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Both Sides Rest In Hogankamp Capital Murder Trial
Both sides rested Wednesday afternoon in the trial of a 24-year-old Central Texas man accused of killing an elderly resident and then setting the victim’s house on fire to cover up the crime.
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(June 18, 2008)—Both sides rested Wednesday afternoon in Gatesville in the capital murder trial of Stephen Dean Hogankamp, 24, who’s accused of killing 71-year-old Kenneth Eugene Smith of Copperas Cove and then setting Smith’s home on fire to cover up the crime.
Smith’s body was found in the bedroom of his burned out home at 1919 Pleasant Lane on Oct. 1, 2006, after firefighters extinguished the flames that engulfed the residence.
He was listed on the Texas Department of Public Safety's website as a sex offender.
Hogankamp maintained that he killed Smith because the elder man had sexually assaulted him.
Earlier Wednesday, jurors watched a videotape of Hogankamp’s confession, in which he admitted to two investigators that he hit smith with a brass apple until the man no longer moved.
He told the investigators he then took the victim’s wallet and car and went to buy gasoline, which he used to set fire to Smith’s house.
He told the investigators he had only intended to borrow money for Smith, but said Smith offered him $300 in exchange for sex.
Also Wednesday, a medical examiner testified that Smith had a stab wound to his neck and at least 10 blunt force head injuries, one of which pushed part of the victim’s fractured skull into his brain.
The defense did not call any witnesses.
Jurors are scheduled to hear closing arguments Thursday morning.
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