DeJong gets life in prison for murder of husband

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

May 3, 2012

FAIRBURY -- Laura DeJong wiped tears from her eyes as District Judge Paul Korslund talked about her uncle, Thomas DeJong.

In Jefferson County District Court on Thursday morning, Laura, who sat with other members of Thomas DeJong's family, remembered the good times she had with Thomas. He was a jokester and a family man who was great with children.

Laura was robbed of her uncle in March 2011, when Thomas DeJong's wife, Susan DeJong, brutally beat him for several days until he died from his injuries.

Susan DeJong was convicted of first-degree murder and received a mandatory sentence of life in prison Thursday morning. She received an additional 50 years for use of a deadly weapon, which is the maximum sentence for that charge.

Susan DeJong was given a chance to speak before sentence was handed down. She wept and quietly said, "You're all wrong."

Laura DeJong thought justice was served Thursday, but thought Susan DeJong deserved a second life sentence for the life she took from Thomas DeJong before she murdered him.

"I can't even imagine the years that he had to live in such fear and pain," Laura DeJong said. "So I definitely think justice has been served, but she got away with stealing his life from him before she killed him."

Before handing down his sentence, Korslund talked about Thomas DeJong. He referred to him as a quiet man and a hard worker who was well thought of by his colleagues.

"He suffered horribly," Korslund said to Susan DeJong. "Thomas DeJong was basically a suffering servant. He did not deserve the brutal assault that was inflicted on him over a period of days. And Ms. DeJong, you did nothing -- until it was too late -- to obtain medical treatment for him."

Korslund said the dynamics of the relationship between Thomas and Susan DeJong were hard to understand, but what was clear was that Thomas provided for her and he suffered incredibly brutal treatment without justification.

"He paid for staying with you with his life," Korslund said.

Corey O'Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General's Office was the main prosecutor in the case against Susan DeJong. His argument was brief Thursday, but he said Susan DeJong deserved the maximum sentence on the weapon charge.

He told the court the family would never know exactly what happened to Thomas DeJong during those three days, but said it was obvious that weapons were used.

"We do believe that the use of weapons in this case is so substantial and so severe," O'Brien said, "and the result showed an indignity to human life that is incomprehensible. It is something that is deserving of a maximum sentence to be added to her life term."

Susan DeJong's attorney, James Mowbray, did not speak during sentencing.

The charges of which Susan DeJong has been convicted of stem from an incident on March 11, 2011, when Susan DeJong called 911 to ask that an ambulance be sent immediately to their residence 8 miles west of Fairbury.

DeJong told dispatch that Thomas was unresponsive and wasn't breathing. She described him as looking as if he had been through a "meat grinder."

An ambulance took Thomas DeJong to Jefferson Community Health Center and then to BryanLGH in Lincoln where he died from his injuries. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to his head, torso and limbs.

DeJong alleged that Thomas left the Monday prior to his death for a job interview in Seward and then drove to South Dakota to see a mistress. DeJong alleged that the mistress inflicted the injuries onto Thomas and that he drove home afterward.

Testimony, however, indicated that Thomas used his cell phone in the Fairbury area on the days Susan DeJong alleged he was in South Dakota. Doctors also testified that it would be impossible for Thomas to drive with the injuries he sustained.

Laura DeJong said her uncle changed when he met Susan DeJong. She likes to think back to the times prior to that, when he wasn't suffering and when he had a big smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"The only silver lining," Laura said, "if I can find one, is that he's now free."

Guilty as charged

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

February 27, 2012

FAIRBURY — Susan DeJong showed little emotion when a 12-person jury rendered its guilty verdict Monday afternoon in Jefferson County District Court.

After about five hours of deliberation, the jury found DeJong guilty of first degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

After the verdict was read —as Judge Paul Korslund began thanking the jury for its service—it began to sink in for DeJong. She broke down in tears and the only person to console her was her attorney, James Mowbray, who could only rub her back as she wept.

It was the conclusion of a week long trial that saw 23 witnesses called and more than 200 exhibits presented. When it was all said and done, the jury decided that Susan DeJong did indeed kill her husband and that she intended to do it.

Earlier Monday morning during his closing argument, Corey O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, held up a hammer for the entire jury to see.

It was the hammer  found in a red duffel bag inside Susan DeJong’s pickup truck the day after her husband’s death on March 11, 2011. The hammers contained spatters of blood on it belonging to both Susan DeJong and her husband, Thomas DeJong.

