Opening Arguments In Ryan Murder Trial
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Three witnesses took the stand after opening arguments in the Jason Ryan murder trial Wednesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
Ryan is accused of killing Jill Phillips, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter.
In the first day of testimony, jurors heard from Matt Lauer, Phillips' boyfriend at the time of her disappearance; Dr. Scott A. Wagner, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Phillips' body; and Daniel D. Vermillion, crime scene investigator for the Indiana State Police.
Wagner, who was the second witness of the day, explained the procedure used to perform the autopsy on Phillips' body. Once the body was removed from the body bag, an external examination was performed and anything that could be considered evidence was saved.
Wagner observed that there was a white soapy looking substance covering the body, which is formed with exposure to the elements and water for a long period of time. He also noted a great deal of decomposition on the body.
"The neck and jaw area was more decomposed than the rest of the body," Wagner said. He explained that injured areas decompose faster than other areas.
Then the body, which was found partially nude and covered in mud, was carefully cleaned before the internal examination.
During the internal examination, no broken bones were found, and a blood sample was taken to perform toxicology tests. The tests revealed 100 nanograms of cocaine in Phillips' system, an amount, according to Wagner, that "is a common level we see with recreational use. ... I don't believe it caused her death ... the level was not in lethal range."
Once the internal examination was complete, Wagner concluded that there was no anatomical cause of death and that, in his opinion, Phillips' death was the result of "homicidal violence."
After Wagner's testimony was nearly finished, Prosecutor Steve Hearn tried to introduce a DVD of the autopsy to the jury. Defense attorney Mike Miner objected. Following a short discussion, Miner's objection was sustained and the jury was not allowed to see the footage.
During his cross-examination, Miner asked Wagner if the injuries to the body could have happened after death, possibly from rocks or branches. Wagner replied that the injuries were probably not caused by rocks or branches, and later clarified that by saying that dead bodies do not bruise. Miner also confirmed that no actual stab or strangle wounds were found on the body.
After Hearn and Miner presented their opening arguments Wednesday morning, the prosecution called its first witness, Lauer, to the stand.
Lauer, who said he dated Phillips for about 10 months before she disappeared, described Phillips as a "fairly quiet person" who "felt kind of alone sometimes." He also said Phillips was a dancer at Brandy's Gentleman's Club in Fort Wayne, and that she did not enjoy working there but felt she had no other choice.
About a month before her disappearance, Phillips told Lauer she was using drugs that she got from someone at the dance club, but she wanted to stop, and made an appointment at the Bowen Center.
Lauer also testified that he last saw Phillips April 1, 2001, after going to a wedding and spending the night at her house the night before. When Lauer left the house April 1, 2001, Phillips told him she would call him Monday to verify plans for the next weekend. When Phillips did not call Monday, Lauer said he "was concerned" but "figured I would definitely hear from her later in the week."
Even though Lauer did not hear from Phillips that week, he went to Syracuse Friday as the two had planned. When he arrived at her apartment, both of Phillips' cars were parked at her apartment, but Phillips was nowhere to be found. Lauer went inside and discovered the apartment was unusually hot inside.
When he didn't find Phillips, he went to the neighbor's apartment and asked if she had seen Phillips. The neighbor had not, so Lauer returned to the apartment and looked for a note, did not find one and left.
Later, Lauer and a friend returned to the apartment to wait for Phillips, but she never returned. The next morning, Lauer and his friend left the apartment, taking with them the film from the camera, Phillips' address book and a straw that was lying on the floor of the apartment. Lauer said he was afraid that the straw may have been used for drugs and did not want Phillips to get in trouble if someone found it.
Lauer called the numbers in the address book trying to find Phillips, but most of the numbers had been disconnected. No one he reached had heard from her.
After hearing nothing from Phillips the rest of the weekend, Lauer called the police and reported her missing. He then called area hospitals and the Bowen Center trying to find Phillips to no avail.
The last witness of the day was Vermillion, who was called by the Syracuse Police Department April 17 to inspect Phillips' apartment and vehicle after she was reported missing. He told about finding a red substance on a wall and baseboard in the apartment as well as on the outside and inside of her vehicle. The red substance was tested, but it was not blood. The substance was never identified.
Nothing was found during Vermillion's investigation to suggest a crime had occurred in the car or the apartment. Fingerprints were not taken at either the apartment or the car because there was no evidence of a crime at that point.
Vermillion also was called to the scene at Turkey Creek where Phillips' body was found the night of June 10.
The body, clad only in boxer shorts, a fanny pack, one sock and one shoe, was found lodged in some branches in about 18 inches of water. Once the body was removed, Vermillion and members of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department examined the area and secured the scene for the night. The next morning when Vermillion arrived, officers had completed a sweep of the area. Vermillion then went to Fort Wayne, where he documented the autopsy with photos.
The next involvement Vermillion had with the case was July 11, 2002, when he and Kosciusko County Detective Sam Whitaker went to Geneva, Ind., where they had a lead on a suspect's former vehicle, a Red Geo Tracker. In Geneva, Vermillion and Whitaker collected hair and fiber samples from the vehicle. However, laboratory tests found no pertinent information from those samples.
