Maples' trial, day two: key witness recants and forensic report

Nevada Daily Mail

On Wednesday, day two of the murder trial of Jeremy Maples, Missouri Assistant Attorney General, David J. Hansen went to the heart of the prosecution's case by calling Travis Beisley to the stand. Because this testimony was crucial, Hansen came prepared to overcome possible roadblocks to testimony as if he had a Plan A, B and C.

Beisley has an extra letter in his name and is not related to Bob Beisly II and his family. He became acquainted with Jeremy Maples when both were in the Vernon County Jail and prior to that at different times each was a boyfriend of Tammy Kronk.

Due to Bushwhacker Days, the trial was moved to the Cedar County courthouse in Stockton for the remainder of the week.

After being sworn in and stating his name, Prosecutor Hansen immediately referred to videotaped interviews, one each in September of 2012, and May of 2014, and two in May 2016. Plan A consisted of direct questions.

"First, in the car with Deputy Schlup in September of 2012," began Hansen "and later while in jail, and twice a month ago with an investigator and me, didn't you state that Jeremy Maples said, 'They'll never catch the person who killed Belinda.' And you said, 'Why not?' And Maples said, 'Because I did it.'"

"I don't remember," said Travis Beisley.

"And didn't Maples tell you," continued Hansen "that Bob Beisly arranged all of it for $10,000?"

"I refuse to answer," Beisley responded.

After a series of questions yielded only silence, Hansen pulled out Plan B, copies of case law given to lead defense attorney Rebecca L. Elliston and Judge Collins. The case law convinced the judge that Travis Beisley's refusal to testify was contempt and so Collins declared Beisley in contempt of court and threatened to have him locked up in the Cedar County jail immediately.

The usually genial Collins added sternly, "And I will keep you there until you remove the contempt."

"I will testify," said Beisley.

But that testimony largely consisted of two statements: "I don't remember that," and "I lied that I remembered that."

When pressed for an explanation Beisley said, "I was doing a lot of drugs and when you're on drugs you don't remember real well or know what's true."

At this, Hansen pulled out Plan C.

"You are currently in jail, are you still using drugs?" asked Hansen.

"No," said Beisley, "I've been clean since October of 2015."

Hansen held up a DVD.

"This is a video of the interview I did with you in early May of this year. You just said you've not been on drugs since last fall. And in this interview you stated Jeremy Maples told you he killed Belinda Beisly."

"I don't remember that interview," said Beisley. "I don't think I was there."

Hansen turned the disc over and showed the front side to Beisley.

"I wrote the date on it and had someone place his initials to confirm that date," said Hansen. "Whose initials, in fact, whose handwriting is that?"

"Mine," said Beisley.

Yet, after repeated questioning, it became clear that the prosecution's key witness -- the one who, in a series of interviews had stated Maples confessed to the murder -- now in open court, denied this was true.

The prosecutor recalled Vernon County sheriff's deputy, Steve Schlup to the stand.

"How did you learn that Travis Beisley had had a conversation with Jeremy Maples about the murder?" Hansen asked.

"From Brittany Tressel," said Schlup.

Tressel is the daughter of Tammy Kronk, a one-time girlfriend of Jeremy Maples. Tressel and Kronk lived with Maples for a while and so had first hand knowledge of what Maples said.

On the stand, Hansen asked Kronk about the time when she and her children lived with Jeremy Maples and later, when she lived with Maples and his other girlfriend, Teresa Butler.

"On the night of the murder," said Kronk "I left work from Ramey's about 10:15 p.m., and went to a bar with some friends. I was drunk enough that I had my daughter pick me up and take me home around 12:30, or 1 a.m. So, when Jeremy called around 1:30 or 2 a.m., I was still intoxicated."

Kronk too stated she could no longer remember or confirm Maples stating he had killed Belinda. Two pieces of direct evidence had been removed from the prosecution's case.

Prosecutor Hansen opened the day by calling medical examiner and forensic pathologist, Dr. Keith Norton of Southwest Forensics to the stand.

"I have performed over 5,000 autopsies and each has a two-fold purpose," said Norton. "One is to find the cause of death and the other is to help find the manner of death."

"And what did you determine to be the cause of death?" asked Hansen.

"As to the cause of death," continued Norton "Belinda Beisly received two gunshot wounds, each of which in themselves were fatal. One destroyed the brainstem and the other destroyed her liver. I cannot tell which was first or which was the actual cause of death, but I can say she did not linger but died within a matter of seconds."

Prosecutor Hansen set up an easel and displayed photographs, having Norton explain her wounds.

"There were two gunshots," said Norton. One travelled up through the right side of her mouth and the other was in her chest, at the edge of her left breast."

The forensic pathologist was asked to explain the wounds on her wrists and hands as well as bits of paper found in the wounds. Pieces of a magazine and a YMCA schedule were found next to the body.

"The wounds in her hands appear defensive as if to cover her chest from the gunshot," explained Norton. "And at the time, she was holding some papers. The shotgun slugs drove paper into the wounds."

"The wound through the mouth broke several teeth," explained Norton "went through the hard pallet, back of her lower jaw and lodged in the base of her skull, destroying her brain stem. Since the brain regulates your heart and breathing, its destruction means you are brain dead."

"The other blast entered the mid part of the chest at the edge of her left breast," said Norton. "Its greatest damage was the destruction of her liver before fracturing several ribs as it exited."

Day two's testimony ended as prosecutor Hansen stated, "Your honor, the prosecution rests its case."