WILLMAR - Testimony began Friday morning in the first-degree murder trial of Brok Junkermeier, 19, of Willmar, who is accused of killing 79-year-old Lila Warwick of Willmar on July 29, 2013.
Attorneys also gave opening statements. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank outlined the evidence he would be presenting to the jury. It will include video of Junkermeier’s interview with law enforcement officers on Aug. 1, 2013, as well as testimony from law enforcement, family and friends.
Kent Marshall, a state public defender, said in his opening statement that it was clear that Junkermeier had caused Warwick’s death, but that didn’t mean he was guilty of all the charges leveled against him. He asked jurors to keep an open mind as the trial progressed.
Family members testified about the kind of person Warwick was, and friends testified about having plans to see her the day she died. When they couldn’t find her, they contacted authorities to check on her.
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Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Corporal Jason Keith testified that he was one of the first deputies to arrive at Warwick’s home. Deputies followed a trail of blood drops into the house where they searched for a possibly injured person, Keith said.
In the course of the search, Keith went into the home’s basement where he found Warwick’s body on the floor.
