Jury finds ex-trucker guilty in killing of teen; defense says he was coerced

Ex-trucker Kenneth Osburn at right convicted in murder of teen; a defense witness said he was coerced by police into confessing (Associated Press photo)

The Associated Press

1/18/2008

HAMBURG, Ark. – A jury has convicted a McGehee, Ark., truck driver of kidnapping and strangling a 17-year-old girl stranded alongside a south Arkansas highway after her vehicle ran out of gas.

Kenneth Osburn, 47, was found guilty of both capital murder and kidnapping charges in the Aug. 27, 2006, death of Casey Crowder, a senior at Watson Chapel High School. Crowder's body was found in woods a few miles away from where her sport utility vehicle ran out of gas on U.S. Highway 65 near Dumas.

Lawyers for Osburn told the jury police intimidated Osburn into admitting he kidnapped and strangled Crowder. The final witness for the defense, an expert in police interrogations and false confessions, said in his testimony Thursday that methods used to question Osburn about the slaying could have led to a false confession.

The jury was scheduled to begin the sentencing phase of the trial Friday afternoon. If jurors decide against the death penalty, the only other sentence for capital murder under Arkansas law is life in prison without parole.

Earlier in the week, jurors watched a videotape of investigators interviewing Osburn after his arrest. On the tape, Osburn was seen and heard admitting to placing wire ties around Crowder's neck and watching her die.

The trial was moved to Ashley County because of concerns about seating an unbiased jury in Desha County, where the crime occurred.