It may be some time before any sentence is handed down for a Hutchinson woman convicted by a Reno County jury of “perjury” for testimony she gave at the preliminary hearing for two men accused of murder.
Dana Craig was found “guilty” of perjury for the testimony she gave at the preliminary hearing of her ex-husband Billy Craig Jr.,, and the co-defendant, Charles Christopher Logsdon, both accused of killing Jennifer Heckel in the summer of 2011.
She stated at the hearing her ex-husband could not have been involved in the killing because he was with their daughter all evening. The state was able to convince a jury that those statements couldn’t be true, because Craig’s daughter was working at the McDonald’s in South Hutchinson during that time.
Defense Attorney Sam Kepfield contended that it could have been a case of bad memory with her not testifying until 8-months after the crime, plus the fact that she has bad eye-sight. He says her testimony didn’t make any difference. Judge Tim Chambers apparently agreed that there could be some merit to that. He gave both sides 10-days to present the court with briefs over what he called the material fact of whether her testimony had any effect over the two men being bound over for the murder.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell told the jury that Craig had told the court that she saw her daughter “with her own eyes” and that was around 6 p-m, however its believed the murder occurred between 6:30 p-m and 7:09 p-m.
She also told the court that her daughter was with her ex-husband all evening, so he couldn’t have committed the crime. Maxwell argues her testimony was clearly designed to help her ex-husband.
Kepfield also argued Friday that based on a survey of Reno County residents over the advance publicity in the murder case, the jury pool for Dana Craig was prejudiced. Maxwell says they had no problem selecting a jury in the case.
Craig’s murder trial is still pending, while another co-defendant. Charles Christopher Logsdon was convicted and sentenced to prison for the killing.
So when the sentencing will occur at this point is unclear.
By the way, a motions hearing in the Billy Craig murder case is scheduled for Monday in front of Judge Tim Chambers.