A Reminder From:


Homepage > Louisville News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters

Uncle: Camm Was In Church Gym

Lockhart To Return To Stand Thursday

The uncle of a man charged with killing his family took the stand in his nephew's defense Wednesday.

DAVID CAMM TRIAL
David Camm

VIDEO

David Camm, a former Indiana State Police trooper, is charged with killing his wife, Kimberly, and his two children, Bradley and Jill, in their Georgetown, Ind., house in September 2000.

Sam Lockhart, Camm's uncle, said Wednesday that he was among the people playing basketball around the time that Camm allegedly committed the murders, NewsChannel 32's Abby Miller reported.

Mike McDaniel, Camm's attorney, said that Lockhart backed up the testimony of several other people who were in the church gym.

"Sam knows what time he got there," McDaniel said. "He knows how long he sat out of the ball game and what time he got in. He corroborates everybody else's testimony that he never saw David leaving."

Lockhart is expected to return to the stand Thursday morning.

Also Wednesday, Mark Sturgill, a manager for the security company Sonotrol, testified about when the alarm on the church was set.

Sturgill testified that the basketball players left the gym at 9:22 p.m., which he said was accurate within 59 seconds.

He said that every time the alarm is armed or disarmed, a phone call goes through to the company.

Sturgill admitted that the since the inquiry was made about the time the players left the church, they've adjusted the time four times.

Miller reported that prosecutors jumped on this admission, saying that the times could have been off by four minutes.

Miller reported that the times are crucial, because prosecutors have two theories on when Camm allegedly committed the murders.

Prosecutors allege that Camm either went home from the basketball game and committed the crimes around 7:30 p.m., or that he killed his family after the basketball games.

Prosecutors also pointed out that Camm's uncle, Nelson Lockhart, worked for Sonotrol.

Camm Phone Call Scrutinized Tuesday

David Camm's guilt or innocence may hinge on what time he made a phone call on the night his family was killed.

Miller reported that a supervisor for Verizon Communications took the stand Tuesday and testified that the company discovered a mistake in its billing.

The mistake came to light after questions were raised about a phone call Camm made from his home on the night of the murders.

Camm claimed that he called a potential client at 6:19 p.m., but phone company officials had said that the call was made at 7:19 p.m.

Miller reported that the difference is crucial because it supports Camm's claim that he was at a church basketball game from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. that evening.

The Verizon supervisor said that he mistakenly added an extra hour for daylight savings time.

"We were able to send him copies of this hour-off situation between Verizon and other carriers, and we said, 'how come?" defense lawyer Mike McDaniel said.

Prosecutors maintain that the time was accurate, but the Verizon official testified that the problem was traced back to a software upgrading at a switch that manages Verizon's calls, Miller reported.

Prosecutor Susan Orth claimed that phone company officials are looking at the wrong records.

"I think what he's looking at are billing records from Fort Wayne, as opposed to billing records from our area," Orth said.

McDaniel said that without the 7:19 p.m. phone call, the prosecution's case crumbles.

"A lot of what they relied on, what their recontructionist relied on, was that phone call placing David there to prop up their otherwise shaky testimony. I think it's in the toilet," McDaniel said.

The Verizon official said that the problem has been fixed, and that the company had not received a complaint until the trial.


Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Gastrointestinal ailments – whether temporary or chronic – can be unbearable. Learn how to recognize symptoms and treat digestive woes. More

There are several mistakes many people make when getting a mortgage plan. Be sure you stay ahead of the game and avoid the pitfalls that come with a mortgage. More

Curious about what homes near you are in foreclosure? Want to be notified when a home goes tax forfeit so you can consider an investment? Go here. More


Headache pain could be more than you think. Learn how to tell the difference between a migraine and a ministroke. More

Don’t be left out. Make the switch to Digital TV.
PhotoVote
Check out this week's PhotoVote contest, "Generations Gathering"
Plus, navigate through our archives.
Favorites: Cute Kittens | Odd Couples | Oops
Sponsored Links

Health Topics & Information

An alarming number of people live with pain. Whether yours is chronic or acute, we can help you make it stop. Get pain management tips here! More