Trial Transcripts

See also: Court Records

United States District Court
Eastern District of North Carolina

1979:  United States vs. Jeffrey MacDonald

Related Files

  • May 1979:
  • Government's Pre-Trial Witness List
  • July 12, 1979:
  • Government's Pre-Trial Master Witness List
  • ca. July 1979:
  • Pre-trial Memorandum from law clerk Jeffrey Puretz to Brian Murtagh, re: Prosecutor's Duty to Disclose Exculpatory Materials in the Fourth Circuit and Other Criminal Discovery Issues relating to U.S. v. MacDonald

    July 14, 1979

  • Excerpt from Pretrial Conference
  • July 19, 1979

  • Opening Statements by James Blackburn and Wade Smith, with pre- and post-statement bench conferences
  • Richard Tevere (MP)
  • Kenneth Mica (MP)
  • July 20, 1979

  • Kenneth Mica (MP)
  • William Ivory (CID)
  • July 23, 1979

  • William Ivory (CID)
  • July 24, 1979

  • William Ivory (CID)
  • July 25, 1979

  • William Ivory (CID)
  • Robert Shaw (CID)
  • July 26, 1979

  • Robert Shaw (CID)
  • Dr. George Gammel, M.D.
  • Dr. William Hancock, M.D.
  • Donald Murray (FBI)
  • July 27, 1979

  • Michael Newman (Physician's Assistant)
  • Paul Connolly (CID)
  • Elizabeth Ramage
  • Dr. Severt Jacobson, M.D.
  • Robert Caverly (FBI)
  • July 30, 1979

  • Robert Caverly (FBI)
  • Dr. Merrill Bronstein, M.D.
  • Dr. Frank Gemma, M.D.
  • Bennie Hawkins (CID)
  • Ralph Turbyfill (CID)
  • Charles Cooper (CID)
  • Bennie Hawkins (CID), recalled
  • Hilyard Medlin (CID)
  • July 31, 1979

  • Hilyard Medlin (CID)
  • Bench conferences
  • Discussion in chambers re: Motions
  • Aug. 1, 1979

  • Mildred Kassab
  • Bench Conference
  • Craig Chamberlain (CID)
  • Aug. 2, 1979

  • Craig Chamberlain (CID)
  • Larry Flinn (CID)
  • Pamela Kalin Cochran
  • Terry Laber (CID)
  • Janice Glisson (CID)
  • Aug. 6, 1979

  • Dillard Browning (CID)
  • Bench conference re: Playing of April 6, 1970 tape
  • Charles Michael Hoffman (ATF)
  • Aug. 7, 1979

  • Playing of April 6, 1970 tape and reading from Grand Jury transcripts
  • Paul Stombaugh (FBI)
  • Aug. 8, 1979

  • Paul Stombaugh (FBI)
  • Aug. 9, 1979

  • Paul Stombaugh (FBI)
  • Shrley Green (FBI)
  • Aug. 10, 1979

  • Shrley Green (FBI)
  • Reading of Jeffrey MacDonald's statements and Esquire magazine articles
  • U.S. Government's Booklet given to the Jury
  • Aug. 13, 1979

  • Bench Conferences and Discussions
  • Dr. Vincent Guinn (Specialist in Chemistry and Neutron Activation Analysis)
  • James Osterburg
  • Aug. 14, 1979

  • Discussion in the absence of the jury
  • James Osterburg
  • Bench Conference
  • Dr. John Thornton
  • Aug. 15, 1979

  • Dr. John Thornton
  • Dr. George Podgorny
  • Charles Morton
  • James Milne, Jr.
  • Aug. 16, 1979

  • P. E. Beasley
  • Aug. 17, 1979

  • Helena Stoeckley
  • Jane Zillioux
  • James Gaddis
  • Charles "Red" Underhill
  • Robert Brisentine
  • P. E. Beasley
  • William Posey
  • Discussion following testimonies on voir dire
  • Aug. 20, 1979

  • Bench Conferences re: Helena Stoeckley
  • P. E. Beasley (recalled)
  • Jene Zillioux (recalled)
  • Charles "Red" Underhill (recalled)
  • Wendy Rouder
  • Discussion in the absence of the jury
  • William Posey (recalled)
  • Carmine Welch
  • Mary Butler
  • Aug. 21, 1979

  • James Gaddis (recalled)
  • Diana Purkiss
  • Dudley Warner
  • Robert McGann
  • Paul Manson
  • Anthony Abbatte
  • Marjorie Murdock
  • Sharon Shaw
  • Steven Shea
  • James Williams
  • Paul Wishinski
  • Michael Schneider
  • Dorothy MacDonald
  • Aug. 22, 1979

  • Dorothy MacDonald
  • James Frank Moore
  • Helen Fell
  • Carol Butner


  • Aug. 23, 1979

  • Discussion in the absence of the jury
  • Jeffrey MacDonald
  • Aug. 24, 1979

  • Jeffrey MacDonald
  • Bench Conference
  • Aug. 27, 1979

  • Dr. William Neal
  • John Myers
  • Jerry Hughes
  • Aug. 28, 1979: Final Arguments

  • Opening Argument by Brian Murtagh, for the prosecution
  • Opening Argument by James Blackburn, for the prosecution
  • Closing Argument by Bernard Segal, for the defense
  • Closing Argument by Wade Smith, for the defense
  • Closing Argument by James Blackburn, for the prosecution
  • Aug. 29, 1979

  • Jury Instructions
  • Jury Verdict and Polling of the Jury