Day Four of the Murder of Bonnie Woodward

JERSEYVILLE - Friday morning the prosecution rested its case in the murder trial of Bonnie Woodward.

The defense called their first witness Dawn Cobb, who is an archeologist. The defense asked Cobb if the bones found were consistent with a prehistorical burial site. She said she wasn’t on the property to examine it so she wouldn’t know. The defense asked Cobb if there were Indian burial sites in the area of Jersey County and she said yes around Marquette Park.

During the cross-examination, the prosecution asked Cobb if an American eagle button or key would be part of an Indian burial site and Cobb said no it wouldn’t be consistent with that time frame.

Next, the defense called Jason Simmons to the stand. Simmons was a lieutenant with the Alton Police Department at the time. The defense asked Simmons if any other suspect names were mentioned to him from Bonnie’s family. Simmons said he interviewed Bonnie’s boyfriend Gary and Gary said that the police should check with Chester McAdams who was an old boyfriend of Bonnies and was abusive to Bonnie in the past and he thought he drove a silver car. Gary also told Simmons to check the pond behind Chester’s house.

Simmons said that he sent officers to follow up with Chester at his house. Officers interviewed Chester and Chester had an alibi the day Bonnie came up missing. Chester was working till 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. Chester’s boss and co-workers confirmed it. The defense asked Simmons if the boss could have been wrong and Simmons said they also checked the payroll.

During the cross-examination, the prosecution asked what color car did Chester had access to and Simmons said it was white and not silver.

Also Friday morning the defense called Pete Vambaketes, Mike Metzler, and Jarrett Ford all with the Alton Police Department. They testified as defense witnesses. After they were done the defense called Linda Sullivan to the stand.

The defense asked if Linda had a strange encounter with Nathan Carroll she said she did.

She said on March 12, 2018, She received a call from a Nathan Mitchell wanting to rent a storage locker. She told Nathan Mitchell she had a few open. She said she had two units close to the front and one in the back of the business. Mitchell said he would take the one in the back.

Once Mitchell arrived he met with Sullivan to sign the papers. When he signed the papers he signed his name Nathan Mitchell Carroll. Sullivan asked, " I thought you said your name was Nathan Mitchell?" but he didn't reply. Also while he had the storage locker he kept two padlocks on it which Sullivan thought was "weird."

During Sullivan's cross-examination, the prosecution asked Sullivan if it was possible that she misheard Nathan tell her his name was Nathan Mitchell Carroll and not just Nathan Carroll. She said she was pretty sure he said, Nathan Mitchell. The prosecution asked Sullivan why she thought Nathan choosing a locker in the back was strange and she said: “ I just thought it was strange.” Also, the prosecution asked Sullivan if other storage units had two locks and she said some and the prosecution asked why that was weird and she said again “I just thought it was strange.”

After a short break, Judge Eric Pistorius came back into the courtroom and told the court that both sides had some talking to do and they would begin on Monday morning at 9:00 A.M.

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