Defense begins case in Myers trial

MARTINSVILLE — The defense began building its case Thursday in the murder trial of John R. Myers II, the man accused of abducting and killing IU sophomore Jill Behrman in May 2000. \nThursday was the first day defense attorneys for Myers could begin their case since the prosecution rested Wednesday. Myers is accused of abducting and murdering Behrman while she was on a bike ride May 31, 2000. \nThe defense submitted into evidence Thursday a bag of 27 condoms, seven books on health and sex, a urine pregnancy test, a piece of paper with Brian Hollars' IU username and his home and work phone numbers and a pill bottle for birth control pills in Behrman's name — all of which the defense asserts were found in Behrman's room.\nThe defense has concentrated on Hollars as a possible suspect in the murder. In earlier testimony, Hollars said he hired Behrman at the Student Recreational Sports Center but denied ever working out with her, sending her e-mails or even knowing her phone number.\n"I absolutely had nothing to do with Jill Behrman's death," Hollars testified last week.\nBehrman's entire diary was also admitted into evidence Thursday at the insistence of Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bob Cline, who said the contents of the diary, which the jury will be able to read, would be very important to the case.\nIndiana State Police crime scene investigator Sgt. Jason Fajt brought and identified the items. The evidence has been held by the state police for several years, much of it submitted by Bloomington Police Department and collected by Bloomington officer Tammy Harty, who has not yet confirmed she collected the items in Behrman's bedroom. \nOther items admitted Thursday include a bungee cord and rusted knife recovered from Salt Creek in September 2002 and Behrman's printed class schedule for the first semester of 2000-2001.\nThursday morning started with a motion to release Fox 59 news reporter Kimberly King from subpoena, meaning she will not testify in the trial. Once released, King picked up where she left off and reported on the trial the remainder of the day.\nBaker called retired FBI investigator Gary Dunn to testify Thursday morning, spending most of his time grilling Dunn about initial suspects in the Behrman case. \nDunn, lead investigator of the Jill Behrman case until his retirement in 2003, became involved in the case early in June 2000 when working as an FBI investigator out of Bloomington. He volunteered the FBI's assistance to Bloomington police with a computer system for tracking information and eventually became chief investigator, he said.\nDunn testified that investigators received about 1,300 leads for the case, most in the first weeks after Jill's disappearance, and investigators developed a list of more than ten suspects they concentrated on, including Myers.\n"There were any number of suspects," Dunn said, clarifying for the jury that some were strong suspects and others weren't.\nBaker also questioned Dunn about evidence found in the draining of Salt Creek in September 2002. Dunn confirmed that a retractable knife, about 1 inch wide and 4-5 inches long, and a bungee cord were found in the creek. Dunn said investigators uncovered industrial plastic, but not a tarp. When Owings told police she murdered Behrman, she mentioned using a knife, a bungee cord and a tarp - all thrown into the creek.\nAfter Baker suggested someone claimed to have knowledge that the body was moved, Cline cross-examined Dunn about the reason for draining Salt Creek and Dunn answered it was for the safety of the divers.\nCline then asked Dunn if he had ever, in his 28 years as an investigator, heard of a body being moved and then shot. Dunn answered he had not. Dunn also said he found no scarring on Behrman's bones in her chest area, where Owings told him she had stabbed Behrman.