>> Navy captain on file. The tourney saying today. He did have an affair,
the boy’s life.
♪
Admission of an affair during opening statements and John Bolton’s case, it’s significant
because.
>> The former commanding
officer at Guantanamo Bay
originally denied the affair
with
the employ. Christopher toward
disappeared and was found dead
in the water, yes, so Nettleton
is accused of hindering the
investigation and tours
disappearance and death in
2015. Investigators say on the
last night or was seen alive.
He had battled and got into a
fight over the affair. Now
Nettleton is not charged in
tours death. But is accused of
obstruction of justice and
lying news 4 Jax reporter Vic
micolucci joining us live from
the federal courthouse
♪
with what else happened in
court today thick.
>> And defense attorneys told
the jury for the very first
time that there was indeed an
affair between Nettleton in
Chris tours, wife they also
admitted that there was a
fight, but they said it was in
self-defense on the other hand.
Prosecutors with the US
attorney’s office say this was
a deliberate cover up
that caused a lot of problems.
We also heard from a couple key
witnesses today.
Federal prosecutors began
opening arguments this morning
telling the jury of 12 many of
whom.
>> With military ties
about an alcohol fueled fight
where both captain John
Nettleton and Chris tour.
A civilian employee
on base exchanged punches over
an affair between Nettleton and
tur’s wife.
The fight happened at
nettleton’s on base home and
both sides agree after that
tour disappeared,
but prosecutors and the defense
disagree on what happened after
that in his beginning
statement, a defense lawyer for
dental ton said his client did
punch tour one time to protect
himself. Claiming tour was
irate intoxicated and abusive
of his wife.
Investigators never figured out
what happened next
leading to tours body found
floating in the Bay. The cause
of death was drowning, but an
autopsy found tour had broken
ribs as well,
prosecutors say Nettleton never
told other staff about the
fight instead saying tour was
last seen at the officers club
that misled search crews.
They say who looked for tour
and hiking trails and in the
hills instead of near
nettleton’s House. Defense
attorneys painted a different
picture saying Middleton gave
tour a bag of ice in a paper
towel after the scuffle and
that he did genuinely think the
tour went back to the club.
They also say Nettleton it
didn’t talk about the fight or
the affair in order to
protect the careers of both
Chris tour and his
wife Laura, who was a manager
on the base prosecutors say
Nettleton told alora tour not
to tell anyone even detectives
about the affair.
A key witness was the bases
public relations officer Kelly
were full.
She was friends with the tours
and with Nettleton it was with
them that night.
She testified the tour called
her after the fight saying I
just knocked the skipper out
however she claims she thought
it was a joke
and didn’t reported officially
until the next day.
Jacksonville attorneys John
Phillips represents tours
family who want Nettleton to
pay the price for his actions
that night. 5 years ago this
week, certainly it’s
hard to to judge a movie by the
first 15 minutes, this is going
to be a long 3 week trial.
>> But the prosecution is doing
an effective job on behalf of
the family. What do you think
about the
defense’s arguments you know
right now it’s kind of
scattershot.
>> And court rapped about 20 minutes ago for the day shortly after that I did go up to
captain Nettleton and his
defense team asked him if they
had any comment and they said
no not right now they’re saving
that for the courtroom coming
up tomorrow, though we will
have some more key testimony
from witnesses, including the
retired captain’s daughter who
was in the home at the time of
the fight and Laura
sabotage tour. Christopher
tours wife we’ll have more