura-Murder-Trial-151363145.html

State, Aventura developer’s lawyers rip each other’s theories as murder trial opens

Adam Kaufman is accused of strangling his wife in November 2007 in the bathroom of their Aventura home. She died accidentally, his attorneys maintain.

DAVID OVALLE
The Miami Herald - Miami, FL

Posted on Monday, 05.14.12




Adam Kaufman, left, with attorney Al Milian, right, in a Miami-Dade
court during beginning arguments in his second degree murder trial
Monday, May 14, 2012. Kaufman is accused of strangling his wife.
Tim Chapman / Miami Herald Staff


About the only thing that’s not in dispute about Eleonora “Lina” Kaufman’s death is that paramedics found the 33-year-old mother of two unconscious inside the bathroom of her Aventura home on the morning of Nov. 7, 2007.

Now, jurors must sort out the mystery of her demise.

In their theory of events, prosecutors told the jury Monday, death was delivered by Adam Kaufman, her real estate executive husband, who squeezed the life out of her, causing bruising to her neck and blood vessels in her eyes to burst.

Their case hinges on the testimony of Miami-Dade’s top medical examiner and a list of suspicious but circumstantial facts that includes Kaufman’s shifting versions of her collapse: first that her injuries were caused by the toilet rim, then a magazine rack.

“Under the laws of science, it’s impossible to have happened either way the defendant suggested it happened,” prosecutor Joseph Mansfield told jurors during the opening statements of Kaufman’s murder trial in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. “Lina Kaufman died as a result of mechanical asphyxiation to her neck, and her husband is the one who did it.”

Read more and view photos:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/14/2798309/murder-trial-for-aventura-developer.html

"“Lina had a bad heart,” defense attorney Bill Matthewman told the jurors. "

---Oddly, that has nothing to do with her death.

“You will hear no motive. No evidence of a motive whatsoever,” Matthewman said. “No life insurance. No financial crimes. No affairs during the marriage on behalf of Adam or Lina. No neighbors heard any arguments."

-- While motive may be interesting it is not needed to prove the guilt of a person committing the crime. I get so tired of attys trying this old, "It was dark and stormy night" type of line. Ya, ya, ya. Move on!

Ann and Freckles just now starting to follow this trial on IS. Thanks for the recap.

Spray-Tan Trial: Jury Hears 911 Calls in Case of Florida Man Accused of Wife's Murder

By ADAM SECHRIST
May 15, 2012

A Florida jury at the opening of Adam Kaufman's murder trial heard the frantic 911 call placed by the Florida real estate developer accused of strangling his wife to death in 2007, but whose defense says she died because of a previously undetected heart condition.

Kaufman said he found his wife, 33, on the bathroom floor of the couple's South Florida home in the early morning of Nov. 7, 2007. With tears filling his eyes, he sat in court Monday as the jury listened to the moment he said he discovered wife Eleonora "Lina" Kaufman not breathing and without a pulse on their bathroom floor five years ago.

"Oh my god -- I don't know what's going on," Kaufman is heard saying. "I don't know what happened. She's on the floor dying. She's not breathing."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/spray-tan-trial-jury-hears-911-calls-case/story?id=16348485#.T7J8HlJ62Sq

Did anyone listen to the 911 call that was played yesterday? I didn't know about this case until IS started televising it. It is puzzling so far. The pros., in opening statements made a fairly big point of the 911 tape and that the jury should listen very closely to it. I listened and what I heard was a guy that was very upset and on the verge of panicking. I know that there are other points that the pros. has, but did this tape actually help them?

Does the fact that Adam has an identical (and I mean identical!) twin cause some resonable doubt?

Chickenbutt wrote:Does the fact that Adam has an identical (and I mean identical!) twin cause some resonable doubt?

It is definitely a weird side note. I couldn't believe it yesterday when his brother was sitting in back of him and had same build, haircut, and face. I am not getting the pro. case so far. Talking heads on IS are saying that pro. has some wrong facts already. Seems it is their contention that adam wasn't home the night Lina went to her friend's house. However, that is exactly where he was watching the kids. also pros. had the name of the friend wrong as well. Seems shoddy so far.

abc News Videos

Spray-Tan Murder Trial: Defense's Case

Dan Abrams discusses the murder trial of Adam Kaufman.

