Father: Guns gone day Arkansas couple slain

Testimony sheds light on teen charged in Conway deaths

CONWAY-- The two guns crime analysts have linked to the killings of a Conway couple last year were taken from the home Hunter Drexler shared with his father on the same day the couple was slain, Drexler's father testified during a court hearing Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

Michael Drexler, among 10 witnesses to take the stand in the hearing's third day, said the .22-caliber pistol and .22-caliber rifle that previous witnesses linked to shell casings in the Conway home were among five of his firearms that he noticed were missing on July 21, 2015.

Other testimony on Thursday shed light on Hunter Drexler's personality and background, as well as the circumstances of his life at the time Robert and Patricia Cogdell, both 66, were killed at their Conway home.

Drexler, now 19, is charged with two counts of capital murder and other felony charges in the Cogdells' deaths. At issue in this week's juvenile-transfer hearing is whether the case against him should be transferred to juvenile court, where the penalty would be less severe if he is convicted.

Close to 120 exhibits have been introduced over the first three days, and 25 witnesses have been called to the stand in a hearing that attorneys on both sides have said is unusually complex. The hearing is scheduled to conclude today.

Drexler's alleged role in the crime is one of at least nine factors Faulkner County Circuit Judge Troy Braswell must consider when he rules on whether to transfer the case.

Justin Staton, 15, who lived with the Cogdells at the time, and Conner Atchley, 18, have pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case. Anastasia Roberts, 18, is awaiting trial.

Braswell told the court that he would decide today whether to allow prosecutors to introduce as evidence text messages purportedly exchanged between Staton and Drexler around the time the Cogdells were killed.

Chief Prosecuting Attorney Hugh Finkelstein said outside of court that records of the messages are on an iPod that belonged to Staton. Investigators got access to the messages only after Staton provided the password to the device as part of his guilty plea earlier this year, Finkelstein said.

The iPod has already been introduced as evidence, but defense attorney Patrick Benca has objected to the contents of the iPod being discussed in court until witnesses establish a chain of possession of the iPod to ensure the "integrity" of its contents.

Otherwise, "it's just a piece of plastic with a screen," Benca said outside of court.

Drexler, shackled but not handcuffed, was ordered to stop eating beef jerky at the defense table after a bailiff informed the judge the sheriff's office has a policy against defendants eating in court. Drexler has at times leaned over to speak with counsel and drummed his index fingers softly on the table's edge.

Testimony by Drexler's relatives, his former high school cross-country coach and juvenile-justice officials offered a glimpse at the teenager's personality and behavior before the killings.

Once a standout cross-country runner, Drexler grew frustrated with the responsibilities required of him by the juvenile court system after a misdemeanor arrest in May 2014, witnesses said. After a jail stay stemming from a positive drug test, Drexler told his grandfather five days before the Cogdells were killed that he wanted to run away, according to testimony.

Drexler, whose parents divorced when he was 2 years old, moved in with his father in 2013, when he entered the 10th grade, his mother, Kimberly Ison, testified. Drexler switched schools with the move, from Heber Springs High to Clinton High, she said.

Ison described Drexler as nonviolent, caring and "always considerate of others." She recalled him playing Legos with his younger nephews, helping his grandparents with day-to-day activities and always attending family gatherings.

Drexler's arrival to Clinton High "helped get [the cross-country team] going again," his former coach, Cole Gardner, testified.

Gardner, who is also the school's basketball coach, said he did not consider himself a great coach and that he leaned on Drexler to teach teammates how to stretch before and breathe during long-distance runs. He likened him to a "runner-coach."

Drexler earned medals at multiple events his sophomore year at Clinton, Gardner said.

In May 2014, Drexler was put on court-ordered probation stemming from a misdemeanor charge of possessing an instrument of crime, or drug paraphernalia, his probation officer, Carla Wolf, testified Thursday.

In September 2014, Drexler's probation was revoked after he failed a drug screen, Wolf said. Drexler tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine and received a 30-day suspended jail sentence, Wolf said.

In Drexler's junior year, his cross-country times were "significantly worse," and Drexler did not appear to be in good shape, Gardner said.

After the first meet that year, in the fall of 2014, Gardner said he was informed by the school's office staff that Drexler failed a drug test and was no longer eligible to participate in athletics.

In March 2015, Drexler's probation was again revoked after it was found he had eight unexcused absences from school and had been abusing cough syrup, Wolf testified.

In-patient treatment was recommended but turned down, Wolf said. Drexler attended an outpatient treatment program but did not complete it, Wolf said.

"Hunter and his family believed he could deal with this on his own," Wolf said.

Drexler at this time entered drug court, which allows criminal records to be expunged if participants adhere to the requirements, the drug court coordinator, Lane McConnell, testified.

Those requirements included driving 45 minutes from Clinton to Conway to take drug tests, attend counseling sessions and participate in other programs.

Over a period of 89 days, excluding weekends, from March 16 to May 20, Drexler was drug-tested about 50 times, McConnell said. He failed 26 of those tests, either by producing a positive result, a diluted sample or not showing up at all, she testified.

At times, Drexler was making the 90-minute round trip three or four times a week, even when school was in session, McConnell said.

In June, Drexler was ordered to spend 30 days in jail after a drug screen turned up positive for marijuana, Wolf testified. He was released July 16, McConnell said.

Hours after getting out of jail, Drexler visited his grandfather, John Ison, the grandfather testified. Drexler expressed frustration with his legal troubles and told Ison that he wanted to move away.

On July 21, one day after Drexler was fitted with a court-ordered electronic device on his leg to monitor his whereabouts, he disappeared, according to testimony. So were the guns, Michael Drexler said.

Michael Drexler owned the guns in question, but he felt the guns "belonged" to Hunter. The father promised his son he would transfer the guns to him once he turned 18. The guns that were taken were not in safes at the time, he said.

"These are shared weapons in the house," he said. "We shared guns."

Metro on 10/21/2016

Upcoming Events