O’Brien called it the “smoking gun” in this case and said the only reasonable explanation as to why that hammer was concealed in that duffel bag along with a pair of bloody pajamas is to cover up a murder.

“You’ve heard the tragic story of a senseless and excruciatingly painful killing of a middle-aged man,” O’Brien told the jury Monday morning. “Committed by his especially cold-hearted and controlling wife. A wife who was consumed by a jealous and obsessive fantasy that  not only was her husband having an extramarital affair, but that he and his lover were actively conspiring to kill her.”

O’Brien slowly detailed all of the injuries found on Thomas DeJong’s body, both on the exterior and interior. Black eyes, broken nose and other cuts on his face. Cuts and abrasions on his torso, arms, legs and back. Internally, Thomas had swelling of the brain, massive bleeding in the chest and abdomen, eight rib fractures, a collapsed lung and several fractures to the vertebrae.

O’Brien reminded the jury that several experts testified that it was the worst beating they’ve ever seen.

Throughout the trial, O’Brien and Jefferson County Attorney Linda Bauer dissected Susan DeJong’s theory that Thomas DeJong had left Fairbury to see a mistress in South Dakota and returned with the injuries.

O’Brien told the jury that Thomas DeJong never left that house and those injuries were acquired over an excruciating two day period. He claimed that Susan DeJong waited until Thomas wasn’t breathing to call 911, because if she did, Thomas might tell people what she did.

O’Brien said there were too many inconsistencies and too many coincidences for this to not be a murder.

“We heard wild stories, many excuses and lots of blaming others,” O’Brien said.

To prove intent, O’Brien referred to an instant message conversation Susan DeJong had with her son in which she said “I’m looking at getting rid of Tom, I can’t take it anymore, I’m going insane.”

O’Brien said Susan DeJong had refused to divorce Thomas, so the only thing she could mean by “getting rid of Tom” is to kill him.

Mowbray conceded that the circumstances surrounding Thomas DeJong’s death is suspicious, but said the prosecution hadn’t presented enough facts to convict Susan DeJong. He conceded, however, that the evidence clearly showed that Thomas didn’t go to South Dakota.

“But we don’t know where he went,” Mowbray said. “The state speculates that he was at home, but the state has done nothing to prove that. Maybe he slept in his blazer for two days, or maybe he registered at a motel. (Investigators) were so convinced and focused to rush to judgment that this was first degree murder, that nobody looked into that.”

Mowbray often referred to testimony given by Dr. Robert Bux, the chief medical examiner for the El Paso County Coroner’s Office in Colorado Springs. Bux is a certified forensic pathologist, which requires additional training. He contested several opinions brought forth by doctors called by the state.

Mowbray referred to Bux’s testimony that there wasn’t enough blood found at the DeJong house to justify that Thomas’ beating took place there. He also reiterated Bux’s testimony that the marks found on Thomas’ body were not consistent with a hammer.

Mowbray said he can’t explain how Thomas got his injuries, but offered possible theories, such as getting robbed or getting into fight. But he said the theory that Susan DeJong beat him up is impossible.

“The state will have you believe that she literally beat him up this extensively and (Thomas) didn’t run or fight back,” Mowbray said. “He just took it. Using common sense and reason, there’s no way any human being is going to be subjected to that without fighting back or getting out of there.”

As for the hammers in the duffel bag, Mowbray said he believed that the hammers were previously in the bag and Susan DeJong threw her clothes on top of them before she left for Lincoln that night.

O’Brien was given a chance to counter and said the defense was trying to steer the jury away from the big picture. He said when you put it all together, however, the possibility of it all being a coincidence is impossible.

“They want you to focus on single pieces of evidence and say this isn’t possible,” O’Brien said. “Don’t fall into the trap that they’re asking you to fall into. (Susan DeJong) tried to kill (Thomas) and she needs to be held accountable.”

Jurors as well as attorneys declined to comment Monday afternoon after the verdict was read.

The charges in which Susan DeJong has been convicted of stem from an incident on March 11, 2011 in which Susan DeJong called 911 to ask that an ambulance be sent immediately to their residence eight miles west of Fairbury.

DeJong told dispatch that her husband, Thomas, was unresponsive and wasn’t breathing. She described him as looking like he had been through a “meat grinder.”

