Defense concedes coach kidnaped raped killed Missouri girl
Hailey Owens
Although Craig Wood has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder  his attorney  Patrick Berrigan  agreed with the basic facts outlined by Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson in opening statements at Wood's trial  The Springfield News-Leader reported. But Berrigan argued that Wood â who faces the death penalty if he's convicted â acted impulsively when he snatched Hailey Owens in broad daylight and in front of witnesses.
Carlos Edwards testified that he was raking leaves on the day of the abduction and saw a pickup truck drive past his home several times. Edwards said  Hailey  was standing in his driveway when the driver pulled up next to the fourth-grader and asked  her  how to get to a street.  The girl  said  she  didn't know and started walking away  Edwards recalled  and then the driver said: "Hey  come here for a minute."
Edwards said that as soon as  she  got close enough  the driver opened his door  grabbed  Hailey  and drove off. Edwards said he took off running but a drainage ditch at the edge of his yard stopped him from getting to the truck.
Patterson said during his opening statements that when Wood parked his truck and got out  officers approached  and Wood tossed a roll of duct tape in the back of his truck. Officers found  Hailey 's body wrapped in plastic in a plastic bin in the basement. Patterson said  she  was shot in the back of  her  head from close range.
Although Craig Wood has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder  his attorney  Patrick Berrigan  agreed with the basic facts outlined by Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson in opening statements at Wood's trial  The Springfield News-Leader reported. But Berrigan argued that Wood â who faces the death penalty if he's convicted â acted impulsively when he snatched  [TGT]  in broad daylight and in front of witnesses.
Carlos Edwards testified that he was raking leaves on the day of the abduction and saw a pickup truck drive past his home several times. Edwards said  Hailey  was standing in his driveway when the driver pulled up next to the fourth-grader and asked  her  how to get to a street.  The girl  said  she  didn't know and started walking away  Edwards recalled  and then the driver said: "Hey  come here for a minute."
Edwards said that as soon as  she  got close enough  the driver opened his door  grabbed  Hailey  and drove off. Edwards said he took off running but a drainage ditch at the edge of his yard stopped him from getting to the truck.
Patterson said during his opening statements that when Wood parked his truck and got out  officers approached  and Wood tossed a roll of duct tape in the back of his truck. Officers found  Hailey 's body wrapped in plastic in a plastic bin in the basement. Patterson said  she  was shot in the back of  her  head from close range.