An FBI agent's testimony on cellphone usage and the demeanor of the defendant, Kevin Duck, played significant roles in finding him guilty of first-degree murder for the death of his girlfriend, Dawna Natzke, in December 2011, the jury foreman told The Sentinel-Record Friday.
The phone analysis, which showed Duck's cellphone was within six-tenths of a mile from where Natzke's body was found and from where Natzke's burned-out car was discovered, was fairly convincing evidence, jury foreman Stephen Ezelle said after the trial concluded Friday.
William Shute, an FBI special agent, testified on Thursday.
"All in all we had to rely on some testimony, but a lot of weight was given to the FBI and his expertise," he said.
Text messages on Duck's cellphone also led the jury to believe in his guilt, Ezelle said.
"The text messages were very telling and pretty conclusive," he said. Natzke was meticulous in her writing and Duck wasn't, he said, referring to the text message reply a friend received who asked if Natzke was OK.
Ezelle also said the fact that Duck was texting another woman and propositioning her for sex when his girlfriend was missing pointed to his guilt.
He said the jury also watched Duck's body language during the trial, adding that he showed "no emotion whatsoever." Ezelle said they expected people would have some type of reaction, especially during the murder trial of a loved one.
The fact Natzke left her mother and her purse at the party where she was last seen alive also led the jury to believe in Duck's guilt, he said.
"You just don't leave your mother and purse behind," he said. "I couldn't see it and neither could everybody else in the group see it."
The evidence of his prior convictions, which was presented during sentencing, reaffirmed the jury's perception of the person Duck is, he said.
Ezelle said deciding the fate of a man was the hardest thing he's done in his life. This trial was mostly circumstantial evidence, which made it harder, he said.
"When you're dealing with a case like this ... that is a lot of burden on the juror," he said.
But despite the hard job, Ezelle said he and all the other jurors felt 100 percent sure of their decision.
"We think we got it right," he said. "We all felt very sure of ourselves. We did the right thing."
The Garland County prosecuting attorney's office issued a statement on Friday thanking the Hot Springs Village Police Department, Garland County Sheriff's Department, and Arkansas State Police, along with the "numerous witnesses in this case, the jurors who deliberated so diligently, but most importantly, the family of Dawna Natzke."
"Over the course of handling this case, the Garland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has had the pleasure of meeting Dawna Natzke's family and friends. Her three sons (Ronnie, Arin, and Brandin) have shown amazing strength and strong character throughout the course of this case. We are certain that Dawna Natzke would be extremely proud of these three outstanding young men," the statement said.
"We certainly acknowledge that the lengthy delay in this matter proceeding to jury trial was difficult on those that loved Dawna Natzke, but we are extremely pleased that justice has been served in this case," it said.
"Prosecuting Attorney, Michelle C. Lawrence, would specifically like to acknowledge the diligence and hard work of both Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Joe Graham and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Shana Alexander, in their preparation of this matter."
Local on 04/01/2017