An ambulance transported Thomas DeJong to Jefferson Community Health Center and then to BryanLGH in Lincoln where he died from his injuries. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to his head, torso and limbs.

DeJong alleged that Thomas left the Monday prior to his death for a job interview in Seward and then proceeded to drive to South Dakota to see a mistress. DeJong alleges that the mistress inflicted the injuries onto Thomas and that he drove home afterward.

Testimony indicated, however, that Thomas used his cell phone in the Fairbury area on the days Susan DeJong alleges he was in South Dakota. Doctors also testified that it would be impossible for Thomas to drive with the injuries he sustained.

Sentencing for Susan DeJong has been set for May 3 at 11 a.m.

DeJong murder trial continues

All evidence has been presented in the Susan DeJong murder trial taking place in Jefferson County District Court and closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning.

After three days of witness testimony, the prosecution rested its case at about 10 a.m. Friday. The defense presented three witnesses and rested its case at about 3:12 p.m. that same day.

DeJong is accused of beating her husband to death last March. She is charged with first degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

The charges stem from an incident on March 11, 2011 in which Susan DeJong called 911 to ask that an ambulance be sent immediately to their residence eight miles west of Fairbury.

DeJong told dispatch that her husband, Thomas, was unresponsive and wasn’t breathing. She described him as looking like he had been through a “meat grinder.”

An ambulance transported Thomas DeJong to Jefferson Community Health Center and then to BryanLGH in Lincoln where he died from his injuries. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to his head, torso and limbs.

DeJong alleged that Thomas left the Monday prior to his death for a job interview in Seward and then proceeded to drive to South Dakota to see a mistress. DeJong alleges that the mistress inflicted the injuries onto Thomas and that he drove home afterward.

Testimony has indicated, however, that Thomas used his cell phone in the Fairbury area on the days Susan DeJong alleges he was in South Dakota. Doctors have also testified that it would be impossible for Thomas to drive with the injuries he sustained.

The defense called Dr. Robert Bux to the stand Friday. Bux is the chief medical examiner for the El Paso County Coroner’s Office in Colorado Springs, Colo. He’s board certified in anatomical, clinical and forensic pathology.

Many of the opinions offered by Bux on Friday differed from testimony given by Douglas County anatomical pathologist Dr. Jean Thomsen Thursday. He said a forensic pathologist, which requires more years of training, is needed in cases like this.

Bux disputed Thomsen’s claims that marks on the back of Thomas DeJong’s body could have been caused by the claw of a hammer.

“I don’t think those marks could have been made by a standard claw hammer,” Bux said. “I’ve done cases in which people have been murdered by hammers and this just doesn’t look like it was done by a hammer.”

Bux disputed that Thomas DeJong suffered blunt force trauma to the head. He said the bruises and cuts to Thomas’ face and head weren’t significant enough to cause trauma. He said swelling of the brain was caused by Thomas going into cardiac arrest and then being resuscitated. He said if the heart stops and the brain goes without oxygen for several minutes, irreversible brain damage will take place, including swelling.

Bux also said the injuries to Thomas’ face would cause significant bleeding, meaning there should have been more blood found in the house.

“I didn’t see a sufficient amount of blood to indicate the assault took place in the house,” Bux said. “It would have had to take place somewhere else.”

Bux said based on the injuries, the assault would have had to take place 24 to 48 hours prior to Thomas going into cardiac arrest. Bux said he’s done more than 6,000 autopsies in his career and has never seen a case in which a person had so many soft contusions.

“This guy was really beaten,” he said.

Bux disagreed with previous doctor’s testimony that Thomas wouldn’t have been able to drive with the injuries he sustained.

“He certainly could have been moving around before he went into cardiac arrest,” Bux said.

Bux also offered testimony that there was trace of alcohol found in Thomas DeJong’s body and it was his opinion that 12 hours prior at about 7:30 a.m. on March 11, his blood alcohol level would have been .15.

Bux didn’t dispute that Thomas’ death was a homicide, but questioned whether there was intent to kill.

“That’s what’s bizarre,” Bux said. “When people try to kill somebody, they’re going for an area that will be lethal like the head or neck. These injuries are mainly soft tissue and muscle injuries to the lower extremities, back and abdominal area.”

Through cross examination, Corey O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, established that Bux has come to Nebraska numerous times to testify and criticize Nebraska for not having state law required board certified forensic pathologists.

