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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 7, 2004 Testimony heats up in Repp trial By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Even if Kerry Repp could have warned police of her murder, 9-1-1 operators most likely wouldn’t have understood her cry for help. A shot to the back of the neck broke Repp’s jaw as she cradled a telephone the morning of her May 4, 2002, murder, police said. The wound would have rendered Repp’s speech unintelligible, said forensic pathologist James Olson. A pillow held between the gun and Repp’s head muffled the shot. Investigators testifying Friday for prosecutors against accused murderer Gary Marvin Repp Jr. outlined the series of four gunshots that killed Kerry Repp in the bedroom of her Central Point home. The testimony was heard in Jackson County Circuit Court. Presenting an illustration of Kerry Repp at the time of her murder, prosecutors showed a woman sitting on the edge of a bed with a cordless telephone in her left hand, a gun aimed at a downward angle behind her head. Blood and pieces of bone and teeth were found on the phone’s mouthpiece. Emergency dispatchers got the call that Kerry Repp attempted to make at 8:23 a.m., but when no one answered, the operator disconnected the line. Officers were not sent to the house though they should have been, according to police protocol. Advertisement The first shot to the back of Kerry Repp’s neck was followed by two others underneath her chin and below her chin in the center of her neck. The final gunshot to Kerry’s heart killed her, Olson said. One of the pillows found near the bed shows rips caused by the gun’s blast, Olson said. Forensic scientists said they caused similar rents in another pillowcase when test-firing the murder weapon. The evidence suggested the shooter placed a pillow between the gun and its target, Olson said. Using his knowledge of crime scenes, former Oregon State Police trainee Gary Marvin Repp Jr., set up his wife’s murder to look like a suicide, District Attorney Mark Huddleston has argued. However, recruits who attended OSP training camp with Repp described their study of crime scenes as basic. During the four-month session, which concluded about three weeks before Kerry Repp’s murder, recruits were instructed on how to scan a crime scene for suspects and secure it for further investigation, troopers said. An eight-hour course on latent fingerprints, particularly their presence on guns, was given, troopers said. Prosecutors noted that no fingerprints could be found at Kerry Repp’s murder scene. The killer could have worn gloves, investigators said. Prosecutors will present more evidence of fingerprints associated with Kerry Repp’s murder as the trial continues next week in Circuit Court. FBI officials who analyzed the May 4, 2002, 9-1-1 call also are expected to testify. Reach reporter Sarah Lemonat 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times