Police Testify About Evidence In Woody, Dehart Murder Trial
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Michael Anderson-manderson@timesuniononline.com
Debris found in a burn pile outside of the residence of murder defendant Kyle Dehart is similar to a jacket worn by fellow defendant Brandon Woody, according to testimony heard Tuesday. Details about the evidence came from Kosciusko?County Sheriff’s detective Joshua Spangle, who testified?Tuesday in the double murder trial of Dehart and ?Woody. Woody and Dehart each face two counts of the murder in the shooting deaths of Joshua Knisley, 19, and Tara Thornburg, 23, in February 2015 in?Syracuse. During testimony, Spangle opened a bag of evidence and laid out items law enforcement had obtain from a burn pile outside Dehart’s parents’ house. He outlined the similarities between items found in the burn pile and a jacket Woody was wearing seen in video obtained from the Comfort Inn. Woody and Dehart stayed at the inn the night before the shootings and had a party, prosecutors said. Spangle said the zipper and the buton found in the rubble also are consistent with the pictures and video of the jacket. Police were led to the debris by Thomas Hursey, who testified Monday that Dehart and Woody burned the evidence in Dehart’s parents backyard after the shooting. Authorities contend Dehart,?Woody and Hursey went to Thornburg’s residence to steal her marijuana. Thornburg took them upstairs and told them to be quiet because her boyfriend, Knisley, was sleeping,?Hursey testified. Thornburg handed them a bag containing an ounce of marijuana. When Thornburg asked for the money, Woody said it was in the car and he would go get it. Thornburg said she wasn’t falling for that, Hursey said. After an argument, Woody pulled out a gun and threatened Thornburg. Despite pleas to stop, Hursey said Woody then shot Thornburg. After the gunfire, Hursey and Dehart fled down the stairs where Hursey heard another gunshot, he said. Hursey testified that the three men then got into a car to flee, and Woody assured them he had left no witnessess. During cross examination, defense lawyers questioned Hursey’s credibility based on his past criminal record and the fact that he didn’t come forward right away. Hursey also is facing two counts of murder in connection with the slayings. His case is still pending. Thornburg, suffering a gunshot to the face, was able to go downstairs and call 911. “Please Help Me ... Brandon?Woody shot my boyfriend and knocked me out,” she said on the call. Knisley was found dead when police arrived. Thornburg was transported to a hospital where she died within days. Hursey said Dehart tossed shoes and ammunition out the window of the car, and the group stuffed the gun in a nearby trash can. In early March 2015, police had Hursey lead them to the area and began to search for the items. Spangle said the police traced the trash to Hoosier Landfill, where they conducted a two-day unsuccessful search for the gun. ? The ammo clip also was not found, Spangle. Police say they found the pair of shoes about 600 feet apart on?CR 300E near Syracuse. Spangle said state lab tests concluded the “size, shape and trend were similar to a shoeprint left at the scene of the murders, but lacked individualistic characteristics to provide a positive match.” Several investigators testified throughout the day, discussing the shoe print outside the scene, the burn pile and evidence taken from the scene. Defense attorney Larry Hansen argued that Hursey’s word was the only thing tying the shoes to Dehart. Defense attorneys Scott Lennox and Hansen attacked the state’s case. Hansen grilled Syracuse Police Officer Joe Denton on why he didn’t send the paraphernalia on the table to the lab to be processed. Denton said the state lab limits the number of items that can be sent in for testing, and at the time he did not know that drugs were a motive in the crime. Hansen quizzed Denton on the lack of fingerprints found at the scene. Denton said pristine fingerprints are rarely found. The trial resumed this morning in Kosciusko Circuit Court with Judge Michael Reed presiding. The case is scheduled to end Friday.
