SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)- The mother of murder suspect William Grimes took the stand for the defense and said her son was “cutting wood at Bobby’s house” all night long on the night 85-year-old Lowell Badger was killed.
Nancy Pirtle testified Tuesday morning in a Sullivan County courtroom. She said her son William lived with her when Badger was killed in 2012. She testified that Grimes had to cut up a fallen tree and used her truck on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.
Pirtle said the next morning, she had her dad take her to work at a local grocery store, because the truck was full of wood. She told the jury she remembered the date because later in the day, a co-worker told her Badger had been murdered.
Grimes, his brother Arthur Grimes, and Richard Taft are accused of murdering Badger after going to his home to rob it.
On cross-examination, Pirtle and Special Prosecutor Rob Roberts became quite cranky with one another. Roberts questioned why she would remember what happened that day, so many years ago, when her son was not a suspect back then.
At times, Pirtle was confused. At other times, she refused to answer the prosecutor’s questions, and the judge would tell her she had to. Frustrated at one point, she exclaimed she knew her son didn’t “kill anybody.”
Also on the stand Tuesday was Indiana State Police Detective Brad Miller. The defense asked Miller how many times over the past 12 years Grimes had been interviewed about Badger’s murder. Miller said 16. The defense pointed out that Grimes willingly spoke to investigators.
The last witness called by the defense was, for many years, considered a ‘person of interest’ in the Badger murder, Jason Donovan. Detective Miller testified Donovan was interviewed 24 times by police.
Donovan arrived in court in shackles and handcuffs and wearing a striped jail jumpsuit. Donovan said he is currently in the Knox County Jail on drunken driving and drug possession charges.
The defense accused Donovan of being Badger’s killer. Donovan said it was not him. He said he was committing another crime the night Badger was killed. He said he was stealing welding equipment in Bucktown, although charges were not filed. Bucktown is located close to the Sullivan/Greene County line. The defense attorney then asked why if he was committing a crime in Bucktown did Donovan’s phone ping on U.S. 41. Donovan said he didn’t know why.
In a raised and angry voice Donovan said he had earlier told the defense he did not want to be called as a witness at the trial or help the defense in any way, “I think it’s terrible what they done and I hope they hung.”
Closing arguments begin Wednesday morning.
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