By JOE LAMBE
The Kansas City Star
Derek D. Owens told police that his Olathe girlfriend died by accident from injuries suffered from falling down in between drunken bouts of sex.
But a Johnson County deputy coroner rebutted that Tuesday in testimony at a preliminary hearing in the murder case.
Michael Handler said Laura Coltrane, 25, died of strangulation after being beaten and probably kicked so severely she suffered bruises over most of her body, seven broken ribs and bleeding in her brain.
And there was no alcohol in her system, he said.
Police found her body on her bed in her apartment in the 600 block of Lakehurst Drive on Feb. 18, but there is a key witness to whatever happened there who has not talked.
Owens’ brother, Samuel L. Moore Jr., also was staying at the victim’s apartment that night. He refused to testify Tuesday without talking to his lawyer, citing his right not to incriminate himself.
Judge John P. Bennett delayed the conclusion of the hearing until next week to give lawyers time to negotiate. Moore is being held in jail as a material witness and on unrelated criminal charges
Other evidence was revealed Tuesday.
Police and crime lab workers testified that they found cleaning materials scattered throughout the apartment, many loads of laundry, some still wet, and that their tests revealed large blood stains.
Brian Murray, a neighbor of the victim and a former police officer, testified that Owens, 30, nervously came up to him after noon on Feb. 18.
He told him his girlfriend was unconscious and might be dead, Murray said, and that she had fallen while drunk and he had tried to help her.
Twice he said, “Man, I don’t know what I did,” Murray testified.
To reach Joe Lambe, call 816-234-4687 or send email to jlambe@kcstar.com.
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