01:47 | 05/15/2012

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/spray-tan-murder-trial-defenses-case-16349789

tesstruhart wrote:Did anyone listen to the 911 call that was played yesterday? I didn't know about this case until IS started televising it. It is puzzling so far. The pros., in opening statements made a fairly big point of the 911 tape and that the jury should listen very closely to it. I listened and what I heard was a guy that was very upset and on the verge of panicking. I know that there are other points that the pros. has, but did this tape actually help them?

I tried to listen carefully to the 911 tape that was played in court yesterday, I couldn't understand a lot of what he said. - because he seemed so distraught. Did you hear him say "she's cold !...or did I imagine that? Now that I heard the FD took 16 minutes (15-14?) to arrive at their home...I realize why the call went on so long. I don't think that call helped him though. I need to hear more, am trying to be fair and not form an opinion just yet. ..... but would like to hear yours . -g

I agree that some of it was not clear, I would have to listen to it again, but I guess my overall impression was of a person who was as you say distraught and trying to do cpr and on some level knowing she was gone, it was very emotional. That's why I wasn't sure what the point of the prosecution was, it just made me feel really bad for him. The EMT took so long because that particular complex has a lot of intertwining streets and they got lost. That's what the pros. said.

Adam Kaufman Trial: Surgeon Says Dead Woman Had Claimed No Heath Issues

The jury hearing testimony in the murder trial of Adam Kaufman, the Florida real estate developer accused of strangling his wife to death in 2007, learned from a doctor who performed the woman's breast augmentation months before her death that she had cited no potential medical problems, including the congestive heart failure the defense claims killed her.

Eleonora "Lina" Kaufman was found on the bathroom floor of her and her husband's south Florida home in the early morning of Nov. 7, 2007. The prosecution alleges that the frantic 911 call placed by Adam happened moments after he strangled his wife to death. His defense attorneys say that Eleonora's death was not murder, but a medical condition that suddenly turned deadly.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/adam-kaufman-trial-surgeon-woman-claimed-heath-issues/story?id=16354802

Justice4all wrote:Adam Kaufman Trial: Surgeon Says Dead Woman Had Claimed No Heath Issues

The jury hearing testimony in the murder trial of Adam Kaufman, the Florida real estate developer accused of strangling his wife to death in 2007, learned from a doctor who performed the woman's breast augmentation months before her death that she had cited no potential medical problems, including the congestive heart failure the defense claims killed her.

Eleonora "Lina" Kaufman was found on the bathroom floor of her and her husband's south Florida home in the early morning of Nov. 7, 2007. The prosecution alleges that the frantic 911 call placed by Adam happened moments after he strangled his wife to death. His defense attorneys say that Eleonora's death was not murder, but a medical condition that suddenly turned deadly.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/adam-kaufman-trial-surgeon-woman-claimed-heath-issues/story?id=16354802

What? Her body suddenly turned on her and strangled her to death?
Why am I not buying this totally inane and implausible alibi?
The atty has been drinking some strange brew, IMO.

I am having a hard time following because they are cutting in and out of the trial today. I thought I heard that a lot of the reports in the police department were lost and they had to recreate them from memory. Is this for real or did I just hear a snippet of something?

Spray-Tan Murder Trial: Medical Examiner's Testimony

Dan Abrams discusses the trial of a man accused of killing his wife.

01:35 | 05/16/2012

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/spray-tan-murder-trial-medical-examiners-testimony-16357512

Well, today is a little more interesting. Seems that the car in the garage had a "very warm" hood of the car when the police went in the garage. The defense is trying to say a nearby freezer throws off heat and was intimating that the heat could have come from that. Not buying that. So, could it be that Adam really wasn't home? Hmmm. Things are getting curiouser and curisouer.

felt bad for the Crime Scene tech a while ago. Def. attys are like unleashed hungry lions.

summerthyme wrote:felt bad for the Crime Scene tech a while ago. Def. attys are like unleashed hungry lions.

Me too. I am thinking that her career is in jeopardy. Lying on the stand, even if it was periferal is a no no

I am thinking that this will be brutal for the lead detective

I heard the judge talk about scheduling conflicts today, but - does this trial resume on monday @8:45 TIA

Just found this thread...shame on me. But I am here now to add my 2 cents!

