|
by Dawn Slade
Clad in a jail issued orange jumpsuit, handcuffs and ankle chains, Jeremy Jason Hull sat in court Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for hearings related to the case against him - first degree murder.
Hull is charged with killing 21-year-old Lewis Wilczek of Little Falls in April 2007. Hull then allegedly stole Wilczek’s identity, stole money from his account and purchased a Harley Davidson motorcycle, among other things.
Ten witnesses were called to the stand on Wednesday, Aug. 27 for the Spreigl hearing.
Witnesses included Hull’s sister Ashley, who testified that Hull sent a letter to their mother using the name of Keith Ransom (a deceased classmate of Jeremy Hull’s).
A Meeker County employee and a Meeker County investigator, both testified Hull, who attended Milaca High School, tried unsuccessfully to obtain a copy of Keith Ransom’s birth certificate.
A manager of a pet store and a nursing assistant of a pet hospital both testified Hull used their services under Ransom’s name.
A U-Haul manager testified Hull rented a storage unit under the name of Calvin Leonard.
The lead investigator in the Wilczek murder case also testified.
Hull’s accomplice after the fact, Casey Jo Oldenburg, who pled guilty in June, was subpoenaed to testify, however her attorney appeared in court instead.
Public defender Leonard Weiler told the judge that Oldenburg pled the fifth and could not be compelled to testify and was concerned her testimony would affect the severity of her sentencing and possibly additional criminal prosecution charges.
Prosecuting attorney Erik Schieferdecker of the State Attorney General’s Office said Oldenburg waived her rights when she pled guilty, including her fifth amendment rights. He also said there was nothing that would expose her to criminal prosecution other than helping to obtain Ransom’s birth certificate. Because the affidavit was never signed, however, there would be no charges filed.
“I don’t see how her testimony would expose her to any criminal prosecution,” Shieferdecker reiterated.
Weiler argued that the fifth amendment doesn’t limit criminal prosecution and said to the judge, “There’s no guarantee that it won’t affect your decision.”
District Court Judge Steven Anderson sided with the defense, stating the fifth amendment is broader than criminal prosecution.
“It may result in enhanced punishment,” Anderson said.
Oldenburg did not have to testify.
Next was a patrol deputy with Morrison County who testified that Hull was using Calvin Leonard’s identification. Leonard died in 1999. The deputy arrested Hull on outstanding warrants.
A detective with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office testified that she provided a pet store manager with photographs and the manager picked Hull out of a photo lineup.
Finally, a Morrison County deputy testified about a complaint in September 2006 when Wilczek had reported a truck stolen from his business. Wilczek had the truck, which was in Ashley Hull’s name, because Jeremey Hull had not finished paying for work Wilczek had done.
Hull took the pickup and was pulled over by the deputy. Hull gave the name Cory Smith and fled on foot. The officer released his K-9 partner but was unable to capture Hull because the dog became tangled in a barbed wire fence.
Briefs will be filed by Schieferdecker and Hull’s attorney, public defender Greg Davis, by the end of September.
Day two of the hearings were handled by prosecuting attorney Noah Cashman and defense attorney Andrew Northrup.
The hearing was in regards to the validity of fingerprint evidence.
BCA agent Joshua Bergeron, a forensic scientist, who was the crime scene processor that also processed fingerprints testified first. Bergeron informed the court on how fingerprinting works.
The defense brought in Dr. Simon Cole, an associate professor at the University of California - Irvine. The professor testified on the validity of fingerprints. Cole has written a book on the history of fingerprint identification.
“Uniqueness is not enough to know if latent print individualization is accurate,” Cole said.
The prosecution argued that fingerprint evidence has been used for a hundred years.
Glenn Langenburg of the BCA provided a rebuttal regarding latent prints and the reliability of fingerprint evidence.
Additionally, the prosecution had Dr. Cedric Neumann, a forensic scientist from the United Kingdom, testify on the reliability of fingerprints.
On Friday, the prosecution had Lisa Hanson, a questioned document examiner with the BCA in St. Paul, testify regarding her credentials in examining handwriting evidence.
The defense brought in Professor Mark Denbeaux, a professor of law, to argue the validity of handwriting.
The prosecution made several objections during his testimony arguing that the witness was a professor of law and not a handwriting expert and therefore not qualified to answer particular questions.
Attorneys will have until Sept. 12 to file their briefs for both the fingerprints and handwriting issues.
Hull’s jury trial is set to begin with jury selection starting Monday, Oct. 13.
Editor’s note: Next week’s issue of the Times will have a more detailed article on the hearings.
 |
