VA police: Stewart's truck 'a mess'

CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - Doug Stewart's truck was "a mess" when it was found by Sgt. Sean Cox of the Newport News Police Department, he testified Wednesday in Stewart's murder trial.

Sgt. Richard Gaddis of the Newport News PD, where Doug lived in an apartment, got a search warrant for his truck and ordered a search with cadaver dogs around the apartment complex when he realized there might be a body involved in the search.

Stewart's truck was impounded at the request of Michigan investigators, and kept under lock and key until they arrived, Gaddis testified.

Doug is on trial for allegedly murdering his wife, Venus, in April 2010. Her body has never been found.

These police officers followed a morning of testimony about Doug's phone and bank records in various locations.

As soon as a representative from Cox Communications took the stand, the defense objected. Attorneys Jeffrey Schroder and Kymberly Schroder wanted the phone records not to be allowed into evidence. They claim they did not get them in advance and introducing them in court is an "unfair surprise."

That brought Michael Scott, the lead investigator in the case, to the stand. The Michigan State Police detective swore he gave the defense attorneys the phone records ahead of time.

A string of phone representatives then followed: Wally Knight from AT&T; Winston Chambers from Tracfone; Dominick Kaserkie of T-Mobile; and Eric Tyrell from Sprint/Nextel.

The T-Mobile cell phone records with a Delaware area code are presented. Ricky Spencer, the main prosecution witness, is from Baer, Delaware.

Cell phone records from Virginia and Chicago area codes were entered into evidence, and presented to the court were other records from Virginia, West Michigan and Chicago.

Prosecutor John McDonough then brought Lauren Newell to the stand. She works for Langley Federal Credit Union in Newport News, Virginia, and testified about Doug's bank records.

She said there was a debit made at a Wendy's restauratn on April 15, corresponding to what Rick Spencer testifed earlier. The prosecution also entered a picture of Doug taking money out of a Virginia ATM.

Judge Stutesman adjourned court for the day at noon. The trial will continue Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m.

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The main witness, Ricky Spencer, on Tuesday wrapped up two days of testimony in which he admitted being Doug's accomplice in the murder of Venus Stewart, Doug's 32-year-old wife and the mother of their two children.

Late in the day Tuesday, co-workers and employees at the apartment complex where Doug lived in Virginia testified.

Katherine Gill worked at the aparment and described Venus as "a doting mother." Another employee, Lisa Ann Hall, said "Venus was a very dedicated mother. There was never a time I saw her without her daughters."

A series of Doug's co-workers then testified -- Kenneth Snell, Bobby Kendrick and Doug's boss, Tony Staton.

Kendrick testified the day before Venus disappeared Doug called in sick. Kendrick thought it was odd that the caller sounded " agitated & hurried."

Staton testified Doug called in sick on April 16 and again on April 26, 2010. He said Doug told him he went to visit his lawyer and had an eye doctor appointment.

Court is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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24 Hour News 8 will continue to provide up-to-the-minute coverage from r eporter Dani Carlson on CoverItLive and on a live stream on woodtv.com