Re: Developing Stories
by art tart Today at 7:14 pm

.Chickenbutt wrote:
art tart wrote:
Ann - Tx wrote:
art tart, thanks for the update from Jean C. about Anna Howe.

Ann - Tx, I am really upset about this, imo, he may walk in this case because of a liar. In addition, the CSI didn't even use luminol in addition to NOT collecting the reddish fluids or collecting the magazines.

If I sat on this jury, I would have a hard time convicting him UNLESS something profound turns up. imo, it might be too much for the State to overcome.

Art Tart, want something to piss you off more? Hubby (retired LE) says that since she lied, all the previous cases that she testified in can now come under scrutiny and possibly get new trials. Also, he says she will never be able to testify without disclosing, so in his opinion, she will be fired....not about the affair, but for the lying.

Say it ain't so Chickenbutt! Today Mike Brooks said she could never testify again in a Federal Trial & that she could lose her job. I have seen a few other cases in which this has happened & your hubby is right, it gives others the opportunity to scream FOUL & ask for new trials. It makes me so mad at how many honest people did their jobs & due to the dishonesty of the Crime Tech, their whole case is in jeopardy. AND! the lead Detective is going to have to testify & admit to the affair, grilled on why the red fluids weren't collected & tested, why no luminol, & the collection of the magazines, she claimed she didn't do those things at his direction. A freakin mess!

jmo, the Detective is equally as guilty. He knew as well as she did this when they showed up at this crime scene that this was possibly goiing to be a high profile case, they aren't stupid, they should have told their superiors about the previous affair so one of them could be removed. I bet their superiors had no knowledge.

Carrying this over from the Dev Stories Thread since we were all in the wrong place

Art, I too believe that the powers that be at the PD had no idea the affair had happened. But to be honest, it is not about the affair. It is about her lying. If she had just 'fessed up, she would have had to have answered some hard questions, but she wouldn't have jeopardized her job, her integrity or possibly her marriage.
During job interviews, hubby used to tell people...tell the truth, we may be able to get past whatever you want to hide, but lie and you are out.

0k, help me out. I thought she said yesterday that she had a relationship that was over before this case had begun. Was the lie that she didn't socialize with the lead detective in off hours? Are they still having the affair? I know, I'm confused.

No you are not confused. She said that the affair was over "a long time ago". What that means is anyone's guess.
She lied about having the affair at all.....she said she did not have an intimate, sexual relationship with him at all. Then today she had to backpedal and admit to the affair.

Chickenbutt wrote:No you are not confused. She said that the affair was over "a long time ago". What that means is anyone's guess.
She lied about having the affair at all.....she said she did not have an intimate, sexual relationship with him at all. Then today she had to backpedal and admit to the affair.

Thanks, it all gets crazy sometimes. I wouldn't want to be the lead detective and know that I have to answer all these questions coming up. I wonder how many careers/trials/and guilty people this will affect. Damn shame.

Chickenbutt said:Art, I too believe that the powers that be at the PD had no idea the affair had happened. But to be honest, it is not about the affair. It is about her lying. If she had just 'fessed up, she would have had to have answered some hard questions, but she wouldn't have jeopardized her job, her integrity or possibly her marriage.

During job interviews, hubby used to tell people...tell the truth, we may be able to get past whatever you want to hide, but lie and you are out.
_________________________
Chickenbutt, I too wonder if her husband really knew about it. This is a huge mess, I am going to try to watch the Lead Detective, her former lover testify though I know it is going to be brutal.

Maybe the defense attorney might ask him to describe "it was over a long time ago," exactly when was it? How many other affairs had there been, where did they meet? OHHHHHH! I am getting a headache just to think of the consequences of this coming out. I too wonder if he is married & if so, did his wife know?

She didn't help herself storming out of the Court Room, she looked childish & unprofessional, I wonder if she has grasp the damage she has done to the case.

I too wonder who tipped off the defense to the tryst?

Yep, he has a long road in front of him. Wonder if he was/is married? She apparently was/is. Can you imagine being his wife, not knowing about the affair and now hearing it on TV?

I think she slammed outta the courtroom cuz she knew her career and life as she knew it, was over.