After Vermillion's testimony, the court recessed until 9 a.m. today, when the prosecution will continue presenting its case. [[In-content Ad]]
Three witnesses took the stand after opening arguments in the Jason Ryan murder trial Wednesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
Ryan is accused of killing Jill Phillips, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter.
In the first day of testimony, jurors heard from Matt Lauer, Phillips' boyfriend at the time of her disappearance; Dr. Scott A. Wagner, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Phillips' body; and Daniel D. Vermillion, crime scene investigator for the Indiana State Police.
Wagner, who was the second witness of the day, explained the procedure used to perform the autopsy on Phillips' body. Once the body was removed from the body bag, an external examination was performed and anything that could be considered evidence was saved.
Wagner observed that there was a white soapy looking substance covering the body, which is formed with exposure to the elements and water for a long period of time. He also noted a great deal of decomposition on the body.
"The neck and jaw area was more decomposed than the rest of the body," Wagner said. He explained that injured areas decompose faster than other areas.
Then the body, which was found partially nude and covered in mud, was carefully cleaned before the internal examination.
During the internal examination, no broken bones were found, and a blood sample was taken to perform toxicology tests. The tests revealed 100 nanograms of cocaine in Phillips' system, an amount, according to Wagner, that "is a common level we see with recreational use. ... I don't believe it caused her death ... the level was not in lethal range."
Once the internal examination was complete, Wagner concluded that there was no anatomical cause of death and that, in his opinion, Phillips' death was the result of "homicidal violence."
After Wagner's testimony was nearly finished, Prosecutor Steve Hearn tried to introduce a DVD of the autopsy to the jury. Defense attorney Mike Miner objected. Following a short discussion, Miner's objection was sustained and the jury was not allowed to see the footage.
During his cross-examination, Miner asked Wagner if the injuries to the body could have happened after death, possibly from rocks or branches. Wagner replied that the injuries were probably not caused by rocks or branches, and later clarified that by saying that dead bodies do not bruise. Miner also confirmed that no actual stab or strangle wounds were found on the body.
After Hearn and Miner presented their opening arguments Wednesday morning, the prosecution called its first witness, Lauer, to the stand.
Lauer, who said he dated Phillips for about 10 months before she disappeared, described Phillips as a "fairly quiet person" who "felt kind of alone sometimes." He also said Phillips was a dancer at Brandy's Gentleman's Club in Fort Wayne, and that she did not enjoy working there but felt she had no other choice.
About a month before her disappearance, Phillips told Lauer she was using drugs that she got from someone at the dance club, but she wanted to stop, and made an appointment at the Bowen Center.
Lauer also testified that he last saw Phillips April 1, 2001, after going to a wedding and spending the night at her house the night before. When Lauer left the house April 1, 2001, Phillips told him she would call him Monday to verify plans for the next weekend. When Phillips did not call Monday, Lauer said he "was concerned" but "figured I would definitely hear from her later in the week."
Even though Lauer did not hear from Phillips that week, he went to Syracuse Friday as the two had planned. When he arrived at her apartment, both of Phillips' cars were parked at her apartment, but Phillips was nowhere to be found. Lauer went inside and discovered the apartment was unusually hot inside.
When he didn't find Phillips, he went to the neighbor's apartment and asked if she had seen Phillips. The neighbor had not, so Lauer returned to the apartment and looked for a note, did not find one and left.
Later, Lauer and a friend returned to the apartment to wait for Phillips, but she never returned. The next morning, Lauer and his friend left the apartment, taking with them the film from the camera, Phillips' address book and a straw that was lying on the floor of the apartment. Lauer said he was afraid that the straw may have been used for drugs and did not want Phillips to get in trouble if someone found it.
Lauer called the numbers in the address book trying to find Phillips, but most of the numbers had been disconnected. No one he reached had heard from her.
After hearing nothing from Phillips the rest of the weekend, Lauer called the police and reported her missing. He then called area hospitals and the Bowen Center trying to find Phillips to no avail.
The last witness of the day was Vermillion, who was called by the Syracuse Police Department April 17 to inspect Phillips' apartment and vehicle after she was reported missing. He told about finding a red substance on a wall and baseboard in the apartment as well as on the outside and inside of her vehicle. The red substance was tested, but it was not blood. The substance was never identified.
Nothing was found during Vermillion's investigation to suggest a crime had occurred in the car or the apartment. Fingerprints were not taken at either the apartment or the car because there was no evidence of a crime at that point.
Vermillion also was called to the scene at Turkey Creek where Phillips' body was found the night of June 10.
The body, clad only in boxer shorts, a fanny pack, one sock and one shoe, was found lodged in some branches in about 18 inches of water. Once the body was removed, Vermillion and members of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department examined the area and secured the scene for the night. The next morning when Vermillion arrived, officers had completed a sweep of the area. Vermillion then went to Fort Wayne, where he documented the autopsy with photos.
The next involvement Vermillion had with the case was July 11, 2002, when he and Kosciusko County Detective Sam Whitaker went to Geneva, Ind., where they had a lead on a suspect's former vehicle, a Red Geo Tracker. In Geneva, Vermillion and Whitaker collected hair and fiber samples from the vehicle. However, laboratory tests found no pertinent information from those samples.
After Vermillion's testimony, the court recessed until 9 a.m. today, when the prosecution will continue presenting its case. [[In-content Ad]]