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Trial surrounding alleged murder in 1990 continues today

By Shawn Linenberger - | Dec 1, 2009

The trial of a Kansas City, Mo., man charged with one count of aiding a felon in a murder that occurred nearly 20 years ago continues today in Leavenworth County District Court.

The jury trial of 79-year-old Eric L. Montgomery started Monday as the prosecution and defense gave opening remarks. Deputy county attorney John Bryant told the jury that evidence would show Montgomery guilty by his own admission, while Montgomery’s attorney, Deb Snider, told the jury to take into account her client was being interviewed about events that allegedly occurred roughly 20 years ago and to take into account health issues.

Montgomery testified in July 1992 in the murder case of Everett Bishop under order of immunity, while Sherill Gary Brinkley currently is serving time for Bishop’s murder.

In April 1990, just west of Bonner Springs, Lloyd Folsom was killed by Leavenworth County resident Bishop, according to court testimony. Two weeks later, Bishop was killed by Brinkley, who is serving a 24-year sentence for Bishop’s murder and for stealing weapons from Bishop’s home.

Montgomery’s jury trial is centered on information Montgomery gave Leavenworth County Sheriff’s detective Mike Wehmeyer and a Prairie Village detective in 2008 in Montgomery’s home about Folsom.

Wehmeyer took the stand Monday with Judge Gunnar Sundby presiding. He told the court about working to close the missing persons case on Folsom. In the audio interview, which lasted more than an hour, Montgomery told investigators that he helped Bishop dispose of Folsom’s body by putting it in a 55-gallon barrel and then dumping the barrel in the Missouri River. Audio visual footage from subsequent interviews and interrogations earlier this year show Montgomery explaining the accounts differently.

During previous court appearances by Montgomery earlier this year Snider has contended the case couldn’t stand alone because of immunity granted to Montgomery in the trial of Bishop’s murder case and that the statute of limitations has run out also.

The trial is expected to last two to three days.

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