I wonder just how "happy" her husband is too. This is very messy. I am surprised that that the Pros. is still carrying on like its all good. So far, it seems like a very sloppy case.

tesstruhart wrote:

Chickenbutt wrote:No you are not confused. She said that the affair was over "a long time ago". What that means is anyone's guess.
She lied about having the affair at all.....she said she did not have an intimate, sexual relationship with him at all. Then today she had to backpedal and admit to the affair.

Thanks, it all gets crazy sometimes. I wouldn't want to be the lead detective and know that I have to answer all these questions coming up. I wonder how many careers/trials/and guilty people this will affect. Damn shame.

tesstruhart, too, she was a TECH when she worked on this case, THEN, she got promoted to "Detective." Probably a personal career goal she had, maybe a lot more money than being a TECH, & now facing a possible firing!

Its going to be hard to judge the fall out I guess until we see if Kauffman walks on this murder, if he does, the Lead Detective may too be looking for other employment. Guess Chickenbutt needs to ask her hubby the fallout the Detective can expect.

tesstruhart wrote:I wonder just how "happy" her husband is too. This is very messy. I am surprised that that the Pros. is still carrying on like its all good. So far, it seems like a very sloppy case.

tesstruhart, I have been watching a little of this on IN SESSION but trying to catch the updates of Jean Cassaris. She seems appalled herself imo, she has pointed out nearly everytime how things weren't done, just basic gathering of evidence, luminol testing, fluid testing of the red substance in so many pictures. GEEEZ LOUISE! that red fluid appears just nasty, what in the world was it? fecal matter? guess nobody is going to know at this point but Jean implied perhaps a less than decent effort at the crime scene by LE. imo.

Hubby says it's hard to say. If he admits to the affair and explains it away he should be okay with respect to that. If he tries to lie about it, then he is in a mess.
If the PD has a policy against relationships with subordinates and he violated that policy, then he could face disciplinary actions.
If he did tell her not to collect certain evidence, then he can be judged incompetent for the position of Homicide Investigator and be demoted to some other position.
Does that help?

IMO as a nurse, the red fluid was frothy, blood tinged sputum.

Hubby is saying that they used to have to reschedule people all the time cuz everybody was sleeping with somebody else...lol
Sgts sleeping with dispatchers they supervised, sgts sleeping with patrol officers they supervised, Detectives sleeping with other random employees. As long as they admitted it and didn't work together or supervise one another, it was not a problem except the headache of rescheduling.

I read or heard somewhere today, that after she testified yesterday she went to the prosecution and admitted the affair and then had to admit it this am on the stand. The state then had to turn that info over to the defense ASAP, so they were ready for her. It would really be a shame if he really had something to do with her death yet walks because of lousy prep work by the state and sloppy police work.

tesstruhart wrote:Did anyone listen to the 911 call that was played yesterday? I didn't know about this case until IS started televising it. It is puzzling so far. The pros., in opening statements made a fairly big point of the 911 tape and that the jury should listen very closely to it. I listened and what I heard was a guy that was very upset and on the verge of panicking. I know that there are other points that the pros. has, but did this tape actually help them?

I haven't heard the 911 tapes, but this is what was reported in the article from the Miami Herald.

The next morning, about 6 a.m., 911 dispatchers received a frantic phone call from Adam Kaufman.

“Oh God! Oh God! Lina,” he cried as the dispatcher instructed him to give CPR.

Did he ignore the dispatcher and not give her CPR? I seem to remember when this case first came to light that the issue of trying to help his wife was in question. However, it has been so long I can't be absolutely positive.


http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/14/2798309/murder-trial-for-aventura-developer.html

I heard the 911 tape and what I heard was a devastated man attempting to do CPR on his wife. Having said that, I also think it could have been interpreted as an "over the top" reaction with someone blowing into/near the receiver to simulate breaths during CPR.
I am still scratching my head over this one. I have not made up my mind. And that is based on Adam, his demeanor, her families support. Not on the failings of the PD.
P.S. I abhor his atty..but I guess if I were being charged with murder I would want him

Detective's HANDLING CASE Had an Affair!

While being questioned by Kaufman's defense attorney Thursday, Detective Anna Howe of the Aventura Police department -- who is still married to the same man she was at the time she was involved with Detective Anthony Angula, the lead detective on the Kaufman case -- admitted to the affair and that her husband is aware of it.

