ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- The state began presenting its case against Nicholas Stanley on day two of his murder trial.
A full jury was seated Monday after a nearly 10-hour marathon jury selection process. The newly-formed jury was sworn in before court recessed for the day.
ABC57's Annie Kate was the only reporter in the courtroom covering day two of this trial.
The day started with opening statements. It's important to note that opening statements are not and cannot be viewed as evidence.
Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker gave her opening statement first, where she gave a narrative of the night of June 23 into the early morning hours of June 24, 2025. She said Nicholas Stanley deliberately planned this crime, saying he parked at the Menards near the Daylite Inn in Elkhart, walked to the motel, walked back to his vehicle, then returned to the motel with something long and thin in hand. Later, neighbors heard gunshots and called police.
Becker went into graphic detail about the victim Allen Cogswell's fatal gunshot injuries, saying it was obvious there was no coming back. She said Stanley picked up all the bullet casings at the scene, hiding evidence. She also said Stanley lied to police, saying he was home at the time of the killing and had no idea what happened.
Defense Attorney Vincent Campiti's opening statement only lasted about four minutes. He contested Becker's claims that the murder was planned out quite so deliberately. He said he plans to have Stanley's ex-wife and another juvenile relative testify.
Prior to opening statements, Campiti unsuccessfully tried to overturn the court order prohibiting Cogswell's prior conviction. He finally confirmed he plans to argue a sudden heat defense. Without including Cogswell's prior conviction, he said he will instead rely on witness testimony to make that argument.
After opening statements, the prosecution began to present its case. The state goes first because it has the burden of proof in this case, and that "beyond a reasonable doubt" burden is the highest in Indiana courts.
Tuesday, the prosecution called six witnesses to the stand. The first was the Elkhart police officer dispatched to the Daylight Inn in Elkhart in the early morning hours of June 24, 2025, after neighbors reported gunshots. He was told to go to room 251, where Cogswell lived; the Daylight Inn is known as a motel where many stay for long-term rentals.
The officer found the door open and found Cogswell's body, testifying that he didn't event attempt to render aid because it was clear there was no helping him.
Three of those Daylight Inn neighbors also testified, who mentioned seeing a man running from the hotel after the shooting; two of them called the police.
Next on the stand was the Elkhart detective who obtained a search warrant for room 251. He explained they obtained security, Flock, and other footage to try and track the shooter's movements. This led to Nicholas Stanley, who the detective says was driving a vehicle belonging to his father Bruce Stanley, who then said that Nicholas had been driving it.
The security, Flock, and other videos were played in full for the jury.
The final witness of the day was the person who performed Cogswell's autopsy. Graphic photos were displayed during his testimony. From his autopsy report, the cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the torso and head. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
The trial will resume September 23, where the state will continue to make its case against Nicholas Stanley.