Kris Zocco’s murder trial left the courtroom on Tuesday to give the jury a better look at two critical scenes. All 14 jurors were shuttled to where prosecutors believe Kelly Dwyer was killed in 2013 and where her body was dumped.
Shortly after prosecutors and Zocco’s defense gave their opening statements, the jury was taken to Zocco’s former apartment on Milwaukee’s East Side.
TV cameras were allowed inside the apartment lobby, but they were not able to join the jury up to Zocco’s 18th-floor apartment unit. That’s where Zocco is accused of strangling and suffocating Dwyer five years ago during a violent sex act.
Prosecutor Sara Hill said Milwaukee police executed a search warrant to bring a dog trained to detect human remains.
“She alerts inside of a hallway bathroom that appears to have been cleaned,” Hill said. “K-9 Molly alerts on the bed in the master bedroom and she also alerts in the garage.”
Defense attorney Rebecca Coffee told the jury that Zocco cooperated with police, Dwyer’s family and her friends.
“He did not prevent them from going into any room or area of his apartment,” Coffee said.
Dwyer’s body wasn’t found until 19 months later in rural Jefferson County. The jury made a trip after leaving Zocco’s apartment to see the exact location marked with orange cones.
Jurors returned to the courtroom Tuesday afternoon and the state called on a dentist, Dwyer’s coworkers, friends, and a roommate to testify. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
