Camm Takes Stand In Murder Trial

NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- David Camm took the witness stand Thursday at his murder trial.

DAVID CAMM TRIAL Slideshow: Images From Trial Vote: Do You Agree With Verdict? Vote: What Sealed His Fate? Vote: Camm's Testimony Hurt Or Help Case? Your Thoughts: Reaction To Verdict See Who's On The Jury Who's Who In Camm Trial VIDEO 4/11: Family Reacts To Sentencing 4/11: Jurors React To Sentencing Exclusive:Camm Home Videos Camm Sentenced Thursday 3/20: Siblings Speak Out 3/19: Camm Describes CPR 3/19: Detectives Grill Camm 3/18: Jurors Speak Out 3/18 - Videotape: Police Interrogate Camm 3/18:Hear Camm's Call to Police 3/18:Emotional Reaction To Verdict 3/17:Camm's Sister Reacts To Verdict 3/17: Live Report Following Verdict 3/15:Lawyers Present Closing Arguments 3/13:Lawyers Prepare Closing Arguments 3/11:Camm Wraps Testimony 3/8:Camm Grilled About Affairs 3/8: Camm Acts 'Strange' On Stand 3/7:Camm Sobs On Stand 3/6: Prosecutors Grill Defense Expert 3/5: Defense Expert Cross-Examined 3/4: Lawyers Talk About Upcoming Camm Testimony 2/28: Camm's Uncle Testifies 2/27: Alarm Company Official Takes Stand 2/21: Prosecutors Rest Case 2/21: Defense Grills Englert -- Again 2/20: Defense DNA Expert Testifies 2/19: Expert's Credibility Questioned 2/14: No Gunshot Residue Found 2/12: Camm's T-Shirt Scrutinized 2/8: DNA Expert Testifies 2/7: Jurors Look At Bronco 2/6: Did Camm Contradict Himself? 2/5: Kimberley Camm's Last Moments 1/31:Camm Trial Continues 1/30: 9 Women Take The Stand 1/29: Camm's Ex-Lovers Testify 1/28:Jury Visits Crime Scene 1/24:Jurors Tour Gymnasium 1/22: Evidence Technician Takes Stand 1/17: Jurors Watch Videotape 1/15: Investigator Takes Stand 1/14: Prosecutors Reveal Evidence 1/9: Hear What Camm Said

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.

NewsChannel 32's Abby Miller reported that Camm sobbed uncontrollably and was not able to to answer the first question for several minutes.

Defense attorney Mike McDaniel had asked Camm what he was thinking about as he drove home from a basketball game, and what he thought his family was doing before he found them dead in the garage.

"They were probably watching TV," Camm said. "We let them stay up to watch the Olympics. Brad liked watching swimming. That was his new thing."

Miller reported that Camm sobbed throughout his testimony Thursday.

"I pulled up in driveway," Camm said. "It was dark. Kim's garage door was up -- mine was down. As soon as my garage door went up above the glass, I just saw blood and a body. I thought it was Jill."

Camm told the jury that he ran into the garage and saw that it was his wife Kim on the garage floor, Miller reported.

"I went around to her left side and felt her vein and just yelled 'Kim.' Her face was all blue and she was in a pool of blood," Camm said.

Camm said he then went to look for his two children in the Bronco.

"I saw Jill," Camm said.

At that point he began to sob heavily, unable to speak for a few seconds, Miller reported.

"Her head was laid down in her lap and her hair was hanging down. I saw her green school bag with blood on it. I don't remember, honest to God, if I checked her neck for a pulse or not," Camm said.

Camm also described what he saw when he found Brad.

"I just looked at him in the face -- his little eyes barely open -- they were real dry," Camm said. "I thought: 'He's gone.'"

Miller reported that Camm then explained why he took his son out of the back seat of the truck.

"I had to do something," Camm said. "The only way I can describe it is fight or flight syndrome. Ive never been the type to freeze up or flight. I had to do something."

Camm said he then called the state police post.

"I stood there for a few minutes to make sure they were dead. Then I thought, I need to go get more help," Camm said.

Camm said he went across to street to get his uncle, Nelson Lockhart.

Lead Prosecutor Stan Faith called Camm's emotion on the stand "an act."

"I think the jury's reaction was it was unbelievable. I'll call it the hollow emotion that he has," Faith said. "Somehow it doesn't resonate right. It's not something you can put into words. Human beings know that kind of emotion isn't real."

Miller reported that Camm was more reserved in the afternoon session.

"I want him to think and I want him to get focused," defense attorney Mike McDaniel said. "It took him a little bit to get focused here. I think the emotion that you can see -- Stanley can call it whatever he wants to, I think it's legitimate."

Much of Camm's testimony will focus on whether he touched his daughter at the crime scene.

A defense expert testified that he didn't know how Jill Camm's blood got on his T-shirt.

Camm told investigators that he never touched Jill.

"He has consistently said that he didn't touch Jill, now he remembers a green school bag and things like that," Faith said.

"In 15 months nobody's had a chance to talk to him investigator-wise," McDaniel said. "They had their chances, they asked their questions, he answered them. If they didn't ask questions related to materials we're dealing with today it's because they were dumb, it's not because he's a liar."

Miller reported that Camm denied owning .380 calibre handgun, the same type of weapon used to shoot his family. Camm said that he had not held a gun in his hand since he handed his service revolver in the Indiana State Police.

Dozens of spectators have turned up to watch the proceedings, Miller reported.

An overflow courtroom has been set up with a monitor and stereo speakers hooked up to a feed in the main courtroom.

Special security measures have also been put in place.