Monday, March 14, 2005

OWENSBORO The prosecution is expected to rest its case today against Scottsville resident Lucas Goodrum, the defendant in a capital murder trial in the death of Western Kentucky University freshman Melissa Katie Autry.

This morning, testimony came from Western Kentucky University Police Detective Mike Dowell. Later today, testimony was expected from doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where Autry was in a coma the three days following her May 4, 2003, rape, beating and burning in her Hugh Poland Hall room.

While on the stand, Dowell detailed everything he had done throughout the investigation, including interviewing Autrys roommate Danica Jackson three times; talking with Ryan Payne, who was the designated driver at the Pi Kappa Alpha Party that Goodrum and Autry had attended, and interviewed Autrys former boyfriend, Maurice Perkins.

Dowell said he also collected clothing from Payne and Perkins and interviewed several people at Tattle Tails, the strip club where Autry briefly worked. Dowell said he also searched vacuum cleaner bags at a Scottsville car wash, where it was believed Goodrum cleaned his car. But no evidence linking him to the crime was found.

Dowell said WKU Police Chief Robert Dean ordered Goodrum to be arrested immediately following his interview with Kentucky State Police.

On cross-examination, Goodrums attorney, David Broderick, asked Dowell about one thing he left out when detailing the investigation.

Broderick said Dowell failed to mention how he collected evidence, which included a bed sheet, part of a burned bra and a condom, which was tested and was not linked to Goodrum.

Dowell responded that he was describing in general what he did during the investigation, not each specific action.

Broderick drilled Dowell on his experience. Dowell said he has been with Western police since 1989 and was promoted to investigations in December 1996. Dowell said this was his first violent crime investigation and he received training on (crime scene processing for such incidents in 1989 at the state police academy in Richmond. He said he has not had training in investigating arson.

Dowell was the lead investigator on the case beginning May 8, 2003, with the assistance of state police. On May 19, state police stopped their involvement with the investigation.

Stephen Soules, 21, has already pleaded guilty in the case and has testified that Goodrum was the man who instigated the crimes, forcing Soules to participate after Goodrum, 23, raped and beat Autry, as a way to cover up those crimes. Investigators, as a result, have only linked DNA evidence found at the crime scene to Soules, not to Goodrum, according to Soules testimony.

The prosecution began presenting its case Wednesday with testimony from emergency responders, who said a smoke alarm in the room had been disabled and that the sprinklers efforts were hampered by an afghan that was hanging from the device. As a result, the fire on Autry, after she was misted in hairspray, burned five to 12 minutes before it was doused by water. Autry was the source of the fire, investigators said.

Broderick is expected to take a week to present his case, with testimony from witnesses who will place Goodrum miles away from Western when the fire alarm sounded.

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