Motion hearing in Joseph Elledge case set for July
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story initially misstated when the evidence will be considered.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A judge will hear arguments for allowing secret recordings into evidence during a July 12 hearing.
The request was originally made by Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight in May.
Court documents describe audio recordings of conversations between Ji and Elledge. The new documents detail 12 secret audio conversations, two recorded by Ji and 10 recorded by Elledge.
Knight said the recordings show months of verbal abuse by Elledge, including Elledge "gaslighting" Ji by talking over her and lying to her to manipulate her.
Prosecutors argue that the evidence is necessary in order to show the jury Elledge's motive for killing Ji. Knight wrote that without this evidence in court, the jury will be unable to understand why Elledge killed Ji, or the significance of other evidence that developed after he allegedly killed her.
The prosecutor also said recordings show Elledge may have lied to police and reporters after Ji went missing in October 2019.
Police found Ji's remains at Rock Bridge State Park in March, after originally spending months searching the Lamine River in Cooper County after cell phone records allegedly showed him in that area and cadaver dogs alerted to something in the river.
