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Last updated on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
(BEDFORD) - A Lawrence Superior Court II jury heard testimony and viewed the skeletal remains believed to be those of 29-year-old Kami Ratcliff on Tuesday in the murder trial of Lincoln Pickett.
They also listened to the recorded interview of Pickett taken at his home while Indiana State Police crime scene technicians searched his home and property.
Pickett, 36, of Mitchell, is charged with murder; obstruction of justice, abuse of a corpse, two counts of false informing and failure to report a dead body. Police say Pickett shot and killed Ratcliff Jan. 21, 2016 in the back seat of his red Blazer after an argument. He then waited a week before burning her body in a burn pit on his property at 3413 US 50 West.
Indiana State Police Detective Stacy Brown testified Tuesday morning about his interview with Lincoln Pickett. Detective Brown questioned Pickett in his police car while Indiana State Police Detective Brad Stille interviewed Jasmine Pickett in his police vehicle. Both interviews were recorded. Lincoln's interview was played for the jury Tuesday morning.
In the meantime, crime scene technicians were combing the Picketts' mobile home looking for any evidence to lead to the discovery of Ratcliff's whereabouts.
During the interview, Lincoln continued to say that he didn't know where Kami was.
Lincoln told police that he had been friend's with Kami's boyfriend David Burton Jr. for years but had only known Kami for about a year.
He discussed his 13-year marriage to his wife Jasmine Pickett and their three children.
Both he and Jasmine were unemployed. Jasmine would earn a little money babysitting for friends.
"The power is off, the phone turned off," Lincoln is heard on the tape. "It has been rough."
Lincoln told police that they saw Kami at least once a week - "She is a good person...When we would see her she would be into it with David and she would need to get away. She was having baby blues. She was kind of emotional, she could go from laughing, smiling, giddy, to crying - I felt for her."
Lincoln told police that he would help Kami purchase diapers and formula for her then 9-month old daughter Jenna.
Lincoln told police that Kami had a drug problem. "She liked speed... listen her dad was a junkie and it ultimately took his life it was January 11th... it's been a few years back. Now Kami had a fixation on it (the date)...I'm guessing she was taking it hard bud, she was taking it a little too hard. To me, it is not normal to go in the same way you know what I mean (suicide)."
Lincoln told police he saw track marks on Kami's arms.
"When asked her about it she became extremely agitated," he added.
Lincoln says Kami's family ignored her drug problem.
"They were in denial about it," he says. "Instead of helping her they smothered her."
Lincoln says that he "didn't have anything to support that woman's (drug) habit. I wouldn't take her to a drug house and that would piss her off."
He also told police that Burton was physically abusive with Kami. During their domestic fights, Kami would call Lincoln to come and get her and she would spend a few days with them, but not longer than that.
"She was a rambler," Lincoln says. "She never stayed in one place long...I really want to wrap this up and talk to my wife - she is fragile."
During the interview, Detective Brown received a text message wanting Lincoln to give permission to search his red Blazer. Lincoln refused to give police permission to search the vehicle.
Detective Brown told Lincoln that they had received a tip saying Lincoln, Jasmine, and Kami were in a sexual relationship.
"It makes me mad people say that stuff," Lincoln replied.
Also testifying was Dr. Krista Latham, Forensic Anthropologist. She is one of only 84 forensic anthropologists working in the world today. She told the jury how she and her associate removed a female's bones from the burn pit in the backyard of the Pickett's home.
After painstakingly removing the remains she was able to determine the bones belonged to a female that was more than 20 years old. There was no DNA available to confirm the remains were those of Kami.
Indiana State DNA Analyst Paulita Thompson testified that the blood found in the red Blazer and on some car parts found in Lincoln's garage, on Lincoln's coveralls, and a baby diaper found in Lincoln's mother's home Veda Pickett, belonged to an unknown female.
Tissue also found in in the window well and blood on the windows of the Blazer was that of the unknown female.
Forensic DNA Analyst Robert Dilley did a relationship comparison of Kathy Riggle, Kami's mother, Jenna Burton, Kami's daughter and David Burton, Jenna's father, and was able to determine the blood samples from the unknown female were those of Kami Ratcliff.
Court will resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
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