The Drowning of Cristi Lynne Hall.

CRISTI LYNNE CARLTON HALL 

Born on November 30, 1960 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
She died on June 7, 2007.
Her husband Chris Hall was convicted of her drowing in 2011.

Her parents were Phyllis and William Carlton.
After graduating from Pacific High School in San Bernardino, she fell in love and married Blair Christopher Hall at the age of 17. 
Together they raised three daughters in Calimesa, California. 
Cristi worked as a radiologic technologist and worked for Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. 
She was well known in the community and by her co-workers for being a hardworking, outgoing, and a very family oriented individual. 
Described by her father as the "sparkplug" and by her sister as the "core" of the family.

Initial autopsy report concluded Cristi Hall died by drowning.
The prosecutorsin the case said that some findings were inconsistent with a drowning. 
She had hemorrhages on her face and chest that are indicators of a forced drowning.
Chris Hall was found with two fresh scratches, and his DNA was
under his wife’s fingernails.
The autopsy also revealed Cristi Lynne had rib fractures, chest abrasions and lacerations on the top and back of the head.

Chris Hall left the San Bernardino police force in 1994 after saying he was accidentally shot in the leg during an undercover operation.
He worked for two police departments in Idaho, and in 2000 was convicted of embezzling $19,000 from one of them. 
His first ended in a hung jury. 
On the morning of the alleged murder, Chris and Cristi Lynne were washing in the back patio hot tub of their home.
While in the water, Chris allegedly slammed Christi's head into the concrete patio floor and then shoved her under water drowning her.
Cristi Lynne had an $800,000 life insurance policy at the time. 
Cristi also had an afair in the past and was recently in contact with that person.

A witness in the first trial, Lindsay Kay Patterson, was visiting her mother's home on the day of the alleged attack. 
Hall's and Patterson's mother's properties are separated by a 5-foot block wall. 
Patterson testified she heard a piercing scream from the Hall house and went over to look through a hole in the wall to see what was happening. 
The witness said she saw Hall holding his wife's head under water.
She said looked over the fence into the Hall’s yard and saw Chris Hall as he held down a woman’s head. 
Then, Chris Hall was sitting alone in the murky water and she couldn’t see a woman.
Patterson later peered through the decorative block and saw Chris Hall get out and dry off. 
Then he went in to get his daughter.
She also saw his angry face.
She called 911.

Chris said that Cristi slipped and struck her head on the patio slab, then drowned. 
He said he had gone into the house to use the bathroom and awaken their teenage daughter, returning to the spa to find his wife unconscious in the water.
He said he tried to perform CPR, but she was unresponsive. 
She was pronounced dead at a Banning hospital.

The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced 25 years to life.
“This is wrong. This is not justice,” one of the daughters shouted from the back of the Riverside courtroom after the verdict. 
Throughout the case, the Halls’ three daughters maintained their father’s innocence.

What do you think?

Was it an accident or murder?