MCALESTER, Okla. — The prosecutor and defense finished presenting their case, and closing arguments are set to begin on March 13 in the murder trial of Holly Cantrell.
Prosecutors believe Cody Ketchum killed his girlfriend after finding out she was pregnant in 2017. Cantrell was married to someone else and was last seen on surveillance video leaving work with Ketchum.
The defense argues the timing of the crime doesn’t add up.
On March 12, Pittsburg County District Judge Tim Mills denied a motion by the defense to allow the jury to travel to the remote area where Cantrell’s remains were found.
A stretch of what’s known as “old Highway 69” is only passable when water levels are low. During the trial, it was not made clear what the levels were like that day in 2017 when Holly was last seen. When passable, witnesses describe the road as "gnarly."
Joshua Kline is a private investigator who said that even when the water levels are low, traveling there is difficult.
“I think if the jury went out and saw, they would see the absurdity of what prosecutors claim Mr. Ketchum did in a short amount of time,” said Kline.
Prosecutors said Ketchum’s phone pinged in this area 20 to 40 minutes after Cantrell left work. March 11, testimony focused on that cell phone analysis.
“I deeply believe in Mr. Ketchum’s innocence, and I pray that the jury sees it that way as well,” said Kline.
Last week, Preston Rogers, who was the lead investigator at the time of Holly's disappearance, testified he reviewed several surveillance videos near where Cody claimed to be shortly after picking Holly up to take her to Braum’s.
Rogers said he never saw Ketchum’s vehicle. However, Kline said he saw the same video and doesn’t believe that proves anything because it is grainy and not easy to see.
“It is nearly impossible to identify any vehicle, especially a dark-colored truck, because vehicles are moving through very quickly, and yet they use that as evidence that his story might be a lie,” said Kline.
2 News reached out to family members who do not wish to speak to the media right now. Prosecutors said they will not speak until after the trial is over.
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