“There was a murder,” Kromholz told the jury | Highlands News-Sun

It will certainly be a relief for the families of the victims to see that the wheels of justice are now turning.

“While I am relieved that we finally have a chance to get justice for Shawn, why has it taken over nine years,” asked Teresa Stockton, Ziegler's cousin, on Thursday. “My aunt Denise Doty and his children Megan Phillips and Chad Straughn deserve closure with his death.”

“I just want justice for my father and my family,” Phillips said. “He (West) took my father from me and I don't want him to have the opportunity to harm anyone else. To face my father's killer in court and see no remorse on his face is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.”

Forensic pathologist Dr. Vera Volnikh performed the autopsy on Zeigler and was the first person on the witness stand Thursday. During the autopsy, she found three bullets coming out of the victim.

According to Volnikh, Zeigler had four entry wounds and one exit wound. One from a .38 rifle was in the abdomen, another in the chest and a third just below the right knee.

An exit wound was located on the back of the right leg and may have re-entered the back of the right thigh. Other wounds noted on the victim included abrasions and lacerations from the glass/plexiglass of the golf cart that was shot through.

Volnikh said the bullet in the chest was the shot that killed Zeigler. The shot went through the heart and left lung. She said with medical attention, he likely would have survived the other injuries. Unfortunately, the medical examiner said Zeigler's death was not instantaneous and he knew what was happening to him until he lost consciousness.

During an autopsy, Volnikh's body is usually sampled for bodily fluids, including blood, urine, and samples from the eyeball. Zeigler had no illegal drugs or alcohol in his system; the only medication found was acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Highlands County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Jeff Fennell described finding the Taurus .38 Special that West threw out his window as he drove away from the crime scene. Fennell found the revolver on U.S. 98 near Madrid Drive, near the Spring Lake Improvement District.

A month after Leaphart nearly died, Det. Du'Wayne Kelly spoke with her at the Fort Myers hospital. He said she had difficulty speaking and had to use a whiteboard to communicate.

Kelly also said that a box that normally held .38 ammunition contained empty shell casings. He said the only reason for keeping the shell casings was for reloading or a desire to avoid leaving trash. Additionally, more empty shell casings were on the floor of the truck. Kelly showed the jury a large knife and brass knuckles that were also found in the vehicle.

Assistant District Attorney John Kromholz described in detail what he believes happened the day of the shooting. Kromholz said West killed Zeigler, also known as Shawn Doty, and inflicted “serious bodily injuries on Leaphart, from which she still suffers today,” not in self-defense but out of cold blood.

West, Leaphart and Zeigler had once been friends but had fallen out. West was also friends with Leaphart's daughter, who also testified in court.

On the day of the shootings, Zeigler and Leaphart drove a golf cart to a dead-end road in Lorida to feed the animals, Leaphart said. West was on the road very close to the golf cart the couple was in. A verbal altercation ensued after West gave Leaphart the middle finger and Leaphart returned the middle finger. After the couple finished, they turned around and stood behind the truck West was driving.

West allegedly got out of the S-10 pickup truck he was driving and began shooting at Zeigler and Leaphart. Leaphart said she was hospitalized for three months after having six bullets lodged in her, one in each hip and four in her abdomen. She later said she was still unsure how many times she was shot because she kept losing consciousness. Leaphart became defensive when Hernandez asked her about her past drug use, asking the same questions multiple times.

Initial witnesses included officers from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office and neighbors. Jurors and the court heard two different 911 calls. Earlier, West had stated he was in the area to repay money he borrowed from Keith Collier. However, Angela Collier said her husband was not home and West did not pull into her driveway.

The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Friday at the Highlands County Courthouse.