O’Brien also indicated that a board certified forensic pathologist assisted Thomsen in performing a second autopsy of Thomas’ body. Bux said he wasn’t aware of that.

The court also heard testimony from Susan DeJong’s oldest son Alex Smart, who became quite close to Thomas despite the fact that he wasn’t his biological father.

“I considered him my dad and we were pretty close,” Smart said as he fought back tears.

Smart said his mother loved Thomas and despite the occasional verbal argument, he never observed a physical altercations between them. He said Susan  did make him aware, however, of her suspicions that Thomas was not being faithful to her.

“She was heartbroken,” Smart said. “She couldn’t believe the man she dearly loved would do that to her. She couldn’t believe it.”

Despite the suspicions, Smart said he was impressed with how Susan and Thomas were getting along during the time they lived in Fairbury.

The trial is scheduled to resume Monday at 9 a.m. with closing arguments.

Jury hears details about Thomas DeJong’s injuries

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

February 23, 2012

FAIRBURY — Jurors in the Susan DeJong murder trial spent Thursday afternoon viewing detailed photos of Thomas DeJong’s injuries.

Douglas County pathologist Dr. Jean Thomsen conducted the autopsy on Thomas on March 12, 2011. She described in detail the numerous injuries found on Thomas’ body including injuries to his head, neck, arms, legs, hands, back and torso.

Towards the end of her testimony, when Corey O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office asked her opinion on the manner of Thomas’ death, Thomsen simply stated:

“This was a homicide.”

Susan DeJong is on trial for allegedly beating her husband to death on March 11, 2011. She’s charged with first degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

The charges stem from an incident on March 11, 2011, when Susan DeJong called 911 to request an ambulance be sent to their home about eight miles west of Fairbury. Her husband, Thomas DeJong, had become unresponsive and wasn’t breathing. She described his body as looking like it went through a “meat grinder.”

Thomas was transported to Jefferson Community Medical Center and then to BryanLGH in Lincoln where he eventually died from his injuries.

Despite blaming her husband’s injuries on an alleged mistress who lived in South Dakota, Susan DeJong became the main suspect in her husband’s death.

During her testimony, Thomsen said she’s never seen injuries as extensive as what Thomas had. She determined his death to be caused by blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.

O'Brien directed Thomsen’s attention to specific injuries on Thomas' back and asked if they could have been caused by the claw of a hammer. Through testimony on Tuesday, it was determined that two hammers were found in a bag in Susan DeJong’s car. One of those hammers had spatters of blood on it.

"It could have been a hammer used on (Thomas’) back,” Thomsen said. “Mostly because of the shape of the abrasions on the back. They are c-shape or semi-circular and kind of rounded like a hammer.”

Doctor Juris Purins, a radiologist at Lincoln Radiology, testified Thursday afternoon about fractured bones detected through Thomas’ CT scans.

He described rare injuries found on Thomas’ body, including seven to 10 fractures in his nose and a dislocation of the lens in his right eye. Purins said that particular injury would only allow Thomas to see light or dark through that eye.

Purins said Thomas had a tremendous amount of fractures in his chest cavity, spine and scapula.

“You usually don’t see many fractures in the scapula because it’s so well protected,” Purins said. “There were quite a few rib fractures too, and it takes a lot to break some of those little bones.”

Purins said Thomas also had a collapsed lung and a fractured hyoid bone, which is a horseshoe shaped bone situated in the neck. Purins said it’s rare for this bone to be fractured unless some type of strangulation takes place. He said there’s only 21 documented cases in which the hyoid bone has been fractured without strangulation.

In an attempt to further debunk Susan DeJong’s theory that Thomas was beat up by his alleged mistress in South Dakota and drove home afterward, O’Brien asked if Thomas would be able to drive with these injuries. Purins said it would be impossible.

“The ability to walk and talk is severely compromised in patients with this kind of trauma,” Purins said. “When you see patients with injuries like this, they’re down on the ground in the fetal position and they’re not moving around a lot.”

Through cross examination, Todd Lancaster of the Nebraska Commission of Public Advocacy, asked Purins if some of the fractures could have been caused by kicking. Purins said some, but not all.

Purins said the blunt force trauma found throughout Thomas’ body could have been caused by a hammer, but admitted it could have been made by a numerous other instruments as well, such as a baseball bat or a club.

