Koula Neighbor Was Receiving Threats
Thursday, June 21st, 2012 -- 2:31 PM
-A neighbor to Dennis and Merna Koula, Steve Burgess, testified that he received four phone threats in the months before they were killed.The caller threatened that his "days are numbered" and that he would be "reduced to ashes" but Burgess did not report the phone calls until after the homicides.
He told La Crosse County Sheriff Steve Helgeson that it's possible he was the target of the Koulas' killer and that the last threat came the night before they were killed. Defense attorney Jim Koby tried very hard to imply that Burgess was the target of the Koula?s true killer.
However, Burgess later said that the phone call actually came May 22 or May 23, after the Koulas were already dead.
Another neighbor, Todd Borrison, said he swears he saw Merna Koula driving her vehicle home between 4:30 and 5:00 on the Friday she was said to be dead.
Jury deliberations are expected Monday.
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