Mrs. Cerelia Syodor – guilty of conspiracy to murder? Freelance reporter, Calixte Ferne covers the controversy about the trial that has shaken the citizen’s belief in our book of laws.

The accused: Cerelia Syodor of the Legitimate Business Club

The accusation: Conspiracy to murder

The verdict: Guilty

The punishment: A two-week ban from Stormwind City.

Outrage rocked the courtroom last month as Mrs. Cerelia Syodor, the most recent Chairman of the Legitimate Business Club, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, despite an astonishingly-small amount of evidence connecting her to the crime in question.

Syodor received a two-week exile from Stormwind City for supposedly ordering the murder of little-known Gnome Hobbes, who was found dead in the City Canals almost two months ago. Examinations found the cause of death to be a large gunshot wound to the chest, made by a high-impact thorium slug and shotgun – weapons often carried by Old Town thugs.

Initial suspects

Taipia Manaweaver, initially the primary suspect for committing the murder, was to the great relief of the Club found not guilty of the charges two weeks ago. However, this joy was short-lived as Adjutant Kyrisha Fayth refused to drop the charges against Mrs. Syodor and the judge, Lady Tehanu, found the first female Chairman guilty in what many consider a shock decision that has left Club members and citizens alike outraged.

Adjutant Kyrisha Fayth refused to drop charges of conspiracy to murder against Syodor, despite the lack of clear evidence against her and the previously unsuccessful trial of Taipia Manaweaver.

Conflict in Court

The trial was a dramatic one; a fight erupted in the interval between the supposed eyewitness, Hamfist Stonecan (whose testimony was found to be inadequate in Manaweaver’s trial) and Syodor’s brother, Feralar Razorleaf, the citizens present were vociferous in their opinions that the trial was a sham and it seemed even the lawyers were at each other’s throats. Officer Tinkerton, acting as the prosecution in this case, was noted to refer to Mister Constantine Solarius, the defence lawyer, as ‘Mister Constipate’ and ‘Mister Contraband’, going as far as to refer to a potentially slanderous ‘Ale-Addicts Anonymous meeting’ for which the latter apparently did not wish to be late. Solarius gave as good as he got, patronisingly suggesting that ‘Mister Tinkerbell’s’ parents must be very proud of him, prosecuting a case all on his own – a clear pun aimed at the Gnomish race.

A violent psychopath?

In the prosecution’s statement, Tinkerton branded Syodor a ‘violent psychopath’, who often uses her ‘band of thugs’ to terrorise Old Town and any who may cross her path, drawing an irritated look and sarcastic comment from the ambitious wife and mother, who had only recently become Chairman of the Legitimate Business Club.

The suspect, wife-and-mother Cerelia Syodor, was branded by the prosecution as a 'violent psychopath'.

Further claims were that her ‘passionate’ methods of keeping order in the Pig ‘n’ Whistle - the inn that, for several years, has been run by the Legitimate Business Club – included many threats with weaponry, although it is not known that these have previously ended in death or even severe injury. The prosecution seemed unable to provide more than a blanket statement that eyewitnesses had seen her acting in a ‘violent manner’ previously, although never toward the murdered victim.

The supposed evidence

According to the prosecution, Syodor set other Club members upon the victim as he ran amok in the Pig ‘n’ Whistle, in a bid to keep the tavern’s reputation intact and undisturbed. As evidence, the eyewitness testimony of Mister Zubin Stormbolt was used, backed up by Officer Atella Spade. Both stated that they had previously seen Syodor act in a threatening way through the use of a weapon to maintain order, although it is unclear what this ‘threatening way’ consisted of.

Stonecan also claimed to have seen Syodor order the murder in person. The defence strongly questioned this evidence, which fell flat in the Manaweaver trial and comes from a source known to be less-than-reliable; Stonecan has been previously accused of  setting fire to an orphanage and forcing his beliefs of ‘Hamfistism’ upon unsuspecting passers-by. The last piece of evidence consisted of a sworn statement by Shadow Sentinel, Miyev, who claimed to have heard Syodor say after the Manaweaver trial, “If Taipia got off, they’ll never catch me” – a statement the defence violently refuted, countering that the word ‘catch’ was never used and that Syodor merely pointed out that she thought it unlikely they would put her on trial if Taipia was found to be innocent.

The trial in which Taipia Manaweaver, fellow member of the Legitimate Business Club, was found innocent of the murder of Hobbes - due to a lack of evidence and factual proof. 

