brent burk's step son was first on the stand this morning.. he's 12 years old now.. he was 9 at the time of the murders.. he was the one who called 911. He was only on the stand for about five minutes.. he was asked what time the shootings happened.. he said 4am.. he said he saw the time on the microwave clock in the kitchen.
he was only on the stand for about five minutes.
Second witness was William Ralston. He was the person who performed the autopsied on tracy burke and karen comer. he confirms, they both died of multiple gun shot wounds.. he ruled the deaths, homicide.
Kurt Comer is now on the stand.. he's karen comer's husband.
Kurt Comer still lives in the house where the murders happened.
when asked about the relationship between tracy burke and brent burke, Comer says at the beginning they were very close, but says toward the end they were "civil"
Comer is a truck driver. Says on the morning of september 11, 2007 he woke up (out of town) and called the house.. says he called several times before he finally got an answer from brent burke's 9 year old step son.
the child explained to comer what happened.. COmer instructed him to call 911.. Comer began the 2 hour trip home.
Court is now on break for the next fifteen minutes.. SO.. let's do something we don't often get to do.. Since this is the 4th trial for Burke, we're able to compare notes.. Today is the second day of testimony in this trial.. My next post will be my 5pm story from the second day of testimony- in burke's last trial..
TESTIMONY CONTINUES TODAY IN THE BRENT BURKE DOUBLE MURDER TRIAL..
BURKE IS A FT. CAMPBELL MP, ACCUSED OF DRIVING MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES
FROM FT. CAMPBELL TO RINEYVILLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007- KILLING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE.. AND HER EX MOTHER IN LAW..
JOHN CLEMENS IS A HARDIN COUNTY DEPUTY CORONER..
HE'S THE MAN WHO DID THE INTIAL INVESTIGATION OF BOTH TRACY BURKE
AND KAREN COMER ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 IN RINEYVILLE..
THE DAY BOTH OF THEIR BODIES WERE FOUND SHOT TO DEATH..
(john clemens/deputy coroner-hardin county)
"I took photos of ms comer and a dog that was laying outside the door.. we moved down the hall.. and that's where
tracy burke was lying in the back bedroom. both of them had been shot.. which is what state police told me."
HE LISTS MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS AS THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
BUT THE QUESTION FOR THE LARGER PART OF THE AFTERNOON.. HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE "MANNER OF DEATH"..
BUT THE TIMING OF IT..
DAVID BRODERICK.. AN ATTORNEY FOR BRENT BURKE, IS QUESTIONING THAT 3AM TIMEFRAME..
STARTING BY QUESTIONG CLEMENS' EDUCATION, HIS ABILITY, AND HIS METHOD OF COMING TO THAT DETERMINATION..
David Broderick/Burke's attorney
"did you do any scientific testing to determine the time of death?" Clemens- "of course not."
IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT LAST WEEK.. BRODERICK LAID A FOUNDATION FOR A CHALLENGE OF THAT 3AM TIMEFRAME..
IN HIS EFFORTS TO PROVE, BRENT BURKE ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TWO MURDERS, BRODERICK SAID, A NEIGHBOR
REPORTED HEARING THE GUNSHOT WOUNDS THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 10TH.. AROUND 10PM.. A FULL FIVE HOURS BEFORE
CLEMENS SAYS THE TWO WOMEN WERE SHOT AND KILLED.
PROSECUTORS ARE NOT SEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY IN THIS CASE..
IF CONVICTED, BURKE COULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON.
to recap, David Broderick is Brent Burke's former defense attorney.
and here's what I reported at 6 in burke's last trial, on the second day of testimony..
HARDIN COUNTY DEPUTY CORONER JOHN CLEMENS IS THE MAN WHO DID THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATHS OF TRACY BURKE AND KAREN COMER..
THE BODIES OF BOTH WOMEN WERE FOUND DEAD INSIDE COMER'S RINEYVILLE HOME ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2007..
PROSECUTORS SAY.. BRENT BURK IS THE TRIGGERMAN..
BURKE WAS AN MP AT FT. KNOX AT THE TIME OF THE MURDERS..
PROSECUTORS SAY HE DROVE THE 140 MILES TO RINEYVILLE THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 10TH, SHOT HIS ESTRANGED WIFE TRACEY. .AND HER EX MOTHER IN LAW.. KAREN COMER..
NAME: JOHN CLEMENS
(I took photos of ms comer and a dog that was laying outside the door.. we moved down the hall.. and that's where tracy burke was lying in the back bedroom. both of them had been shot.. which is what state police told me.)
THE TRIAL HIT A TIME HITCH AFTER HE MADE THAT STATEMENT..
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARGUED.. THEY'D NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THOSE PHOTOS..
ONCE THEY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEM.. HIS TESTIMONY CONTINUED..
BUT NOT WITHOUT MORE QUESTIONS.. ABOUT TIME..
CLEMENS SAYS.. IN HIS INVESTIGATION.. HE FOUND THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING.. AND THE TIME OF DEATH FOR BOTH TRACY BURKE AND KAREN COMER..
WAS 3AM.. THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11TH..
DAVID BRODERICK.. AN ATTORNEY FOR BRENT BURKE, IS QUESTIONING THAT 3AM TIMEFRAME..
NAME: DAVID BRODERICK
(Broderick- "did you do any scientific testing to determine the time of death?" Clemens- "of course not.")
IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT LAST WEEK.. BRODERICK TOLD JURORS, BRENT BURK WAS NOT THE SHOOTER..
AND SAID A NEIGHBOR REPORTED HEARING THE GUNSHOTS THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 10TH.. AROUND 10PM.. A FULL FIVE HOURS BEFORE CLEMENS SAYS THE TWO WOMEN WERE SHOT AND KILLED.
remember.. for clarity purposes.. the last posts are from day 2 of brent burke's 3rd trial.. I've posted them so you can compare THEN and NOW.
after being allowed to leave the stand prior to the recess.. Kurt Comer is now being brought back to the witness stand.
there was a question from a juror.. "Where did you keep the BB gun in the house?'
response:in the back bedroom.
2nd question: When you reached the child in the house on the phone, did he tell you who broke into the house?
Kurt Comer is finished testifying. He's been released from the court subpoena.
Matt Johnson is being called to the stand
he's with Kentucky State Police. in 2007 he was a detective.
Matt Johnson is showing video footage of the condition of the Rineyville home, once he arrived.
Johnson is going through evidence collected at the scene. one by one.
I haven't gone anywhere.. Johnson is still on the stand, going through evidence. one by one.
court is now in recess until 1:15. At that point, Johnson will be back on the stand.
I'm being told that after lunch, we will here more testimony from Kentucky State Police, who will continue to go through evidence collected at the scene, one by one.
Thank you for joining us on our livewire blog. I am heading back to Louisville to prepare for our evening newscasts. Please join us at 5&6 for the latest on this case!
Jay Ditzer/Staff
Jennifer Weigel/Staff