Defense says police didn't pursue sightings of missing woman Stidd is accused of killing

The second-degree murder trial of James Stidd, the man accused of killing an Olympia woman whose body was never found, got under way in dramatic fashion Wednesday with bold opening statements from both the prosecution and defense.

The prosecution outlined the number of times "presumptive" blood investigators discovered matched the DNA profile of Gail Doyle, the missing woman, and Stidd.

Then the defense countered that Doyle, reported to have been last seen on June 2, 2016, was in fact seen after that date. And once media reported about the missing woman, people called in to report seeing Doyle.

"Were those leads followed up on?" defense attorney Larry Jefferson asked the jury. "That's a huge question."

Jefferson called the investigation "faulty" and said investigators were quick to circle Stidd as their prime suspect.

But the first day of the trial began with deputy prosecuting attorney Shawn Horlacher leading the jury through what they could expect in the trial, estimated to last several weeks.

He constructed a sympathetic portrait of Doyle, 60, a petite woman who loved Thurston County and her family, someone who never missed a family event, or spending time with her grandchildren, he said. She also was unable to work following neck surgery in 2009, so she lived on disability payments of $775 a month.

Horlacher also laid out a chronology of events for the jury, including how Stidd, a former friend, reappeared in her life in May 2016, and how they were last seen at the Boulevard Tavern in Olympia on June 2, 2016. Stidd claimed to have dropped her off in front of Aztec Lanes on Martin Way that same night, but a check of surveillance cameras in the area showed that no one got out of his car at that address, Horlacher said.

He also touched on inconsistent statements about Stidd's travel plans and his erratic behavior, such as getting drunk at a barbecue and having his head shaved days after Doyle's disappearance.

What Horlacher called "presumptive" blood, which matched either the DNA profile of Doyle or Stidd, also was found at Stidd's home: on a carpet in a bedroom; on a garage floor, wall and door; on part of a truck and on the handle of a circular saw. Blood and a blond hair also was found on the head of a hammer.

"She didn't get to say goodbye to anyone," Horlacher said about Doyle. "She earns $775 a month -- none of which has been touched -- and she's missed every holiday with her family. She hasn't seen anyone on the face of the earth."

Jefferson countered that the case is about one question: What happened to Gail Doyle?

"No matter how long we take on this trial, we're not going to have that answer," he said.

Jefferson told the jury they were going to hear a lot about Stidd, but he wanted them to hear this: Stidd loves to work with his hands, including on woodworking projects. The jury also was going to hear about how Stidd suspiciously cleaned his garage with a pressure washer, yet paint had recently been spilled in that garage, Jefferson said.

He also said they would hear testimony about an unplanned trip.

"He's retired," said Jefferson about Stidd. "He can't go where he wants to go?"

And during the investigation, Stidd talked to investigators, Jefferson said. "Essentially at every point he cooperated with law enforcement," Jefferson said.

The testimony in the case, he told the jury, just doesn't make sense.

"We don't know what happened to Gail Doyle, but he (Stidd) is not the person to be blamed for it," he said.

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Defense says police didn't pursue sightings of missing woman Stidd is accused of killing."