The arguments of the defence

In a logically-formed defence – due to the complete lack of evidence, this was the only method through which Syodor could actively argue her case – Solarius labelled the accusations as vastly unsubstantiated and irrational. Claims of violence have seemingly seldom evolved into violence itself, particularly as Syodor on many occasions has stated she dislikes blood on the floor and is quick to protest with regards to barroom brawls. Ultimately, she is clearly a woman with a drive to improve the Inn’s reputation – thus, why would she sully it with a murder investigation?

Claims by the prosecution of Syodor’s supposedly vicious demeanour were similarly contested by Solarius, who stated that Syodor used force only when all other methods failed or in the case of several exceptions, whose aggressive natures were well-known. Without this level of force, Solarius countered, brawls would be left unchecked and chaos would ensue, particularly as according to Syodor and other staff, Watch officers have previously arrived at the Inn when called to assist, only to unhelpfully question if and why the Club can’t do it themselves, often in a smug manner. Following this difficult attitude and a variety of smirking comebacks, officers have been seen to depart the scene after offering little or no help, leaving the Inn staff to cope on their own.

Visibly shocked

The first Elvish Chairman of the Legitimate Business Club continues to maintain that she is innocent of the charge and was visibly shocked by the verdict, questioning whether the judge was making a joke. On announcement of the verdict, the disagreement of the citizens and Club members almost broke out into a full-blown riot, which was swiftly quelled by waiting Watch Officers.

A fixed trial?

Many of the angry disagreements from the crowd were due to the incredibly-questionable reliability of not only the ‘evidence’ but also the quality of eyewitnesses.

Zubin Stormbolt, former associate of the Legitimate Business Club, was one who claimed to have been removed through violent means and threats with a weapon from the Pig ‘n’ Whistle. However, some present Club members commented that he had left the group on hostile terms and set about attempting to open his own rival Inn, making ulterior motives increasingly likely. Another noted argument to Stormbolt’s reliability as a witness was that he had at several points caused trouble for the staff in the Pig ‘n’ Whistle, meaning that he had previously been blacklisted and should not have been on the premises in the first place.

Zubin Stormbolt has been included in the fashion article by Penelope Branthia De Lacroix, fashion critic of the Argent Post 

Similarly, Stonecan has been seen, seemingly blindly supported by Watch Officer Spade, forcing the religion of ‘Hamfistism’ upon the defendant. It was even quoted that at one point, he claimed he would shut the Pig ‘n’ Whistle down if she refused to sign a contract, stating Hamfistism as Club-supported. Syodor seemed particularly incensed that, according to her testimony, Spade had heard Stonecan clearly state outside the Pig ‘n’ Whistle that Syodor had nothing to do with the murder of Hobbes. Is this another example of the flagging capabilities of the Watch?

Speculation is abounding at present that Syodor is the victim of bullying , overzealous officials, particularly considering the recent, brutal ransacking of the Pig ‘n’ Whistle Inn by Shadow Sentinels, searching for signs of ‘demonic activity’. It is understood that the damage caused (of which the Sentinels offered to pay 10%) may have reached over one hundred Gold in ruined stock and equipment. Reports that the Sentinel Headquarters, located in Nethergarde Keep, were recently found to have been vandalised and destroyed to an even worse extent have so far been considered unconnected.

Reports from Onlookers

“It’s a mockery of justice,” claimed one onlooker, “There was no solid evidence, just word of mouth, yet they found her guilty anyway. It’s really shaken my belief in what our officials are up to.”

Another ranted, “Those Gnomes – Hamfist and that blond one – were constantly badgering the defendant and her brother, even when she went to spend time with her husband and daughter. Several people went to wish her luck during the interval – it was clear how everyone hoped the trial would end.”

Syodor left the scene with her head held high and her daughter supported on one hip, and was escorted from the City by three Watch officials with no trouble or violence whatsoever, stopping only to retrieve her belongings from the Pig ‘n’ Whistle. To show their solidarity, a group of Legitimate Business Club members paid their respects with salutes from each side of the road as she walked along the Valley of Heroes, toward the City Gates.

An appeal is to be expected from Mrs. Syodor, whose husband Justen Syodor has already began preparing with Mr. Solarius and an as-of-yet unnamed lawyer. However, as the appeal was always expected to take longer than the two weeks of the sentence to process, it seems the Chairman had no choice but to serve the full length of her sentence, being supported from the City she has known for years as her home.

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Signed,

Calixte Ferne

Freelance Journalist