Live blog for Trumbull's capital murder trial: Day two

Editor's note: This blog contains graphic content that may be disturbing to some readers related to child abuse, sexual abuse, animal abuse and murder.

Check back often for live updates and catch-up entries on this blog covering the murder trial for a drifter accused of killing an 11-year-old boy in Wichita Falls. The child's mother is also charged with his murder.

Wednesday, Aug. 23 — Corey Allen Trumbull's capital murder trial for the death of Logan Cline, 11, is expected to resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

This will be the second day of testimony for prosecutors' case against the drifter described in testimony as a cruel, sadistic man who thought of himself as the Alpha dog.

Trumbull and the boy's mother, Stormy Johnson, are accused of beating Logan to death Dec. 14, 2019, in a Wichita Falls hotel room and then hiding his body in a nearby abandoned car.

Johnson's trial is still pending, and prosecutors have presented Trumbull as the main abuser and torturer of the little boy.

A jury was selected Monday, and opening arguments and the first day of testimony was Tuesday. In addition, Trumbull pleaded not guilty to charges of capital murder of a child older than 10 but younger than 15 and tampering with evidence.

Logan's 18-year-old sister gave lengthy testimony to the jury Tuesday, often fighting tears and dabbing at her eyes with tissues as she described horrific acts Trumbull and sometimes her mother carried out on her little brother.

She testified that her brother was a healthy, happy boy, but he did not last a year after meeting his mother's new boyfriend, Trumbull.

Logan's sister testified about enduring weeks of being in a methamphetamine haze after a manipulative Trumbull pushed drugs on her, a haze she came out of after going to live with her grandmother.

Jurors viewed graphic photographs of Logan's body Tuesday.

They were taken for evidence after his body was found Feb. 27, 2020, in the backseat of a derelict vehicle about a half block from the Red Roof Inn. Logan, his sister, Johnson and Trumbull stayed in a cramped motel room with two queen beds in the hotel off Interstate Highway-44.

Logan's father, Nicholas Cline, wept softly when the photos of his son's body were displayed on a screen for jurors to see.

More: Live blog for Corey Allen Trumbull's murder trial for 11-year-old's death: Day one

Trumbull is also charged with felony murder, and Johnson is charged with felony murder and tampering with evidence because she helped move the body.

Thirtieth District Judge Jeff McKnight is presiding over the trial. It is taking place in the 78th District Courtroom because his courtroom sustained water damage.

Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie and Assistant DA Kyle Lessor are prosecutors for the case. On the other side are Wichita County assistant public defenders Will Hull and Gant Grimes.

Check back with www.timesrecordnews.com often for more on this developing story.

Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, covers education, courts, breaking news, investigative projects and more. Contact Trish with news tips at [email protected]. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Live blog for Trumbull's capital murder trial: Day two