During the morning session, the jury heard testimony from Susan DeJong’s biological son James Platt and his wife Sharon Platt. While living in South Dakota, Thomas and Susan DeJong drove to York. in August of 2010 to visit the Platts. James Platt said when they arrived, Thomas was swollen and bruised with dry blood around his nose and ears.

Thomas and Susan DeJong stayed in York for several weeks until Thomas found a job near Fairbury working at a farm for Brian Bauer. James said when Thomas and Susan left for Fairbury, most of Thomas’ wounds had healed up.

James Platt said he drove to Fairbury to visit Thomas and Susan DeJong a couple times, and one of those times he noticed Thomas had a cut lip.

“I remember mentioning to my wife that Tom looks really bad today,” James Platt said.

Sharon Platt said she asked Susan DeJong about how Thomas got the cut lip, to which she replied, “the pigs got him.”

James Platt said his mother made  him aware several times of her suspicions that Thomas was being unfaithful to her. James Platt remembers telling his mother on numerous occasions that if the situation was as bad as she said, she should leave him.

“I just always let her know that she had a place to go,” James Platt said. “If things are really that bad, stop making yourself suffer and get a divorce.”

James Platt said he never observed Thomas to be violent or angry and never observed him to be uncoordinated or a klutz.  

Prosecuting attorneys say they have one more witness to call Friday morning before they rest their case. Susan DeJong’s trial is scheduled to resume at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

Other items from Thursday’s proceedings.

- A law enforcement officer from Jackson, Minn. testified about a fight he responded to at a truck stop in Jackson on May 31, 2010. He made contact with Thomas and Susan DeJong, who were in a semi, and observed Thomas to have a black eye with a fresh cut inside that black eye. He also had blood coming out of his left ear. The officer said Susan DeJong indicated they were old wounds, but did say she had been arguing with her husband because of his alleged affair.

- Cell phone records were offered to the jury that indicated Thomas DeJong made several phone calls in the Fairbury/Hebron area in the days leading up to his death. These were the days that Susan DeJong alleged Thomas had disappeared to go see his mistress in South Dakota.

- Through cross examination, it was determined that the swelling in Thomas DeJong’s brain could have been caused by the fact that he quit breathing, but was brought back to life through CPR. This re-booting of the system can cause brain swelling.

Prosecutors attempt to dissect DeJong's accounts

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

February 22, 2012

FAIRBURY — Susan DeJong stared straight forward, showing no emotion as Gloria Gehrig took the stand Wednesday afternoon.

Gehrig,  the woman from Sioux Falls, S.D, is the alleged mistress of Thomas DeJong. She’s the one whom DeJong has repeatedly referred to as “the whore,” and the one whom  DeJong blamed for her husband’s death on March 11, 2011.

But as she took the stand Wednesday, Gehrig calmly and confidently denied all the allegations.

She said she worked with Thomas at a trucking company in Sioux Falls, but the two never had an affair or had any sexual relations whatsoever. She said she’s never caused or inflicted any injuries to Thomas and had no reason to ever do so.

“I talked to him on the phone occasionally for business reasons,” Gehrig said. “But I never saw him socially. I had lunch with him a couple times in the six years I worked with him, but that was just because his truck was being worked on.”

Gehrig was one of several witnesses called to the stand Wednesday afternoon as prosecutors attempted to dissect DeJong’s version of the events leading up to Thomas’ death on March 11, 2011.

Susan DeJong is on trial for first degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

In the immediate aftermath of Thomas’s death, Susan DeJong told detectives that on March 7, 2011 Thomas had left their home eight miles west of Fairbury for a job interview in Seward. She then alleged that he proceeded to travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. to meet up with Gehrig and didn’t return home to Jefferson County until March 11, 2011.

Susan DeJong told authorities that Thomas arrived home the morning of the 11th with cuts, bruises and lacerations all over his body. She described his as looking like he had been through a “meat grinder.” He eventually became unresponsive, had no pulse and wasn’t breathing.

Susan DeJong called 911 and an ambulance transported Thomas to Jefferson County Health Center. From there he was transferred to Bryan LGH in Lincoln where he eventually died from his injuries.

Susan DeJong alleged throughout the investigation that Gehrig inflicted the injuries to Thomas.

Gehrig testified, however, that she hadn’t spoken to Thomas since he quit his trucking job in August of 2010 and that she wasn’t even in South Dakota the week leading up to Thomas’ death. She said she went on a trip to Minnesota with acquaintances.

