Defense rests its case in Cloud murder trial

Closing statements are expected to begin next month in the capital murder trial of Lois Kay Cloud, who is accused of conspiring in the 1997 murder of her husband.

Testimony ended Thursday afternoon with the defense finally resting its case. Closing arguments are scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 10. Both the prosecution and defense indicated they each expect to take about three hours to state their case, taking up most of the day.

Cloud is facing charges of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree murder and hindering prosecution in the Dec. 9, 1997 slaying of her husband, Bard farmer Kenneth Cloud. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

She is accused of hiring Vincent Lee Accardo to kill her husband, who was 55 when he was shot to death while sitting inside his pickup in the parking lot of Burgers and Beer, 321 W. 20th St. Accardo, after being found guilty of committing the murder, was sentenced by a jury in August 2008 to die by lethal injection.

The last piece of evidence the jury panel heard Thursday afternoon was Cloud answering questions that jurors had submitted to the court after her three days on the stand testifying in her own defense.

“No I didn't,” Cloud replied in answering a question presented to the court from the jury panel asking if she was involved in a romantic relationship with Accardo prior to her husband's death.

The trial began 77 days ago with jury selection. When the trial resumes again on Aug. 10, final jury instructions will be read to the jurors.

Testimony Thursday morning centered on the prosecution completing its cross-examination of Cloud, focusing on how her spending habits changed after her husband's murder and how much money was involved.

Prosecutor Karolyn Kaczorowski also questioned Cloud about why she withheld information that she knew Accardo from police after she found out he was considered a suspect in the case.

In his redirect, attorney Michael Donovan attempted to call into question the prosecution's assertion that the money and items that Cloud gave Accardo — whom she married in July 1998 — were payoffs for the murder, but instead gifts, loans, and for the purchase of an investment property in Coronado in the San Diego area.

The defense had called an expert witness to the stand during the trial who said there was no evidence that indicated Cloud ever gave any money to Accardo to kill her husband. The last question Donovan asked Cloud was if she agreed with that statement, to which she replied that she did.

One of the questions submitted by the jury panel asked Cloud that if she didn't think Accardo had anything to do with her husband's murder, then why testify that she felt the need to confront him about it in Tucson?

“I just wanted answers,” Cloud responded. “It's not that I thought he did. I just wanted to hear him say no.”

Another question from the jury panel posed to Cloud asked how she was able to have a romantic relationship with Accardo so soon after her husband's murder after a few meetings and some phone calls.

“He was a smooth talker. He was attentive. He was very much a gentleman,” Cloud answered. “I needed the attention, he was there to give it to me.”

One member of the jury panel submitted a question to the court asking Cloud why she had given so much money over the years to a husband she didn't even live with.

“Because I wasn't very smart,” Cloud replied.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.