Outbursts and Tears in Murder Trial

Several members of Yolanda Weathers family had to be escorted out of Vanderburgh County Circuit courtroom Friday afternoon as the verdict in her arson and murder trial was read. Shouting expletives and calling jurors "dirty bastards," Weathers daughters and other family members sobbed and slowly walked from the courtroom to the hallway. The outburst came as jurors found Weathers guilty of the November, 2005 arson that killed Mary Sue Edwards. Prosecutors say 43 year old Weathers was stalking her ex-boyfriend Robert Sebree and his girlfriend Lucille Preshon, who lived in an apartment complex near the corner of Green River Road and Covert Avenue. Evansville Police investigators testified about repeated calls to the apartment in the weeks before the fire during which Preshon says Weathers threw bricks and a fire extinguisher through her apartment and car windows. Investigators say Weathers went to the apartment complex on November 10, 2005 and set the building on fire. There were four units in the building, and Mary Sue Edwards, who lived in one of them, could not escape the flames and smoke. Jurors deliberated for five hours before finding Weathers guilty of stalking, arson, and murder. Jurors relied mostly on circumstantial evidence in the case. There were no witnesses who saw Weathers at the scene of the fire. After Weathers family were escorted out of the court, she began to berate the judge, saying she had no faith in the judicial system. Weathers threw a pile of papers on the courtroom floor, and said she did not wish to be present for an enhancement phase of the trial, during which she was found guilty of being an habitual felon. That charge was tacked on due to previous assault convictions shed received during the last 17 years. Christa Minick, the daughter of Mary Sue Edwards said she was relieved to have the trial over, and said jurors could sleep easy knowing theyd made the right decision. She also said she felt sad for Yolanda Weathers family, too. "They obviously love her very much, her daughters were crying, visibly upset, and it upset me. Its their mom, but at least shes still alive," said Minick after the trial. Weathers will be sentenced July 2.