WILBER, Neb. (AP) - A three-judge panel has begun the process of determining whether a man with previous convictions for crimes in Kansas will get the death penalty or life in prison for the 2017 killing and dismembering of a Nebraska woman.
Last week, prosecutors argued before the panel that Aubrey Trail, 54, showed "exceptional depravity" in the death of 24-year-old Lincoln store clerk Sydney Loofe, who disappeared after arranging a Tinder date with him. Weeks after her disappearance, Loofe's body parts were found in 14 pieces in ditches along a state highway.
Also convicted in the case is Trail's girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, whom prosecutors say acted in tandem with Trail to kill and dismember Loofe. She also faces the death penalty when she's sentenced later this year.
A defense attorney for Trail said her killing was not planned and presented the panel with exhibits intended to show Trial had been a troubled kid who endured a rough family life and abuse, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
"These were no masterminds. These were panicked people who just killed someone without a plan," defense attorney Ben Murray said.
Trail was granted permission to skip Thursday's hearing but is expected to be there when the judges announce their decision at a later date. It could be several weeks before the panel decides Trail's fate.