Jurors Return To Court For Second Day Of Jelinek Murder Trial
CITY CENTER, Minn. (WCCO) – On the second day of Aaron Schnagl's murder trial, the first officer to respond to his home after Danielle Jelinek was reported missing returned to the witness stand.
On Monday, prosecutors relied on a 45-minute, taped conversation between Schnagl and the first responding deputy. On Tuesday morning, his testimony continued.
In the first hour alone, both sides objected more than a dozen times to each other's line of questioning of the deputy.
That first responding deputy testified that when he arrived to the Schnagl's home, the defendant expressed concern about Jelinek and her possibly being outside.
He said that Schnagl wanted to go out and look for Jelinek in the cold.
Schnagl is facing third-degree murder charges following the death of his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend back in 2012. Schnagl is accused of giving Jelinek cocaine, causing her to overdose.
Jelinek, of Oakdale, was reported missing in December of 2012. Authorities found her body five months later in a swamp near Schnagl's home.
There was alcohol and cocaine in her system, but no cause of death was listed on the autopsy.
The defense is arguing that Jelinek purchased the cocaine on her own, left Schangl's home while he was asleep, and died from cold weather exposure.