Judge rejects change of venue for Trumbull's murder trial

Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
Updated ·4 min read
Corey Trumbull, charged in the slaying of an 11-year-old boy in Texas, appears in court at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, March 5, 2020, in Las Vegas. Trumbull was arrested in Las Vegas after police responded to a call about a domestic violence attack on Boulder Highway on Feb. 25, 2020. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

They either heard nary a whisper about it, or they observed people calling for Corey Allen Trumbull's blood for what he is accused of doing to an 11-year-old boy slain in a Wichita Falls hotel room, according to testimony Friday in a change of venue hearing.

Logan Cline was repeatedly tortured and beaten to death Dec. 14, 2019, by Trumbull and his mother, Stormy Loraine Johnson, according to allegations in court documents. After hiding the child's body in an abandoned car, the couple drifted to Las Vegas.

According to arrest records and publicdata.com, Trumbull's last known address before his arrest was a homeless shelter in San Angelo.

It was all or nothing at times in testimony Friday for Trumbull's request to transfer his capital murder trial from Wichita County. Either way, 30th District Judge Jeff McKnight swiftly denied a change of venue for the trial set for Aug. 21.

But Trumbull's defense attorneys contend inflammatory and provocative pretrial publicity, as well as social media chatter and simple word of mouth have made it impossible for Trumbull to get a fair and impartial jury in Wichita County.

An investigator for the Wichita County Public Defender's Office testified he tracked down three people who made strong statements about Trumbull.

Wichita Falls police investigate after 11-year-old Logan Cline's body was found inside an abandoned vehicle Feb. 27, 2020, in the 1200 block of Kenley Avenue.
Wichita Falls police investigate after 11-year-old Logan Cline's body was found inside an abandoned vehicle Feb. 27, 2020, in the 1200 block of Kenley Avenue.

They all told investigator Mark Ball that they still felt the same. That included a woman who commented on Facebook that Trumbull should be tortured and another who commented that no trial was needed because he should go straight to death row.

More: Police report: Trumbull said if he 'wanted it, he would take it no matter what'

On the other hand, Wichita County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jeff Watts testified for the prosecution that he talks to his constituents every day, and no one has mentioned the case to him.

Watts is a consumer of local news, but he doesn't recall seeing coverage of Trumbull's cases on TV stations or in the Times Record News.

The commissioner also signed an affidavit for the prosecution, saying he doesn't think there is such prejudice against Trumbull that he can't obtain a fair and impartial trial in Wichita County.

Wichita County Court At Law No. 2 has been serving as a courtroom for 30th District Court, which flooded in March.
Wichita County Court At Law No. 2 has been serving as a courtroom for 30th District Court, which flooded in March.

The prosecution filed affidavits from six other local residents to support opposition for changing the venue. Two said they had heard of the Trumbull case and believe he can get a fair trial in Wichita County.

Four said they had not heard of the capital murder case but believe he can get a fair trial here.

Both the defense and the prosecution explored the concept of, "If it bleeds, it leads," with a local TV executive on the stand. He testified news coverage and how it runs depends on what is happening in a community on any given day.

More: Police: Domestic violence investigation led to discovery of 11-year-old's body in car

Trumbull has been charged with murder, with capital murder of a child over 10 and under 15 years old — which is punishable by life without parole — and with tampering with evidence-a human corpse.

When a defendant is charged with two types of murder charges for the same homicide, it likely will be up to a jury at trial to decide which, if any, applies. Or the defendant might take a plea deal.

Johnson has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence. Tampering with evidence carries a maximum punishment of 10 years. Murder is punishable by up to life in prison.

Trumbull was being held Friday in the Wichita County Detention Center on total bonds of $3.2 million, according to online jail records. Johnson was being held there Friday on total bonds of $1.25 million.

After the hearing, McKnight told attorneys that he plans to have a pool of 100 potential jurors called for the trial. Because of a flood in his regular courtroom, questioning of the possible jurors will be at the Multi-Purpose Events Center.

The 30th District courtroom flooded in March, and construction is ongoing at the courthouse. In the meantime, McKnight has been presiding over his cases in Wichita County Court At Law No. 2.

More: Implicated in death of boy in WF, couple is accused of child sex crimes, child abuse

Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, covers education, courts, breaking news, investigative projects and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Judge denies change of venue for Trumbull's capital murder trial