Batchelor Murder Trial: Day Two

ESCANABA — Thursday morning began with the 911 call from the night of Sept. 3, 2014.

Lois Giroux, Heather Batchelor’s aunt, was obviously frantic on the line, trying to relay the message to the 911 dispatcher. One of the members of the jury appeared to be very emotional when they listened to the 911 call. The prosecution continued to call Heather Batchelor’s family members to the stand. Heather’s father, William Kern, arrived at the house on Stephenson Avenue where the stabbing took place.

On his cell phone, Mr. Kern was the first one to contact Kallay Batchelor about the situation at the house.

“What was the defendant’s reaction to the phone call?” asked Delta Co. Prosecutor Philip Strom.

“Usually when I talked to him he’s belligerent to me,” said William Kern, Heather’s father. “I called him that morning because I wanted him to be there.”

Members of Heather’s family that did testify in court could not recall any incidents in which things got physical between Heather and Kallay. However, one of her friends did recall an incident, here at the house on Stephenson Avenue where Heather lived back in the summer of 2007, where Kallay put his hands on Heather.

“We had gone out that night and we had a few drinks,” said Nichole Dickerson. “At my grandma’s house we were being a little rowdy. Heather accidentally broke one of the lawn chairs in the driveway. At some point, Kay (Kallay) lost his temper and intervened. He pinned Heather up against the side of the house by her throat and told her to ‘stop being such a stupid (expletive, expletive).”

The next witnesses called by the prosecution were the first responders. Nancy Gage was working an EMS shift that night. She also works with the Delta County Medical Examiner. Gage said that the knife found in Heather’s throat was not a self–inflicted wound.

“Because of the angle and severity of some of the wounds,” is how Gage explained her opinion of what she saw at the crime scene.

Three Escanaba Public Safety officers who responded to the initial 911 call were called to testify by the prosecution. According to testimony, Officer Nick McGuire was the first person to talk with Kallay when he arrived at the house after Heather’s father called him there.

McGuire noticed a few things about Kallay’s appearance.

“What did you observe?” asked Strom.

“I observed a small cut on his right hand and some fresh blood on his right cheek,” said Escanaba Public Safety Officer Nick McGuire.

Officer McGuire briefly questioned Kallay at the scene. Batchelor agreed to travel back to the station to be further questioned by police.

The jury watched the first hour of Batchelor’s interview. Kallay told police that he last saw Heather at his apartment at 8:30 that night, a few hours before she was killed.

“I ate the corn dogs and of course she brought me over pizza bites. I didn’t even know she was coming over at 8:30. I wasn’t expecting her,” Bachelor told police.

The trial will continue with more testimony from members of the Escanaba Police Department first thing Friday morning.