prosecutors an open and shut case with overwhelming physical evidence. when we looked at travis clothes, it was covered in blood and most importantly, none of the other costumes matched the paw that was left behind at the crime scene. we tested four different areas of travis stay s sweatshirt. three out of the four samples tested positive for joel lovelien s blood. and prosecutors argued, they could prove travis was there with joel lovelien prior to the murder. their eyewitnesses, the guys who had been so sloshed and uncooperative the night of the murder. the hunter, the gangster and the cowboy from the party bus. bryce larson, the cowboy, took the stand and told a story both his friends would echo. mr. larson, did you ever witness the murder of joel lovelien? no. did you ever see him assaulted in the broken drum parking lot? no. when you left that parking lot where was he? talking to the guy in the
dakota, had ended with joel lovelien s death. police tried to figure out who had used their fists to beat joel outside the broken drum bar in a fight that apparently no one witnessed. and joel s fiancee heather was trying just as hard to understand what had happened to the man she loved. inconceivable that he picked a fight with somebody else? of course, totally inconceivable. he s not a fighter. what would he do if somebody would want to fight with him? he would back away and use logic. he didn t feed into anger, like some men would. joel was so badly beaten that the coroner could feel and hear the broken bones in his face when she touched it. the cause of death? joel choked on his own blood. it was now up to police to find the killer or killers of joel lovelien in grand forks. a city that averages about one murder a year. the chief of police is
2007, several lives would collide under that halloween moon. at least one person may have used a costume to try to hide his true identity, a murderer. that weekend before halloween here in grand forks, heather eastling and her boyfriend joel lovelien, were putting on costumes getting ready to go out. it was a nice night with friends. he dressed up as a hockey fan wearing his favorite green jersey. i dressed in a mechanic s outfit. a friend of mine texted me and said meet us at the broken drum. the broken drum. half casino, half bar. heather and joel had a lot to celebrate. she had just moved here from texas after dating long distance. it was nearly love at first sight. how long did you go out with joel before you realized this is the guy? a week. that s it?
real life halloween nightmare. more than 60 years in jail if he was convicted of murdering joel lovelien. after a 9 day trial, jurors began deliberating. you nervous? i am nervous but confident. joel s fiancee was confident. it just seemed like we have the right guy. done. the jurors we spoke with said prosecutors presented the case as if it were open and shut. i would not say their style was arrogant at all. they were confident and they felt they had enough evidence.
right next to joel lovelien or straddling joel lovelien, as he was punching him in his face. the prosecution s evidence was stacking up against travis stay. no question he had been in a fight with the hunter before joel was killed. no question he had taken a swing at someone else afterwards. and now he d have to explain why there were traces of joel s blood on his costume, which travis was either unable or unwilling to do because of his suspiciously convenient amnesia. coming up could someone else be behind this? you think there are other people who are covering up their own involvement in this? i do. when dateline continues. ixe moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. because dupixent targets a root cause of eczema, it helps heal your skin from within,