German murder trial underway-Day 1 recap

Twelve jurors and two alternates were selected from a final pool of 42 to decide the fate of Imperial native Kevin German, 26.
    German is standing trial in Chase County District Court on three Class 1A felonies—1st degree murder and two kidnapping charges.
    The charges stem from the November 2019 death of Annika Swanson, 22, of Imperial.
German pled not guilty to all three charges.
    German is being represented by Attorneys Clarence Mock and Denise Frost of Omaha.
    Doug Warner and Mike Guinen with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office,  serving as special deputy county attorneys for Chase County, are prosecuting the case.
    District Judge Patrick Heng or North Platte is presiding.
Prosecution opens case
    State’s attorney Warner delivered the prosecution’s opening statements to the jury July 21.
    He outlined the road map of what the jurors will hear throughout the prosecution’s case.
    He familiarized the jury with the people involved in the case, their relationships and how events unfolded, which cost Swanson her life.
    He briefed them on evidence collected by law enforcement and how it would be used to make the state’s case.
    He told jurors the road map will guide them as they consider the guilt or innocence of German.
    Defense attorney Mock began his opening statement to the jury stating the state lacks the forensic evidence to tie German to the death of Swanson.
    He said results of DNA testing will be key in the case. He added the credibility of some witnesses for the state will also be brought into question.
    During his statement, Mock   built the foundation that points  to German’s girl friend, Keonna Carter, as the person responsible for Swanson’s death.
    Carter is also charged with 1st degree murder and one count of kidnapping, and is scheduled to testify for the prosecution later in the trial.
    In total, opening statements took up much of
Thursday morning, with Warner using nearly an hour and Mock more than 90 minutes.
    The state opened its case by calling Monti Swanson to the stand. He is Annika Swanson’s father.
    Swanson said he went to the Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 21 to file a missing person’s report after he was unable to contact his daughter for more than a week.
    Swanson said it was uncommon for his daughter not to answer his texts or phone calls and he was extremely worried about her.
    He told officers she had been staying at the residence of Russell Mann near Enders.
    Swanson said he and his wife, Cheryl, had taken over the care of Annika’s oldest son, who was age 4 at the time.
    Annika’s other 1 year-old son was living with his father.
    Swanson said he had no knowledge that his daughter was using drugs.
    Sargent Justin Mueller with the Chase County Sheriff’s Office was then called to the stand. He was on duty Nov. 21 when Swanson filed the missing person’s report.
    He and Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Browning went to the Mann residence in an effort to locate Swanson.
    They asked Mann for her phone number but Mann said he didn’t have it. Eve Ambrosek was also present at the Mann residence at the time.
    Mann said he didn’t know where Swanson was and indicated that on Nov. 16 she became angry and left the residence.
    After deputies later obtained her phone number, Mueller said he called it but it went straight to voicemail.
    At that point, Sheriff Kevin Mueller instructed Sgt. Mueller, Browning and Deputy Duncan Einspahr  to return to the Mann residence and bring Mann and Ambrosek in for questioning.
    Browning was interviewing Ambrosek, who indicated she had been kidnapped. Browning alerted Mueller and Einspahr, who were questioning Mann.
    Ambrosek said she had been  taken against her will and taken south of Imperial and assaulted.     
    Mann was arrested that night and jailed on kidnapping  and other related charges.
    After obtaining a search warrant, deputies searched German properties south of Imperial that night but found no evidence of Swanson.
    The following day, Nov. 22, Sgt. Mueller said they obtained a search warrant for Mann’s residence, looking for signs of assault, kidnapping or drugs. They found drug paraphernalia and other evidence of drugs and drug use.
    Based on Ambrosek’s interview, deputies began considering German and Keonna Carter as suspects. They were later taken into custody by police in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they were living.
    Again, based on Ambrosek’s interview, deputies suspected that Swanson was dead. A search was then started on more German property, including the use of cadaver-hunting dogs. The search turned up nothing.
    The search on German property east of Avenue 333 continued into the night, heading east towards Enders Lake.
    In the meantime, Einspahr traveled to Fort Collins to interview German and Carter. Einspahr relayed information that Carter recalled being by some kind of well or pipe in a field.
     Another search of wells and stock tanks turned up nothing.
    Ultimately, Sgt. Mueller noticed an overflow tube on an earth dam west of Ave 333. It was then suspected that’s where Swanson’s body was.
    The prosecution concluded Mueller’s testimony, indicating they would resume his testimony later in the case.
    He was then cross-examined by Frost.
    Angie West, manager of Wauneta Crossroads, was called to the stand.     
    Swanson was employed by West and worked in the deli area at the Wauneta store.
    West said Swanson did not report to work on the evening of Nov. 14 and she or her staff were unable to contact Swanson by phone.
    West also indicated that Swanson did not come in for her check on Nov. 15, which  seemed unusual to her.
    Following West’s testimony and cross-examination, court was recessed Thursday.