Defense rests in Zamora murder trial

Zamora on the stand Wednesday

Psychologist terms former midshipman 'emotionally weak'

February 12, 1998
Web posted at: 5:06 p.m. EST (2206 GMT)

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- After presenting testimony from a psychologist who described Diane Zamora as emotionally weak and dominated by her ex-fiancé, the defense rested in her murder trial Thursday afternoon.

After a brief rebuttal by the prosecution, jurors were sent home for the weekend, with closing arguments set for Monday.

Zamora, 20, a former Naval Academy midshipman, is accused of conspiring with her ex-fiancé, David Graham, to kill Adrianne Jones, 16.

The alleged motive, according to prosecutors, is that Jones had sex with Graham, and Zamora encouraged him to kill her out of jealousy.

But Dr. Michael Lobb, a psychologist who has worked with Zamora since her 1996 arrest, testified that she is suicidal and had mutilated herself by cutting her wrists.

Lobb didn't say whether Zamora's suicidal feelings came before or after Jones' death, but he said there was proof that Zamora has been emotionally weak for several years.

"She scored very low on a depression scale," Lobb said. "Her scars looked like those that suggest a high suicide potential. She mentioned having abused herself with scalpels, hypodermic needles and medication."

Lobb also described Zamora's relationship with Graham, a former Air Force Academy cadet, as "dominant-submissive," with Graham being dominant. Lobb said he based his opinion on letters between the couple, as well as interviews with both.

Lobb read jurors parts of Graham's letters to Zamora, written both before and after their arrests.

Graham

"You are supposed to follow my rules as I follow yours," one said. Graham told Zamora to leave her room if a male midshipman entered and to write him 30-page letters weekly.

In another letter read in court by Lobb, Graham wrote, "There's no way I'm going to let you testify against me ... I told the guys here you'd even take the death penalty for me."

At the request of the victim's family, prosecutors are not pursuing a death sentence for Zamora.

In her testimony this week, Zamora blamed Graham, 20, for the 1995 murder of Jones. She admitted being present when Graham killed Jones but said she never struck the girl or encouraged Graham to kill her.

Zamora also testified this week that Graham sexually abused her during their high school romance.

Zamora has testified that police read her Graham's confession to the killing and, in an attempt "to take the blame for him," she memorized it and made a confession that conformed to his. She also claimed she tried to retract the statement but police wouldn't let her.

In the confession, she said she had urged Graham to kill the girl and had taken part in the slaying.

According to confessions by Zamora and Graham, she hid in the back seat of her parents' car while Graham drove Jones to an isolated lake. Zamora then hit Jones over the head with a dumbbell weight and Graham shot her when she tried to flee, according to the statements.

Graham will be tried later this year.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Zamora: Murder confession made out of love - February 11, 1998
• Despite confession, ex-midshipman denies intent to kill - February 10, 1998

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Texas v. Zamora: "The Diane Zamora Trial" - Court TV Online
  • Case Chronology
• The Trial of Diane Zamora - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Sealed In Blood - People Magazine

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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