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Ihander’s movements, demeanor revealed

MENOMINEE — Relatives of Gregory S. Ihander — who is currently on trial for the 2015 murder of Jolene Eichhorn, 43, of Carney — testified Monday about Ihander’s whereabouts and demeanor during the days prior to the victim’s body being found in her car.

Ihander, 49, of Menominee Township, was arrested on Sept. 9, 2015, after police discovered a bag of bloody items in his bathtub the same day police located Eichhorn’s body in the trunk of a car found abandoned at the Cedar River Harbor Marina.

According to witness testimony to date in Menominee County Circuit Court, Ihander gave Eichhorn an engagement ring the month before; Ihander was later upset when he saw her ex-boyfriend at her house. Shortly afterwards, she was reported missing and found dead.

Eichhorn’s blood DNA was found in Ihander’s kitchen and on Ihander’s clothing the day he was arrested. Five weeks later, a bloody knife containing Eichhorn’s DNA was found under Ihander’s trailer.

Ihander’s son, Josh Ihander, and his son’s fiance testified for a half hour each Monday on what they recalled about Sept. 8 and 9, 2015, when they were at Gregory Ihander’s house.

On the evening of Sept. 8, Josh, along with his fiance and their one-year-old son, were visiting Ihander. Josh was replacing a starter in Eichhorn’s car. Eichhorn was also at Ihander’s home. Josh told the court he knew Ihander had been dating Eichhorn and he knew about the engagement ring.

When Josh was done working on Eichhorn’s car, he went back into the house to get his girlfriend and son to go home, he told the court.

Prosecutor William Merkel questioned Josh about the demeanor of his father and Eichhorn that evening.

“They were cuddling, kissing, happy,” said Josh adding that Eichhorn was happy. “She was kissing my Dad. She was all over him.”

The next day, Josh brought a van he had recently purchased to work on in his father’s garage. Josh’s finance drove to Ihander’s house in their car with their son.

When Merkel questioned Josh about his father’s demeanor on this day, the son said Ihander was “quiet” and “acting depressed.” Josh testified when he asked his father what was wrong, Ihander replied, “Nothing.”

Josh described his father as “generally a happy guy, full of jokes.”

The son testified Ihander later went to a nearby bar. After his father returned home, Michigan State Police Det. Sgt. Jean Belanger came to the house wanting to talk to Ihander, recalled Josh.

Josh and his finance were questioned by police, who requested to look in both of their vehicles. Police told Josh later that Ihander was being arrested because Eichhorn was missing, the son testified.

Ihander’s other son, Jonathan Ihander, also testified Monday, saying he heard about his father’s arrest and visited him at the county jail. The son testified he later saw the hatch door was open on the skirting of the trailer that his father was renting.

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Jenny Lancour, (906) 786-2021, ext. 143, jlancour@dailypress.net

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