Like an avid television viewer glued to the screen for the last five minutes of a season finale, I hung on every word of opening statements in the trial of Allen Blackthorne.

Each side took 45 minutes to outline its case. Lead prosecutor John Murphy came across as a simple attorney with a clear task - convicting Blackthorne. First he introduced himself. "My name is John Murphy, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas." Then he introduced the other 10-people in court to help the government put on its case.

High-tech courtroom
"One glance at me and you can tell I'm a prosecutor from the past in a courtroom of the future," he said. In fact, this San Antonio Federal courtroom is a test site for judges from across the country. It comes armed with two TV monitors for the audience, each juror has his or her own screen and there is a drop-down big-screen controlled by the attorneys, who use a touch screen at the podium.

A person on the witness stand can use a computer pen to circle specific locations, such as Sarasota, on a map, with a computer pen like they use on Monday Night Football to diagram plays.

It doesn't stop there. The judge also has a complete computer system at the bench that allows access to the internet, real-time court transcription and a full sound system for his courtroom. It all cost about a quarter of a million dollars and the lawyers spend most of the time trying to figure it out.

Drawing a timeline
"What brings you here today is a two-count indictment," Murphy continued. He used a timeline to outline his case, painting Blackthorne as the obsessive ex-husband who lost it after losing a series of custody conflicts in court. Murphy told the jury that all he needs to do is prove Blackthorne intended to "injure, harass or intimidate" ex-wife Sheila Bellush and if murder resulted then Blackthorne is responsible for murder.

He described Blackthorne as "a wealthy, successful, independent, self-made businessman" ... his golfing partner Danny Rocha as "the bookie, golf hustler" ... Rocha's cousin Sammy Gonzales as "bag boy" and the accused hit-man Jose Luis Del Toro as "a ne're-do-well, easily influenced drifter."

Allen Blackthorne is led from the federal courthouse to a car Monday, June 12, 2000 in San Antonio. AP Photo

For the defense
The defense quickly countered by saying a bitter divorce dosen't make a man a murderer. West Palm Beach attorney Richard Lubin used his own timeline tracing letters from Danny Rocha in prison to friends on the outside. These letters, according to Lubin, weave a plan to blackmail or blame Blackthorne in order to extort money and save Rocha's own skin.

The giant video screen dropped down to show Rocha's smiling, smug face from his Sarasota Sheriff's mug shot. Lubin quoted some of the letters as saying "either Allen walks or I do" and "I want him (Allen) healthy and playing golf so I can testify against him but if not believe me he will have an accident."

Lubin claims Rocha goes on to tell a friend to destroy evidence and back up his story, and then went on to add, "I've been approached by people with book and movie deals, there's money in it for us."

The prosection begins
The prosecution launched its case by playing the 911 recording of then 13-year-old Stevie Bellush when she discovered her mother's body shot and stabbed in their Sarasota home Nov. 7, 1997. The tape captured Stevie's hysterical sobs, her brothers and sisters wailing in the background, and her repeated words "my mom is dead" and "there's blood everywhere, everywhere" for 10 minutes. Jurors shifted in their seats. Her grandmother wept in the front row.

Then a wave of shock could be felt across the courtroom when John Murphy announced his second witness, Stevie Bellush herself. Everyone in the audience admitted it was superb legal choreography.

The last time I saw Stevie she testified against Danny Rocha. That was in January 1999 - she was still a child with her hair in a barette and a baggy, oversized sweater.

Not this time.

She walked in confidently, hair down, make-up well applied. The 16-year-old was nervous according to friends but it didn't show. She was also court savvy ... often looking at jurors on key words and knowing to wait for the judge's decision when the defense attorneys objected to her opinions.

Her entrance marked the first time in three years she came face to face with her father; the first time since he mysteriously terminated his parental rights in July 1997; and the first time she blamed him for killing her mother.

The most disturbing thing about Stevie's testimony was the lack of emotion. Rarely do you hear such a flat affect in such a young woman's voice. She talked about her father trying to buy his two daughters' loyalty after his divorce from Sheila in the late eighties. Stevie told jurors he "showered myself and my sister with gifts like 50 bucks from the tooth fairy." She would only refer to her father as "Allen." She called him "manipulative, hurtful and deceitful."

But she admitted her new stepfather Jamie Bellush was not easy either. He married her mother in 1993, the quads came in 1995. "He was rough. He had strict rules." At this point in her life Stevie was around 10 or 11. She testifed Jamie "spanked her on the butt with a belt, spoon."

Her childhood was filled with moves. From ages 5 to 8 she went to three schools and lived in three homes roughly. By age 13 she had had three last names first Stevie Van Houte, then when her father changed his last name she became Stevie Blackthorne and then with the move to Flordia she became Stevie Bellush. She also described the strained relationship with her younger sister, Daryl now 15.

Daryl refused to sever ties with her father. She missed him and didn't understand why he gave up his rights. Once in Sarasota, Sheila and Jamie put Daryl in a youth shelter for behavior problems. Stevie says "Daryl was lashing out. She was really starting to become attached to Allen and she was becoming a threat to our family." It sounded like something out of a therapist's mouth.

The words "our family" had a strange ring to them. Daryl had become the odd-child-out because she still cared for her father. Daryl was the reason Sheila still faced child abuse charges in Texas at the time of her death.

Stevie told the courtroom that when Sheila brought Daryl home from the shelter she basically asked Stevie to spy on her little sister, making sure she didn't call her father. Stevie says Daryl was not allowed to use the phone and if she caught Daryl on the phone she was supposed to listen in.

Stevie says "she (Sheila Bellush) knew there was a risk in bringing her into the home. Legally we were not supposed to have contact with Allen." Her voice sounded almost robotic.

Jamie Bellush would later testify that "we left (Texas) to get away from Mister Blackthorne." He would also admit that he blames Daryl for her mothers death saying "as miniscule as it may be, yes sir, because she told Mr. Blackthorne where we were or pointed him in the right direction." Just days after the murder Daryl was sent to live with her aunt in Oregon where she is thriving in high school.

Stevie did break down when asked to describe the murder scene. It was the second time she has had to do it in two years. The pain and renewed horror she feels is incomprehensible. She sobbed as she told jurors "I bent down and said Mom, Mom." Then, almost still in disbelief, she said, "At first I thought she was playing a trick on me, you know."

She wiped away the tears as the attorney asked her to describe her father in the courtroom. She coldly pointed in his direction saying "second from the left in a gray suit."

Allen Blackthorne had removed his glasses. No one was sure how clearly he could really see her.

Stevie Van Houte Blackthorne Bellush stepped off the stand knowing this may not be the last time she testifies. The 16-year-old helping to raise four mother-less four year olds will most likely have to take the public through her personal nightmare again when accused hit man Jose Luis Del Toro stands trial next month. For Stevie I would imagine it seems like it never ends.

As the proceedings wound down for the day, Danny Rocha took the stand.