OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) - The brother-in-law of a man on trial for the murder 40 years ago of a 17-year-old girl has testified that the accused asked for his help in sorting out his financial affairs as police closed in on him.
Frank Weiss testified Friday that his brother-in-law, Robert “Gene” Pilcher, called his home on Nov. 9, 2012, to say he was sending Weiss his wallet, the Ottumwa Courier reported (https://bit.ly/1h18ZZ1 ) Saturday. Weiss said Pilcher told him he was being investigated, and in case he was found guilty, he wanted Weiss to take care of some money issues while he was in jail.
Weiss also testified that Pilcher would not say what he was being accused of having done, but said he “had done some things in his past that he wasn’t proud of,” the newspaper reported.
Pilcher is on trial for first-degree murder in the April 9, 1974, slaying of 17-year-old Mary Jayne Jones outside of Ottumwa. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he was not responsible for the teenager’s death.
Authorities have testified that DNA from a semen-stained blanket on which the teenager’s naked, bloody body was found matches Pilcher’s.
Authorities have also said that a former girlfriend of Pilcher’s told investigators that he had once bragged about having “offed someone” years ago in the Ottumwa area.
The trial is set to resume on Tuesday.
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Information from: The Ottumwa Courier, https://www.ottumwacourier.com
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