Murderers testify at Tim Dawson trial

By Emily Zangaro

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOOD) - Convicted murderers Jeffrey VanVels and Marvin Snyder each took the stand for the prosecution in the Tim Dawson murder trial Wednesday.

VanVels, who killed Grand Rapids police officer Bob Kozminski, was a cellmate with Dawson at the Kent County Jail. He testified he never heard Tim Dawson say he killed his wife or dumped her body.

VanVels said he spent time in the cell with the other two. He confirmed Snyder and Dawson seemed to be friends. "They were good friends," he said. When asked what made him say that, VanVels replied, "Oh, just the way Tim called him Bobby."

"Did you ever hear Tim Dawson admit to killing his wife?" prosecutor Bill Rollstin asked.

"No," VanVels answered

Defense attorney Chuck Rominger asked VanVels about the newspaper he received in jail, a newspaper that would have been available for other cellmates to read.

VanVels followed Snyder on the stand.  Snyder, currently serving a sentence of between 35 and 150 years for killing Susan Sheldon about a year ago, and Dawson were also cellmates at the Kent County jail. 

Snyder testified he spent several months in jail with Dawson and often played cards with him. 

He said Dawson admitted to having an argument with his wife and choking her. 

"She told him she was sick of it and she was going to pack a bag and pack a bag for her kids and was going to leave," Snyder said in court. "He said he couldn't allow her to do that.  He hit her and then choked her. Then freaked out and killed her."

Snyder said Dawson said he then drove around with Julia's body in a car for two hours.

What Snyder did claim to know, though, was why Tim Dawson thought he got caught. "He said the only reason he got caught was he didn't get rid of her keys." 

"Do you remember what keys he was referring to?" Rollstin asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm guessing the vehicle keys or the house keys."

But defense attorney Chuck Rominger poked holes at Snyder's credibility by looking at the crime he admitted. "That involved," Rominger asked, "the beating death of another woman with a table leg, right?"

"Yep," Snyder said.

Rominger also brought up the fact Snyder tried to testify in a different murder case with the hope he wouldn't get as harsh a sentence.

Tim Dawson's brother and mother also took the stand in the 10th day of testimony in Tim's murder trial.

Kevin Dawson testified Tim never mentioned he and his wife Julia had any marital problems, and also said Tim never said Julia was going to see a divorce attorney.

His testimony dominated the early part of the 10th day of the murder trial, where Tim Dawson stands accused of killing Julia in December 2004.

His mother Sue then took the stand. She said Tim told her in early 2004 he and Julia were having problems in their marriage. Sue Dawson said she spoke with Julia, who told her she felt trapped by always having to take care of their kids.

But, she added, Julia was a good mom who would never walk away from the children.

Kevin Dawson said he was at the Dawson's house the entire week after Julia went missing.

But on the stand, Kevin said he didn't remember specifics of that time. The prosecutor had to keep refreshing Kevin's memory with prior statements he made to detectives.

The prior statements show that Kevin spoke about a trip he made with Tim to Tim's work to pick something up.

This was after Julia went missing and detectives told Tim they needed to see his personal computer, which Tim said was at his work being fixed.

Kevin said Tim came out with a small brown box. Kevin said he didn't ask questions.

In prior testimony he said he didn't know if Tim was involved in Julia's disappearance and didn't want to know.

Kevin Dawson's testimony followed that of a co-worker of Tim's, who testified he received a call from Tim about Julia being missing. Dawson seemed distraught and upset, and when the man finally saw Tim, he testified Dawson looked like he hadn't slept in days.

The prosecution may be able to wrap up its witnesses today.

24 Hour News 8 will have updates as they develop.

Previous Stories from 24 Hour News 8:

Claim made on Julia Dawson's insurance

Dawson trial: Julia's co-worker, experts testify