Gehrig said, that while Susan and Thomas lived in South Dakota, Susan had called her several times, accusing her of having an affair with Thomas, but she continually denied it.

“She called to ask why I was seeing her husband and I told her I was not,” Gehrig said. “She just kept trying to get me to admit to it, but I just told her no, I wasn’t admitting to it. But she was never convinced. She called periodically after that.”

Brian Bauer also testified against DeJong’s account.

Bauer is a Jefferson County farmer whom Thomas had been working for for several months. Thomas would help out with chores around the farm.

Bauer said that on March 7—the day Susan DeJong alleges Thomas took off for South Dakota—Thomas worked a half-day because he wanted to take a trip to Lincoln that afternoon. Bauer said Thomas returned to work on March 8 and worked a full day. Bauer noticed something different about Thomas, however.

“He just seemed like he was sore,” Bauer said. “He was having trouble getting around.”

Bauer said Thomas called the morning of March 9, saying he was “feeling under the weather” and took the day off. He also called on March 10 saying he still wasn’t feeling well, but thought he could possibly work that afternoon. He never did.

Bauer said he drove by the DeJong residence, a house provided to them by Bauer’s family, on March 10 and that both of DeJong’s vehicles were on the property, including the blue Blazer that Susan DeJong alleged Thomas took to South Dakota.

Bauer testified that Thomas would occasionally show up for work with marks on his forearms and hands. He also observed occasional bruising, black eyes, a chipped tooth and a severely split lip. He said Thomas didn’t receive those injuries at work

Dr. Stan Okasun, a trauma surgeon at BryanLGH in Lincoln, was the doctor who treated Thomas on March 11. He said the amount of swelling and bruising Thomas had when he was brought in was “very concerning.

“That was my first sign that something wasn’t right here,” Okasun said.

He said Thomas had a low blood count, which he contributed to the swelling and bruising all over his body. Okasun was more concerned, however, that Thomas had a potassium level of eight, which is more than twice the level of a normal person. He said a potassium level that high can stop the heart, which is why Thomas was immediately put on dialysis.

A CAT scan was done to Thomas, which Okasun said revealed that Thomas’ brain was severely swollen due to what he believed to be blunt force trauma.

Cory O’Brien of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, who’s assisting with prosecution, asked Okasun if being struck with a hammer would be considered blunt force. Okasun said “yes.”

Okasun said the swelling and bruising on Thomas’ body indicated he received most of the injuries at least 12 to 24 hours prior to him arriving at the hospital. It was also his opinion that there was no way Thomas could have driven a vehicle in the 48 hours prior because of the severity of his injuries.

Okasun testified that at one point, he talked to Susan DeJong to inquire about the source of all his bruising. She replied that the pigs on the farm did it to him, a theory that Okasun immediately dismissed.

“If he got (those injuries) from working at a pig farm, it’s time to run away from that pig farm,” Okasun said, “because that pig must be really mad at you.”

During cross examination, however, James Mowbray of the Nebraska Commission of Public Advocacy, presented a medical article that stated CAT scans are good for immediate emergency detection of trauma, but they aren’t reliable for courtroom testimony.

Mowbray also said that a pathologist will later testify that there was no swelling of the brain found during the autopsy.

Susan DeJong’s trial will resume Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Judge Paul Korslund said attorneys think they’ll be done with evidence on Friday and will have closing arguments on Monday.

Other items from Wednesday’s testimony

n Pictures were shown of Susan DeJong’s hands that were taken the day after Thomas’ death. She had several bruises and blisters on both hands.

n Thomas DeJong was on life-support the night he died. Susan DeJong gave doctors permission to take him off life support after they determined he wasn’t going to survive.

n A video of the Lincoln Police Department’s interrogation of Susan DeJong the night of Thomas’ death was shown to the jury Wednesday morning. It lasted about one hour and 45 minutes and DeJong showed a wide range of emotions. At times she wept and at times was calm.

n Oran Hoffman, who was Thomas’ employer in South Dakota, said Thomas was a quiet and shy man. He wasn’t accident prone or clumsy. He also indicated Thomas had a small speech impediment in which he occasionally stuttered.

Murder trial begins in Fairbury

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

February 21, 2012

Jurors listened intently, some with their eyes closed, as Susan DeJong’s March 11, 2011 call to dispatch was played in court Tuesday morning.

A hysterical Susan DeJong told dispatch she needed an ambulance immediately because her husband, Thomas DeJong, had “snuck off to be with his whore and came back all beat up.”

