Murder trial of Stephen France begins

Editor’s note: The murder trial of Stephen E. France is scheduled to conclude this afternoon. Therefore, the rest of the story will appear in Saturday’s edition along with the jury’s verdict.

LEXINGTON - Monday morning, after interviewing a jury panel of over 70 Dawson County residents, Dawson County Attorney Liz Waterman and defense attorney Corey Burns selected a jury of 12 to hear the case of the State of Nebraska versus Stephen E. France.

France, 59, a Cozad resident, stands accused of murdering former friend and coworker Duane Morrison on Dec. 18, 2007 at the Gothenburg Feed Mill, where both men were working.

While the jury was advised that France was innocent until proven guilty, Burns advised the jury members during his opening statement that it was a fact that Morrison died but telling the jury, “You have to determine why Stephen killed Duane Morrison.”

Burns also alluded to the fact that maybe the crime was self-defense, telling the jury, “I want you to compare sizes, age and health.”

In spite of these statements, however, Burns questioned each of the prosecution’s witnesses closely, asking them why no samples were taken of the two pools of blood found in the doorway of the business where the murder allegedly took place and how it was that law enforcement officers on the scene knew the various witnesses on sight.

It turns out that two of the witnesses for the prosecution have felony convictions, and one of the two has a history of giving the police false testimony.

On Monday afternoon, the jury heard from several witnesses to the crime.

Greg Gilg, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Deputy who was the first person on the scene of the homicide that Tuesday morning, testified that France “..was blood from head to toe,” but also very calm and cooperative and that an initial pat-down didn’t reveal any weapons.

Gilg also visually examined the body of the victim and noted that he had no pulse, but that his body was “still warm to the touch.”

Gilg also noted that France asked him if Morrison was alive or dead. Gilg told him that Morrison was dead.

Other witnesses at the scene included two of France’s coworkers, Jason Edgins and Tony Cañas. Both Edgins and Cañas had the same job at the plant at the time of the incident. While Edgins was Morrison’s partner and worked during the day shift, Cañas was France’s partner and the two of them worked at night.

According to Edgins, Morrison was going to the police department the day before the incident to get a restraining order against France, saying that “Steve called and threatened his family.”

Edgins further testified that Morrison wasn’t so much afraid for himself, but was concerned for his family.

Both Cañas and Edgins testified that France repeatedly made the threat he was going to kill Morrison.

A third co-worker, shop foreman Donald K. Friesenborg testified that France visited him at his home two days prior to Morrison’s death and said that he was going to stab Morrison in the heart.

Friesenborg was quick to point out that he thought France was “one of the most generous people Duane had in his life.” He went on to say that France would buy Morrison cigarettes, soda and food when Morrison was short on cash, even though France himself did not smoke.

“Steve would give him the shirt off his back if he didn’t have one,” Friesenborg continued.

None of the three witnesses offered much explanation why the friendship between France and Morrison soured in the weeks prior to the fatal incident.

France told coworkers that Morrison was sabotaging the equipment in an effort to make France angry and make him look bad since the breakdowns would occur on France’s shift.

Other witnesses testified that Morrison would say terrible things about France’s mother and would be mean to his own children just to make France angry.

Cañas said that by the end, the two were arguing and threatening each other’s lives on a daily basis, but it was all verbal, no physical threats.

Cañas testified, however, that two days prior to the alleged homicide that France wanted to borrow another co-worker’s gun.

“He wanted the gun to kill him,” Cañas said.

“I told him to leave him alone. Morrison had problems of his own and it wasn’t worth it.”

France never did get the gun from the coworker, but on the morning of Morrison’s death, a chain of events would unfold that would leave one of the two men dead and the other charged with murder.

Current Rating: 2.5 of 2 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****