Video: Stewart shops in VA, Ohio

CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - Prosecutors on Thursday showed surveillance video allegedly of Doug Stewart buying cell phones, TracFones, a shovel and a tarp at Walmart stores in Virginia and Ohio as Stewart's murder trial continued in St. Joseph County.

When Ricky Spencer, the prosecution's main witness testified against Doug Stewart, he said Doug gave him Stewart's credit card and a pre-paid cell phone so they could communicate during the plot to kill Doug's wife, Venus, in April 2010.

In testimony Thursday, an employee from a Walmart in Virginia showed surveillance video of a man who looks like Doug Stewart shopping for and buying pre-paid cell phones and calling cards on the day before Doug's first alleged attempt to kill Venus.

Spencer testified Doug was going to kill Venus the week before she disappeared, but called off the plan when he was pulled over in Ohio by a state trooper.

George Desrosiers spent hours on the stand explaining Walmart surveillance video from April 14, 2010 and Walmart receipts that were entered into evidence against Doug. However, he added it would be hard to definitively identify Doug Stewart from the surveillance tape.

Newport News, Virginia Det. Wesley Todd Filer was the first witness Thursday morning. He did the search warrant at Doug Stewart's Virginia house days after Venus disappeared. He said Doug's financial records led him to a Walmart store in Hampton, Va.

Filer said he got TracFone records based on what he found out at that store, and said he then turned them over to Michigan State Police.

Prosecutor John McDonough is attempting to connect the dots in the case against Doug Stewart.

The body of Venus, 32, has never been found.

In the afternoon, Aaron Sterchak, a former Walmart employee in Ohio, took the stand and pointed out a number of things seen in surveillance videos from April 25, 2010 - the day before Venus disappeared.

Prosecutors believe that man is Doug Stewart.

Sterchak identified the man on the surveillance video. He pointed out a silver truck in the store's parking lot, and later showed a video of a man carrying a shovel and tarp through the store. Sterchak also confirmed receipts from that man showed he bought a shovel, tarp, cap and gloves.

The date on the actual receipt was damaged, and defense attorneys objected. Sterchak later testified he was able to match up the receipt with information from the store's "electronic journal" to confirm the items bought were purchased on April 25, 2010.

Though this was a cash transaction, authorities connected it to Doug after they found it inside his truck. Stutesman allowed the receipt into evidence.

Sterchak identified a tarp wrapper - found by Venus' father, Larry McComb at his home the day Venus disappeared - as being sold in Walmart stores. But, he added, there is no way to be 100% sure that tarp was sold at the Ohio store.

Under cross-examination, Sterchak said the blue tarp Stewart allegedly bought is a popular item, and that it is "likely" the same tarp could have been purchased in Three Rivers and could "likely be purchased" at any store in the United States. He also admitted he might have made a mistake in identifying the wrong truck in the surveillance video.

Other Walmart employees - Adam Crawford, Donna Stiffler and Rebecca Hill - testified about their encounter with a man they identified as Doug Stewart as he bought items at the store.

Stutesman adjourned court for the day around 4:15 p.m. Court will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

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