Susan DeJong told dispatch that Thomas wasn’t breathing, had no pulse and was cold to the touch. At the guidance of dispatch, she began performing CPR on Thomas. She counted aloud 30 chest compressions several times as she waited for the ambulance to arrive.

At one point, Susan DeJong told dispatch that Thomas “looked like he went through a meat grinder.”

Susan DeJong, who was allowed to wear civilian clothing for her trial, showed little emotion as the recording was played, other than occasionally closing her eyes as her voice became more hysterical.

Thomas would eventually die from his injuries, and through an investigation, it became apparent that his injuries may have been caused by Susan DeJong herself. Because of that, she’s charged with first degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

During her opening statements, Jefferson County Attorney Linda Bauer told the jury that “this is a story about a woman who became obsessed with suspicions that her husband was having a long-term extramarital affair.”

She said it’s not the first time Thomas DeJong has been seen with such injuries. Bauer said Susan DeJong always had an excuse, however, blaming the injuries on other accidents such as Thomas falling off a ladder or being robbed at a truck stop in Indiana.

Susan DeJong’s attorney, James Mowbray of the Nebraska Commission of Public Advocacy,  cautioned the jury however, telling them to have an open mind.

“You’re going to have more questions than answers,” Mowbray said. “And that leads to reasonable doubt.”

Witnesses who were first called to the stand on Tuesday were medical providers who first tended to Thomas. EMT Cynthe Crawford said upon arrival, Thomas had no pulse, wasn’t breathing and was unresponsive.

She, along with other first responders and hospital personnel, described Thomas as having lacerations, cuts and bruising from head to toe. Pictures of the bruises on Thomas’ face and body were occasionally shown to the jury. An investigator later testified that Thomas’ injuries were so severe, that law enforcement originally suspected he had been hit by a vehicle.

When EMT’s transported Thomas to Jefferson County Health Center in Fairbury, his heart began to pump again, which came as a shock because of the length of time he had been unresponsive and without a pulse.

“He had been dead for a while,” Crawford said.

Despite his heart pumping, Thomas’ outlook for survival was bleak. He was eventually transported to Bryan LGH in Lincoln where he would die from his injuries.   

Throughout the evening of March 11, 2011, Susan DeJong maintained her story that she hadn’t seen Thomas since March 9 and that he arrived at the couple’s home on March 11 with the injuries.

Several first responders indicated that DeJong blamed a woman in South Dakota, which is where the couple lived before moving to Jefferson County. Susan DeJong alleged that Thomas was having a long-term affair with the woman from South Dakota. Jefferson County Health Center LPN Rebecca McClure testified that Susan DeJong blamed “the whore” and alleged that the woman in South Dakota had given her husband a sexually transmitted disease and they were plotting to give it to her to kill her.

During the afternoon session of the trial, several investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol testified. Inv. Jeff Ward said that a search warrant was obtained for the DeJong’s  household the day after Thomas’ death. Inside the house, investigators found blood spatters in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom and basement. No pools of blood were found, but Ward estimated there to be at least 70 blood spatters located throughout the house.

Blood spots were found on items such as a tablecloth, a sword inside a sheath, bedding, several walls, the refrigerator, a door jam and a lamp shade. Also found in the bathroom was a towel and two washcloths with an excessive amount of blood.

In the basement, a pile of clothes was found with several items of clothing having blood spatter on it.

Through cross examination, Mowbry said it  was impossible to determine how long the blood spatters had been on the various items. 

Attention was also drawn to a white Dodge Pickup truck that Susan DeJong had driven to Lincoln the night of March 11 to be with her husband at the hospital. A spatter of blood was found on the hood of the truck.

Also found inside the truck was a red duffle bag with several items in it including clothes, Thomas’ wallet, toiletries and two hammers. One of the hammers, as well as a pair of pajamas, had spatters of dry blood on them. 

DeJong’s trial is scheduled to resume on Wednesday beginning at 8:30 a.m. It is scheduled to last all week. District Judge Paul Korslund is presiding over the case.

DeJong pleads not guilty

By Luke Nichols - Beatrice Daily Sun

April 8, 2011

FAIRBURY — Susan DeJong pleaded not guilty in Jefferson County District Court Thursday afternoon.

DeJong, 54, charged with first degree murder of her husband, made her first appearance in district court Thursday.

