The preliminary hearing for two men suspected in the murder of a Hutchinson woman last resulted in both being bound over for trial.
Judge Joe McCarville found there was more the substantial probable cause to send the case to trial, this after a three day hearing.
48-year-old Billy Craig Jr., and 32-year-old Charles Logsdon will now face a jury, each charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges coming from the shooting death of 27-year-old Jennifer Heckel. She was killed in her home at 501 Coronado back on June 14. Prosecutors say it appears she was a victim of mistaken identity.
They started testimony Wednesday afternoon with a man well known to law enforcement telling of a conversation he had with Logsdon who told him that Billy Craig gave him a gun and he shot someone. Troy Snell also told of the gun be placed in a dumpster or trash can, and that police recovered it.
Then came Markus Johnston who’s currently in the Reno County Jail for failing to appear in court for cases against him. He was there to testify about his knowledge of the case, but as District Attorney Keith Schroeder started to ask him questions about a video interview he made with Hutchinson Police, he said couldn’t remember anything about the interview. So, the state decided to play the recorded interview, and he then spotted off to Judge McCarville a number of times that he was high on meth at the time of that interview and didn’t know anything about the case. He did that repeatedly to the point that Judge Joe McCarville had to threaten him with contempt.
On the video, he implicated Logsdon as being the one who shot the victim in the back of head. He also stated he was scared to death of Logsdon. During the playing of the video, he held his head back and stared straight up, never looking at the screen showing the video.
After the video was played, and on cross examination, he claimed he was not truthful about what was on the tape.
Later, Police Lt. Marty Robertson told the court of how they kept track of the phone calls and mail from the two suspects inside, not only the Reno County jail, but also in Butler and Ford Counties where the two were being housed, Craig in Butler County, and Logsdon in Ford.
The mail and phone calls were a mixture of blaming each other and making accusations of others being involved who are not charged in the case including Matthew Barnes.
Earlier testimony centered on conversations Logsdon had with two inmates while at the Ford County Jail where he pretty much implicated his involvement.
Steve Dome told the court that Logsdon told a variety of stories over a 5-day period and how the intent was to rob a woman, because of drug debts owed to a Wichita drug dealer. Apparently, if the intended victim was taken out, the 19-thousand dollar debt would be settled, but later testimony indicated the amount was as low as 10-thousand, and as high as 27-thousand.
He also told of Logsdon being worried because he left a cigarette butt behind, and officials earlier this week indicated, they found two butts at the scene.
Also on the stand was Justin White, who is known as a jail house lawyer in Ford County. Logsdon apparently asked him if he could be charged with Capital Murder since the murder occurred while the victims 5-year-old son was inside the home.
Logsdon also told both men how the murder went down and White also told investigators that Logsdon had managed to get a letter to Craig through another inmate telling him to recant any statement he had made to police. But, police have on tape, Craig pretty much confessing to his involvement.
The final states witness was KBI Special Agent Jeff Newsom who summarized statements made by Logsdon rather then playing the numerous videos of interviews. They gave the judge a brief summary of things Logsdon stated.
With both men being bound over for trial, the two face trial this summer in what Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell said could last four weeks.