Howe also admitted that she was told by Angula at the time to not take into any of the magazines in the magazine rack where Eleonora allegedly fell as evidence.


Defense attorneys argued that the year worth of magazines in the magazine rack are in fact evidence, showing Howe a picture that she admitted shows organic material on the magazines.

Howe told the jury that she didn't see any organic material on the magazines or the wall of the bathroom on November 7, 2007 when she was collecting evidence at the Kaufman home. Howe said she would have obviously taken those items into evidence had she seen them.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/adam-kaufman-trial-detectives-handling-case-affair/story?id=16374564#.T7ZLqet8Ato

imo, the Affair, lying about it, + blatant sloppy police work may enable a possible murderer to go free, this imo, is appalling, unprofessional, & Howe, at the least should be fired.

Kaufman may well have murdered his wife but the BURDEN is on the STATE to prove it, the affair is one thing, but the SLOPPY police work is due to the incompetence on Howe's part imo, as Howe was forced to admit mater was on the magazine & IF SHE HAD SEEN IT she would have collected it! Her former lover & Lead Detective imo shares part of the blame! wft?

I am new to this case....are they live streaming? Thanks.

Weeziethm wrote:I am new to this case....are they live streaming? Thanks.

Weeziethm, they are but there is NO court today. IN SESSION is running parts of the Tammi Smith trial now but I would think that they are going to give the highlights of the case thus far next.

I am such a trial newbie really - testing the waters for the first time since KC. Told myself never again....but-here I am.

Chickenbutt - is the "schedule job" at the PD a power position or is it where someone goes when they are demoted? Never thought about that before.

Art - I really like reading about your take on things. I'm trying to stay in the ifo uptake mode.

I watch the trial thru CNN live on my itty bitty notebook,
read Freckles to get info I miss and then read here.

summerthyme wrote:I am such a trial newbie really - testing the waters for the first time since KC. Told myself never again....but-here I am.

Chickenbutt - is the "schedule job" at the PD a power position or is it where someone goes when they are demoted? Never thought about that before.

Art - I really like reading about your take on things. I'm trying to stay in the ifo uptake mode.

I watch the trial thru CNN live on my itty bitty notebook,
read Freckles to get info I miss and then read here.

My husband was in a command (LT and higher) position at the PD. The commanders of the various sections, ie: Patrol, Detectives, CSI, Dispatchers etc, did the schedules of their respective sections.

Live Stream of Kaufman Trial - FL

http://live.cnn.com/
CNNLive.com 5-21-12

09:00 AM - EDT
(Estimated)

Florida real estate developer trial

Testimony continues in the trial of Adam Kaufman, who’s charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife.

Adam Kaufman: What really happened?
~~~~~

You will have to click on the video box for the Kaufman trial.

I have just started to watch this trial, and confess that I know very little about the details of the alleged crime, etc.

However, IMO, the husband looks like a THUG....

Yikes!

tweets from InSession via RC Multi-Media Twitter box located on the Homepage (click HOME) - left side of the page.

InSession is tweeting now.
~~~~~

InSession #AdamKaufman: Attorneys are having arguments outside the presence of the jury.
about 1 minute ago · reply · retweet · favorite

InSession #AdamKaufman trial is in recess for approx.15 minutes.
4 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

Interesting, back from lunch....some problem with a juror....waiting to find out ...jury coming in now

tesstruhart wrote:Interesting, back from lunch....some problem with a juror....waiting to find out ...jury coming in now

Apparently one of the jurors spoke with the ME who is on the stand while during the lunch break. They are trying to determine the level of the problem....

Went to sidebar with attornies and Dr. Hyma. Jean Caceres says that an inappropriate comment to ME was made by one of the jurors. Screen is focusing on back wall now.

interviewing juror now and judge is smiling and explaining that there cannot be any appearance of impropriety. Looks like she is allowing him to continue to be a juror.

Now conducting a Richardson hearing due to an apparent violation of discovery of some photos just now given to the Defense.

State is saying they just became aware of these today and turned them over promptly. Judge continuing with Richardson Hearing in an abundance of caution.

ETA: Waving to Tess :-)