Judge Paul Korslund presided over the hearing and advised DeJong of her rights. He also advised her of the charge against her, which carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment without parole. 

Korslund accepted DeJong’s not guilty plea and set a week long jury trial beginning Aug. 29. A pre trial conference is scheduled for July 21 in which DeJong is ordered to appear.

DeJong was arrested the morning of March 12 on charges of first degree murder. Her husband, Thomas DeJong, 52, was pronounced dead shortly before midnight March 11 at Bryan LGH Hospital in Lincoln.

An autopsy ruled the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to his head, torso and limbs.

According to a probable cause affidavit released March 14,  Jefferson County dispatch received a call on March 11 at about 4:02 p.m. from Susan DeJong at 55930 Highway 136, about nine miles west of Fairbury.

Susan DeJong reported that there was a 52-year old male in her house, later identified as her husband Thomas DeJong, who wasn’t breathing, was cold to the touch and she didn’t know if he had a pulse.

Rescue units transported Thomas DeJong to Jefferson Community Health Center. He was then transferred to Lincoln. Susan DeJong drove herself to Lincoln.

The emergency room doctor performed a CT scan of Thomas DeJong’s skull and later described the injuries as blunt trauma to the brain. It was the doctor’s opinion that the injuries were non-survivable.

Doctors stated there was bruising at the back of the head, as well as a broken nose and contusions to the ocular area.

Detectives interviewed Susan DeJong at the Lincoln Police Department. At first, she told detectives that Thomas DeJong did not hurt her, but later stated that he and another woman he may have been involved with has tried to kill her over the past six years.

Susan DeJong told detectives that Thomas DeJong tried to kill her two years ago, saying “he tried to kill me and I caught him doing it.”

Susan DeJong was transported to Fairbury where she was lodged at the Jefferson County jail for the alleged murder of her husband.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and no scene is ever the same,” Jefferson County Sheriff Nels Sorensen said the week of the alleged murder. “This started off as a medical call and then it turned into this. But we’ve had real good cooperation with the state patrol and Lincoln Police Department, so I think we have things well in hand and we have a good case.”

A search warrant for the DeJong residence revealed blood splatter and castoff of blood in numerous rooms.

Sorensen said earlier this week that DeJong is no longer being lodged in Jefferson County, but rather the women’s prison in York.

Fairbury woman arrested after allegedly killing husband Friday

By Cory Matheson - Lincoln Journal Star

March 14, 2011

Investigators believe a rural Jefferson County woman violently beat her husband at their home Friday afternoon, hours before he died at a Lincoln hospital.

Susan Marie DeJong, 54, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of the first-degree murder of Thomas DeJong, 52, according to Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins.

Just before 4 p.m. Friday, Susan DeJong called 911 and reported that her husband was not breathing and was cold to the touch at their rental house, 55930 Highway 136, about nine miles west of Fairbury.

Rescue workers found DeJong badly beaten. He was taken to Fairbury Community Health Center and then to BryanLGH Medical Center West by ambulance. He died in Lincoln late Friday evening.

According to a probable cause affidavit for Susan DeJong's arrest, Thomas DeJong sustained injuries to nearly all of his body and "would have had great pain and suffering from the wounds."

A Lincoln doctor who examined Thomas DeJong reported numerous small incisions as well as bruising over most of his body and face. He suffered blunt force trauma to his brain, and bruising near his knees was similar to "injuries received by pedestrians being struck by an automobile," according to the affidavit.

The beating appeared to have taken place throughout the main floor of the house, as blood was found in most of the rooms, the affidavit states. Seized during a search of the house was a weapon described as either a sword or bayonet, according to the affidavit. Blood and hair were found on the weapon's metal sheath.

Lincoln police investigators spoke with Susan DeJong after she drove to the Lincoln hospital Friday. According to the affidavit, she told them at one point that another woman caused some of Thomas DeJong's injuries. When asked by a detective what had happened with a coffee cup earlier in the day, Susan DeJong replied that "his head cracked it," according to the affidavit.

Following the interview and a search of the couple's rental home, investigators believed Susan DeJong was solely responsible for Thomas DeJong's death.

After being jailed Saturday in Lincoln, she was transported to jail in Jefferson County.

Collins said the couple recently moved to rural Fairbury from South Dakota. Results of Thomas DeJong's autopsy are pending, she said.

Jefferson County Attorney Linda Bauer said she likely would file charges later this week.