NEWS
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A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MURRAY MURDER TRIAL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2005
Jury resumes deliberations
"They've got a lot to talk about. There is no shortage of evidence to review," defense attorney Bob Eye said. "It will require some time to separate the wheat from the chaff."
At one point yesterday, a television set and VCR were brought into the jury room, presumably so jurors could review a lengthy videotape of Murray talking to investigators during which he denied killing Ross. Murray did not testify during the trial.
BY CARL MANNING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAWRENCE — Defense attorneys and prosecutors said yesterday they didn't expect a quick verdict in the case of a Kansas State University professor charged with killing his former wife.
Wilson said the jury has some 400 prosecution and defense exhibits, mainly documents and photographs. Asked if she was concerned about the deliberations, Wilson said, "Not this early in a four-week trial."
The first-degree murder trial of Thomas E. Murray, 48, began Feb. 17 and ended Monday with closing arguments. He is accused in the 2003 death of Carmin D. Ross, 40.
"I don't think this jury would make this decision, one way or the other, without looking at the video again." Angela Wilson, an assistant district attorney, said.
The Douglas County District Court jury of eight women and four men deliberated for an hour Monday afternoon, resuming work yesterday morning.
Also defense attorneys met Tuesday with Murray, who was in a detention cell at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, Eye
said. He characterized Murray as "composed and certainly concerned."
As the jury met, family members waited in the district attorney's office. Ross' fiance, Larry Lima, of San Diego, said he would accept whatever verdict is returned.
Prosecutors say Ross was bludgeoned and stabbed on Nov. 13, 2003. Her body was found the next day in the living room of her rural home north of Lawrence.
"I've worked real hard and prayed about not being attached to the outcome," he said.
They argued the English professor killed his wife partly because he was furious he could lose his daughter, who was 4 at the time, in a custody battle. Ross had planned to move to California, where Lima lived.
Defense attorneys countered that Murray, who lived in Manhattan, was a peaceful, calm man saddened by the end of his 18-year marriage. They also said there was no blood, hair or fiber evidence or fingerprints linking Murray to the crime. They suggested Ross was killed by at least two unidentified people.
After the divorce, Murray and Ross shared custody of their daughter and were mediating custody issues at the time of her death. The defense argued Murray had received encouraging news from the attorney handling his child-custody dispute.
Prosecutors said Murray conducted Internet searches on how to commit murder and dismissed defense arguments that Murray searched the Internet because he was conducting research about writing television crime dramas. They said he was considering moving to California.
Spiritual survey
Danny Shaw, Shawnee freshman, is interviewed about his thoughts on God and his religion by Ryan Barnes and Paul Gray yesterday. Barnes and Gray are students at Colorado State University who have come to the University in coordination with Christ Community Church as a spring break project.
Dogs and wheat are breeder's treat
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
at Kansas State University, where she's involved in producing other prize winners: strains of wheat.
MANHATTAN — A Kansas dog breeder who produced the surprise winner of the best-of-show award at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club in New York last month has another and seemingly unrelated area of expertise.
"When I talk to dog people and tell them I work with wheat breeding, they'll ask, 'What's the connection?'"" Coonrod said. "People don't realize there's not a lot of difference between dogs versus plants when it comes to the breeding strategy."
but Lucetia Coonrod actually sees similarities in breeding German shorthair dogs and her job at the agronomy department
What turned out really great at the 129th Westminster show
was the highly publicized best-of-show award that went to a 5-year-old German shorthair named Ch. Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses, but known familiarly as Carlee.
Carlee, who wasn't considered a favorite going into the competition, won out over more than 2,500 other dogs from among 165 breeds and varieties. That meant a round of appearances on morning television talk shows, and later with comic
David Letterman.
“Winning best in show is something you dream of, but it is so elusive you never think it will happen,” Coonrod said. “Like winning an Oscar, you never think there is a big chance it will actually happen. If you don't think you're going to win and have no expectations, sometimes the dogs are more relaxed and anything they do is better when you're the dark horse.”
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