phone records tie John Aguilar to slaying
KALAMAZOO, MI More than once Wednesday, the jury of eight men and six women was presented with recordings of John Aguilar in which he said police had no evidence to connect him to the killing of Kalamazoo antiques dealer Robert Medema.
But they also heard from Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Bill Moorian who showed the panel how two separate security cameras one at a gas station on Oakland Drive and the other in a bank drive thru on Whites Road captured images of Aguilar truck on the night that Medema, 74, was beaten to death inside his Oakland Drive home.
Moorian said the footage shows Aguilar truck a Chevrolet S 10 extended cab with a topper headed www.ruppdev.com south on Oakland and then east on Whites after midnight on Aug. 11.
According to previous testimony, police recovered a ski mask, latex gloves and a pair of Air Jordan shoes on Whites Road on Aug. 11 that were linked to Aguilar co defendant in the case, Antonio Livingston.
RELATED: Read a live blog of Wednesday's testimony
In addition to the security camera footage, Moorian also testified that cellphone records obtained by police for the cellphone of Aguilar show that calls to and from the phone in the late hours of Aug. 10 hit off a cellphone tower near the intersection of Oakland and Parkview Avenue, not far from Medema home.
In interviews with police after Medema was killed, Moorian said Aguilar claimed he had been in Detroit at the time of the slaying.
Aguilar, 52, is charged with open murder, felony murder, armed robbery and first degree home invasion in Medema slaying.
Livingston, 21, was found guilty in February of first degree murder, felony murder, first degree home invasion and assault with intent to rob and is serving a sentence of mandatory life without the chance of parole.
Moorian testified Wednesday that KDPS detectives first interviewed Livingston on Aug. 17 after a news release the department issued about the Air Jordan shoes led to a tip about Livingston possible involvement.
Moorian said detectives had been interviewing Livingston for about five hours and were preparing to begin looking for Aguilar when Aguilar showed up on his own at the front door of KDPS headquarters.
was no warrant for his arrest, there was absolutely no intent to contact the defendant yet, Moorian said.
Moorian spent a good portion of the day on the stand Wednesday under questioning from Assistant Prosecutor Alexis Sanford. He to continue his testimony when Aguilar trial resumes in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court.
During his testimony, Moorian reviewed and read to the jury several letters and postcards Aguilar sent from the Kalamazoo County Jail after his arrest.
One of the mailings was a postcard Aguilar sent to Medema home in October. The postcard Moorian read seemed to be addressed to Medema brother, Roger Medema.
brother, happy 75th birthday, Moorian said, reading the postcard. the Lord Jesus Christ. Sir, I so sorry for your lost I pray he is in heaven. Your big brother, Robert, is a friend of a good friend of mine. jury also heard several recordings Wednesday of conversations Aguilar either had by phone or during visits at the county jordan 11 bred jail with family and friends.
One of the recordings was a phone conversation Aguilar had with his mother, who lives in Colorado, in October.
didn know he was going to do that, Aguilar said at one point, referring to Livingston. I knew he was going to do that, I never would have given him a ride. in a Dec. 5 visit with his niece at the county jail, Aguilar and his niece discovered the charges against him in the Medema case.
don have no evidence, Aguilar said at one point.
It unclear, at this point, if Aguilar will testify.
Circuit Judge J. Richardson Johnson, before sending the jury home Wednesday, told the panel he is confident they have the case to begin deliberations by the end of the week.
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