Day 4: Witness Testimony Wraps Up In Craig Ingersoll's Trial
By: Rachel Polansky
Updated: November 9, 2012
Witness testimony has wrapped up in Craig Ingersoll's trial. Ingersoll
is the Utica man accused of killing Jennifer Bennett in January of 2007.
After hearing from a DNA analyst, a forensic investigator, and other
witnesses, the last witness took the stand today.
The investigator who interviewed Ingersoll back in March took the stand today. Prosecutors played the video of the interrogation - when Ingersoll admits to paying Jennifer for sex and putting his hands around her neck when she refused a sex act.
"I realized my hands were still around her neck and Jennifer was now unconscious,"
Oneida County investigator Chris Ferguson reads from Craig Ingersoll's 2-page written statement after interrogating him for nearly 3 hours.
Ingersoll told investigators he paid Jennifer 4$0 dollars to have sex with him, but when Jennifer refused a particular sex act, he would not take no for an answer.
"This is when I put my hands around her neck. I don't know if I initially started out to choke her but I ended up squeezing her neck hard enough for her to lose consciousness," says Oneida County sheriff's investigator Chris Ferguson.
Ingersoll admits he kept his hands wrapped around Jennifer's neck during the forced sexual act, until he realized she had stopped moving.
"In a panic, I then dragged Jennifer a short distance from the truck, just enough so I could drive around her, and then I left," says Ferguson.
And that's where Jennifer's body was found the next day, behind the Deerfield Fire Department.
"When I left Jennifer, her pants were down, and I did not know for sure, if she was alive or dead," says Ferguson.
Ingersoll chose not to testify in his defense this morning. Public Defender Luke Nebush has a problem with the video interrogation. He says Ingersoll's confession only came from pressure by the investigator who was trying to get him to confess.
Investigator Chris Ferguson was the last witness to testify in Ingersoll's trial. Judge Donalty says closing statements and jury deliberation will resume on Tuesday. And if convicted, Ingersoll could spend up to life in prison.
The investigator who interviewed Ingersoll back in March took the stand today. Prosecutors played the video of the interrogation - when Ingersoll admits to paying Jennifer for sex and putting his hands around her neck when she refused a sex act.
"I realized my hands were still around her neck and Jennifer was now unconscious,"
Oneida County investigator Chris Ferguson reads from Craig Ingersoll's 2-page written statement after interrogating him for nearly 3 hours.
Ingersoll told investigators he paid Jennifer 4$0 dollars to have sex with him, but when Jennifer refused a particular sex act, he would not take no for an answer.
"This is when I put my hands around her neck. I don't know if I initially started out to choke her but I ended up squeezing her neck hard enough for her to lose consciousness," says Oneida County sheriff's investigator Chris Ferguson.
Ingersoll admits he kept his hands wrapped around Jennifer's neck during the forced sexual act, until he realized she had stopped moving.
"In a panic, I then dragged Jennifer a short distance from the truck, just enough so I could drive around her, and then I left," says Ferguson.
And that's where Jennifer's body was found the next day, behind the Deerfield Fire Department.
"When I left Jennifer, her pants were down, and I did not know for sure, if she was alive or dead," says Ferguson.
Ingersoll chose not to testify in his defense this morning. Public Defender Luke Nebush has a problem with the video interrogation. He says Ingersoll's confession only came from pressure by the investigator who was trying to get him to confess.
Investigator Chris Ferguson was the last witness to testify in Ingersoll's trial. Judge Donalty says closing statements and jury deliberation will resume on Tuesday. And if convicted, Ingersoll could spend up to life in prison.
