Update: After jury deliberations, they found Cody Ketchum guilty of first-degree murder and a misdemeanor charge of destroying evidence.
The trial lasted eight days and Wednesday's closing arguments were a rare lengthy, five hours long. The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office prosecuted the case and asked for privacy for family members, and declined an on air comment.
Blake Lynch, council for the defense said they plan to appeal. Lynch said they are disappointed the cell phone analyst testimony was allowed to be heard when she admitted on the stand to several errors. Lynch also felt too much weight was put on text messages between Holly and Cody.
Attorney General Drummond released this statement:
“The family of Holly Cantrell has waited seven long years for justice, and I hope today’s verdict brings some measure of comfort to them. I am proud of our prosecutors who handled this case and of the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence. Cody Ketchum should spend the rest of his life behind bars for his crime.”
Previous coverage: A trial is underway for the man accused of killing Holly Cantrell in 2017.
Cantrell disappeared, leaving for lunch from work in 2017. The five-month pregnant nurse wasn't seen after getting into a truck with her then-boyfriend Cody Ketchum. He told investigators he dropped her off to meet friends for lunch.
Learn more about the background of this case HERE.
2 News Anchor Erin Christy is in McAlester to attend the trial daily. This blog features her daily updates.
March 13: Jury deliberations begin
After five hours of closing arguments, the jury began deliberation began around 2 p.m.
Defense arguments focused on lack of motive, cause of death and timing. They also presented alternative suspects, including Cantrell's then-husband.
Prosecution arguments utilized cell phone pings to pin down Ketchum's location at the time of Cantrell's disappearance.
Jurors also read the text messages between Cantrell and Ketchum, in which attorneys on both sides gave different theories.
After jury deliberations, they found Ketchum guilty of first-degree murder and a misdemeanor charge of destroying evidence.
March 12: Jury dismissed for the day, closing arguments to begin March 13
The jury was released after the defense's arguments were concluded. The judge released the jury to allow for both sides to present closing arguments on the same day.
The defense's motion to have the jury go to "old Highway 69," where Cantrell's remains were found, was denied.
The road where the remains were found is only passable when water levels are low. It is unclear what the water levels were when Cantrell disappeared.
Here is a photo of that road on March 12, 2024, when the water levels made the road not passable:
March 11: The state rests its case, defense takes lead for next few days
At the end of the day, the state rested its case in the trial. Now, over the next few days, the trial will shift its focus to the defense's arguments.
The state shared text messages and phone records between Holly and Cody leading up to her disappearance.
Prosecutors said Cody allegedly received texts from Holly on the day of her disappearance that said she was five weeks pregnant with his child. He allegedly deleted the texts from his phone prior to turning it over to investigators, said prosecutors.
The state questioned Diane Hogue, a criminal intelligence analyst from Oklahoma's Attorney General's office. Hogue analyzed cell phone tower locations, but the defense called into question her qualifications. She did not have specific licensing or a college degree.
The reports that she referred to included several typos and errors, the defense claimed.
The defense wants to take the jury to the location where Holly's remains were found so they can see it for themselves.
The judge is expected to rule on that in the morning.
March 8: Week one concludes
March 6: Opening statement underway
2,602 days after the disappearance of Holly Cantrell, opening statements started in the trial for her death.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence, including texts, cell tower locations and GPS data, in an effort to prove Ketchum deserves to be behind bars for life, with or without parole.
First witnesses included:
- The hunter who found her purse and ID
- The hunter who found her remains near Lake Eufaula
- Responding deputy
- Staff members at the hospital where she was last seen
Jurors also saw surveillance video of Cantrell getting into Ketchum's truck the last time she's known to have been seen alive.
2 News Anchor Erin Christy is attending the trial. She noted:
Shawn Rogers, the hunter who found her purse, said it was in the Cardinal Point area. When he found it Cantrell had been missing for one year.
He said the purse looked like it had been there for 48 hours at most.
The defense maintained:
- Ketchum cooperated with authorities in the 5 years leading to his arrest
- His story never wavered: he dropped Cantrell off at Braum's
Jurors are expected to hear from up to 23 witnesses, including family members.
March 5: Jury Selection continues
Jury selection allows attorneys to talk directly to potential jurors and ask them questions. Prosecutors memorized all 40 potential jurors names; defense reminded them he’s the hometown lawyer and not the government lawyer.
A lot of the focus was on the jurors views on circumstantial evidence. Do they view circumstantial evidence negatively? Is DNA evidence necessary for a case? What is their definition of “beyond a reasonable doubt?”
The defense spoke a lot about the difference between a liar and a— killer, noting that Cody Ketchum did cheat on his wife.
Goal is to find an impartial jury.
Prosecutors asked the jurors if they knew any of the other jurors and almost all of them raised their hand. One said they played pickleball with the defense attorney a couple of times. One went to school with Holly Cantrell's children. Several worked at the same ammunition plant as Ketchum. One said worked with him directly and said he was nice. But could still remain impartial.
The judge wanted selection wrapped up to begin opening statements on March 6.
March 4: Jury Selection begins
Media is not allowed in the room for jury questioning, but 2 News learned that the trial is expected to last a couple of weeks due to complex evidence.
Ketchum is in custody throughout the trial, he's been in the Pittsburgh County jail since his arrest.
There is no estimation on how long jury selection could last.
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