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Murder trial enters second week

Ihander

MENOMINEE — The trial of Gregory S. Ihander — accused of murdering Jolene Eichhorn in Menominee Township in 2015 — continues today with more witness testimony. The two-week trial began a week ago in Menominee County Circuit Court.

According to police testimony, Eichhorn’s body was located in the trunk of her car found abandoned in the Cedar River Harbor Marina parking lot on Sept. 9, 2015. Ihander was arrested later that day after police found a garbage bag of bloody items in his bathtub.

Eichhorn’s autopsy report states she bled to death as a result of a deep stab wound to her chest resulting from a homicide.

Blood samples taken from Ihander’s clothing the day he was arrested were collected during the criminal investigation and analyzed by forensic scientists, revealing the victim’s DNA on his shirt, according to testimony presented in court Friday.

Eichhorn’s DNA was also found on blood samples collected from a pair of women’s sandals inside the bloody bag, on a piece of linoleum under Ihander’s kitchen stove, on a door frame in his house, and on the alleged murder weapon — a hunting knife which was found under Ihander’s mobile home weeks later.

According to expert testimony on Friday, Ihander’s DNA was found to be on the women’s sandals. The forensic scientist also reported body fluid taken from Eichhorn was from an unknown DNA source.

The blood and body fluids were among several selected to be analyzed for DNA from a large amount of evidence collected at the marina and Ihander’s home and during Eichhorn’s autopsy.

Ihander remains lodged in the Menominee County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond and is facing a life felony. Jury deliberation is expected later this week when “guilty” or “not guilty” verdicts will be decided on first-degree murder and second-degree murder charges.

The two-week trial began last Monday with jury selection taking all day. Following opening statements on Tuesday from Prosecutor William Merkel and Defense Attorney Karen Groenhout, witness testimony began with Eichhorn’s daughter being the first to take the stand.

Other witnesses who testified last week included police from the investigating agency — the Michigan State Police Post in Gladstone — as well as law enforcement from the assisting agency — the Menominee County Sheriff’s Department.

Several forensic experts have presented an overwhelming amount of details on evidence-gathering processes and analyzing procedures. In addition to Eichhorn’s autopsy report, other documents presented as evidence include Ihander’s cell phone records and hundreds of photographs taken at the marina and Ihander’s house.

More police and experts are expected to be called to the witness stand this week along with friends and family members of both Eichhorn and Ihander.

A total of 75 witnesses are included on the potential witness list with about half of them testifying last week.

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