TESTIMONY RESUMED WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE FIRST DEGREE MURDER BENCH TRIAL OF 30-YEAR-OLD JORDAN HENRY.
HENRY IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND FIRST DEGREE ARSON IN THE STRANGULATION DEATH OF 40-YEAR-OLD ELIZABETH BOCKHOLT OF HINTON AT THE WINGATE BY WYNDOM HOTEL ON SOUTHERN HILLS DRIVE IN JANUARY OF 2019.
THE FIRST WITNESSES CALLED WEDNESDAY WERE INVESTIGATORS FROM SIOUX CITY’S FIRE RESCUE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
LT. JOE RODRIQUEZ OF FIRE RESCUE TOLD THE COURT THAT WHEN HE INVESTIGATED THE AFTERMATH OF THE HOTEL ROOM FIRE, THE SMOKE ALARM HAD BEEN REMOVED, THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD BEEN TRIPPED AND PAPER HAD BEEN STUFFED IN THE PEEP HOLE TO THE DOOR INTO THE ROOM.
IT APPEARED SOMEONE HAD SET THE PHONE BOOK IN THE ROOM ON FIRE AND THE SMOKE DETECTOR AND A CELL PHONE WERE FOUND IN THE BURN AREA:
OC……….IN THE BUILDING. :17
OTHER INVESTIGATORS TALKED ABOUT COLLECTING D-N-A SAMPLES FROM HENRY’S HANDS AND FINGERNAILS AFTER HIS ARREST, AND FINDING D-N-A FROM A SECOND PERSON ON HIM.
IT WAS NOT POSITIVELY CONFIRMED AS BOCKHOLT’S THOUGH.
DR. JONATHAN THOMPSON OF THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE TESTIFIED THAT HE PERFORMED THE AUTOPSY ON BOCKHOLT, AND THAT HE DETERMINED THAT SHE DIED OF STRANGULATION AND NOT FROM SMOKE INHALATION.
JUDGE STEVEN ANDREASEN IS PRESIDING OVER THE CASE.
THE TRIAL WILL RESUME FRIDAY.
