Jennifer Amell

He said Sanborn told him he was going to go looking for Jessica at her new boyfriend's house. Then, according to Glenn, Sanborn pulled a knife from his pocket. A few days later on Thursday, Glenn ran into Sanborn again. Sanborn said he hadn't seen Jessica, but then he quickly changed his story. Sanborn said he actually did find Jessica that night at her boyfriend's house.

He said Sanborn told him he was going to go looking for Jessica at her new boyfriend's house. Then, according to Glenn, Sanborn pulled a knife from his pocket. A few days later on Thursday, Glenn ran into Sanborn again. Sanborn said he hadn't seen Jessica, but then he quickly changed his story. Sanborn said he actually did find Jessica that night at her boyfriend's house.

He said they took a walk, had sex, and then argued for half an hour after. On July 7th, 1989, Portland police brought in Anthony Sanborn for questioning about a, quote, unrelated matter. But they quickly pivoted to Jessica Briggs. Sanborn denied having seen Jessica at all between May 21st and 29th, when he was in Portland, and he flat out denied murdering her.

He said they took a walk, had sex, and then argued for half an hour after. On July 7th, 1989, Portland police brought in Anthony Sanborn for questioning about a, quote, unrelated matter. But they quickly pivoted to Jessica Briggs. Sanborn denied having seen Jessica at all between May 21st and 29th, when he was in Portland, and he flat out denied murdering her.

Nine months passed, and detectives had nothing to tie Sanborn to the murder, save for one vague story from an unreliable street kid. That all changed when a man named Jerry Rossi, who was imprisoned in Volusia, Florida, came forward. Rossi was a pedophile. He was facing charges for sex acts with minors. He said he knew Tony Sanborn well. They even lived together.

Nine months passed, and detectives had nothing to tie Sanborn to the murder, save for one vague story from an unreliable street kid. That all changed when a man named Jerry Rossi, who was imprisoned in Volusia, Florida, came forward. Rossi was a pedophile. He was facing charges for sex acts with minors. He said he knew Tony Sanborn well. They even lived together.

And he fancied himself a kind of father figure. Yikes. Rossi said that Sanborn had confessed to him three times that he murdered Jessica Briggs. And his story went like this. Sanborn went to DeMillo's the night of the murder to find Jessica and met her as she left work. He tried to get Jessica to go with him to Virginia Beach. Rossi said Jessica wouldn't go and wouldn't, quote, hustle for him.

And he fancied himself a kind of father figure. Yikes. Rossi said that Sanborn had confessed to him three times that he murdered Jessica Briggs. And his story went like this. Sanborn went to DeMillo's the night of the murder to find Jessica and met her as she left work. He tried to get Jessica to go with him to Virginia Beach. Rossi said Jessica wouldn't go and wouldn't, quote, hustle for him.

Sanborn demanded her tip money from that night's work, but she refused. So Sanborn got angry and killed her There are a lot of problems with this story, chiefly that Jessica was not found in her work clothes, but had gone home to change. But we'll get into all that in a bit. But because of Rossi's testimony, Tony Sanborn is arrested for the murder of Jessica Briggs on April 17th, 1990.

Sanborn demanded her tip money from that night's work, but she refused. So Sanborn got angry and killed her There are a lot of problems with this story, chiefly that Jessica was not found in her work clothes, but had gone home to change. But we'll get into all that in a bit. But because of Rossi's testimony, Tony Sanborn is arrested for the murder of Jessica Briggs on April 17th, 1990.

And it's after Sanborn's arrest, with his picture plastered all over the local papers, that the final nail is hammered in. A 13-year-old girl named Hope Katie came forward to the police, claiming she witnessed the murder. Hope Katie's story is tragic. She was just a little girl, and she had run away from home, and she was in and out of shelters, living on the streets sometimes.

And it's after Sanborn's arrest, with his picture plastered all over the local papers, that the final nail is hammered in. A 13-year-old girl named Hope Katie came forward to the police, claiming she witnessed the murder. Hope Katie's story is tragic. She was just a little girl, and she had run away from home, and she was in and out of shelters, living on the streets sometimes.

She said that on the night of the murder, she was sitting on the dock about three piers away from Bath Iron Works. She recognized Jessica Briggs with three others walking down the pier. She said an argument broke out and that she recognized the voices of Anthony Sanborn and a teenage girl named Michelle.

She said that on the night of the murder, she was sitting on the dock about three piers away from Bath Iron Works. She recognized Jessica Briggs with three others walking down the pier. She said an argument broke out and that she recognized the voices of Anthony Sanborn and a teenage girl named Michelle.

Hope said Michelle struck Jessica in the head, and then Sanborn pulled a knife and stabbed her in the belly. Then he kicked Jessica off the dock into the water. Tony Sanborn was held without bail for two years, until finally on October 19, 1992, his trial began. I had the opportunity to read through all 1,826 pages of the trial transcripts, courtesy of Amy Fairfield.

Hope said Michelle struck Jessica in the head, and then Sanborn pulled a knife and stabbed her in the belly. Then he kicked Jessica off the dock into the water. Tony Sanborn was held without bail for two years, until finally on October 19, 1992, his trial began. I had the opportunity to read through all 1,826 pages of the trial transcripts, courtesy of Amy Fairfield.

Amy didn't represent Sanborn at this trial, however. There were two other defense attorneys. Over the course of nine days, the state presented all three of these witnesses, Glenn B., Jerry Rossi, and Hope Cady, among others. They didn't introduce any forensic evidence tying Sanborn to the crime scene at all.

Amy didn't represent Sanborn at this trial, however. There were two other defense attorneys. Over the course of nine days, the state presented all three of these witnesses, Glenn B., Jerry Rossi, and Hope Cady, among others. They didn't introduce any forensic evidence tying Sanborn to the crime scene at all.

Sanborn's defense focused on dismantling these damning witness testimonies and introducing reasonable doubt. Among the suspects that the defense brought up, they noted that there was a Navy ship at port the evening of the murder.

Sanborn's defense focused on dismantling these damning witness testimonies and introducing reasonable doubt. Among the suspects that the defense brought up, they noted that there was a Navy ship at port the evening of the murder.