James Lenk — Direct (Part 1) - Day 7 - Steven Avery - Steven Avery & Brendan Dassey Case Archive

William Tyson testified about the residence search and limits on his oversight of Manitowoc officers. Andrew Colborn described the discovery of a Toyota-emblem key and was questioned about a recorded plate inquiry; James Lenk described the counties' search roles.

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James Lenk — Direct

DirectDirectJames Lenk — Direct

MR. KRATZ: The State would call Lieutenant James Lenk, then.

COURT CLERK: Please raise your right hand.

LIEUTENANT JAMES M. LENK, called as a witness herein, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:

COURT CLERK: Please be seated. Please state your name and spell your last name for the record.

JAMES LENK: James M. Lenk, L-e-n-k.

DIRECT EXAMINATION BY ATTORNEY KRATZ:

MR. KRATZ: Mr. Lenk, how are you employed?

JAMES LENK: I'm employed with the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department.

MR. KRATZ: In what capacity, sir?

JAMES LENK: I'm a lieutenant of detectives.

MR. KRATZ: What are your duties as lieutenant?

JAMES LENK: To distribute work amongst the other detectives, to supervise other detectives, also to take cases myself.

MR. KRATZ: So, together with the supervisory responsibility, you have an active case load; is that right?

JAMES LENK: That's correct.

MR. KRATZ: How long have you been a law enforcement officer?

JAMES LENK: Total of approximately 24 years.

MR. KRATZ: And where did your law enforcement career begin?

JAMES LENK: At the Detroit Police Department in Detroit, Michigan.

MR. KRATZ: How long were you employed in Detroit?

JAMES LENK: Just over four years.

MR. KRATZ: After your -- By the way, what did you do with the Detroit Police Department?

JAMES LENK: I started out at as a patrol officer. I worked undercover, vice unit. And I also worked juvenile investigations.

MR. KRATZ: All right. What was the next law enforcement position that you held?

JAMES LENK: I worked for Michigan Bell, Corporate Security, Michigan Bell Telephone.

MR. KRATZ: How long was that?

JAMES LENK: Approximately two to three years; I don't recall specifically.

MR. KRATZ: All right. Thereafter, what did you do?

JAMES LENK: I moved to Wisconsin and applied for the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department.

MR. KRATZ: And were you successful in obtaining that position?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I was.

MR. KRATZ: When did that start?

JAMES LENK: It started December, 1988.

MR. KRATZ: Tell the jury, if you would, what your responsibilities first were with the Manitowoc Sheriff's Department?

JAMES LENK: When I first got hired on the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department, I worked as a jail officer for a year.

MR. KRATZ: Did you move from that to something else?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I moved from that to patrol officer.

MR. KRATZ: How long were you a patrol officer?

JAMES LENK: I was a patrol officer for a short period of time and then I went to the Metro Drug Unit.

MR. KRATZ: How long were you with the drug unit?

JAMES LENK: Approximately a year and a half.

MR. KRATZ: Could you describe your progression, then, through the Manitowoc Sheriff's Department?

JAMES LENK: After the Metro Drug Unit, I became a sergeant and I was assigned to the jail division; that lasted a couple months. Then I was reassigned to the Patrol Division as a sergeant.

MR. KRATZ: At some point, did you move out of the patrol status?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

MR. KRATZ: And did you move into investigations or into the Detective Bureau?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

MR. KRATZ: When did that happen, do you recall?

JAMES LENK: That was in February of '98, I believe.

MR. KRATZ: All right. At some point, Lieutenant Lenk, did you move into a supervisory capacity within the Detective Bureau?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

MR. KRATZ: When was that; do you recall?

JAMES LENK: That was May of 2003.

MR. KRATZ: Lieutenant Lenk, I'm going to direct your attention to November 3rd of 2005, ask if you were first employed in the same capacity that you hold now, at that time?

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

MR. KRATZ: And as the lieutenant in the Detective Bureau, were you made aware of a missing persons investigation that Calumet County had begun?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I was.

MR. KRATZ: How were you made aware of that?

JAMES LENK: I received a phone call from Investigator Wiegert asking for assistance on a missing female.

MR. KRATZ: Is that something you worked on yourself on the 3rd, or assigned other officers?

JAMES LENK: I actually assigned the work to the other officers. I stayed in the headquarters building and did miscellaneous follow-up and paperwork.

MR. KRATZ: You did what, I'm sorry?

JAMES LENK: Miscellaneous follow- up and paperwork.

MR. KRATZ: Regarding this case or just other work?

JAMES LENK: This case and other work.

MR. KRATZ: All right. Is there an individual from the Detective Bureau that you assigned to lead the Manitowoc part of this investigation?

JAMES LENK: Yes, it would have been Detective Remiker.

MR. KRATZ: And does he have a first name?

JAMES LENK: Dave.

MR. KRATZ: If you can assist the jury, Lieutenant Lenk, that first day, that is, the first day of the missing persons investigation, the 3rd of November, what was it that your agency, that Manitowoc, was asked to assist with?

JAMES LENK: We were asked to assist with the missing female, Teresa Halbach, to assist the Calumet County officer that was coming to our county, to go to a couple locations. I believe at least one location, to see if they could gain information to her possible whereabouts.

MR. KRATZ: As supervisor within the Detective Bureau, did you speak directly with Detective Remiker regarding those assignments?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

MR. KRATZ: And were you informed. Were you briefed, I think is the term, by Detective Remiker, regarding his findings that day?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I believe I was.

MR. KRATZ: Did you have any conversation, direct conversation, with Calumet County that first day?

JAMES LENK: Not direct conversation. I talked to Investigator Dedering, who was also the one that came over to our county.

MR. KRATZ: All right. Anything else happen on the 3rd, other than what you have described regarding the -- Manitowoc's limited role that day?

JAMES LENK: No, sir.

MR. KRATZ: All right. On the 4th, that would be on Friday, the 4th of November, did you personally become involved in the Manitowoc County portion of this investigation?

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

MR. KRATZ: Could you tell the jury how you became involved?

JAMES LENK: Again, I received a telephone call from Investigator Wiegert requesting that we go out and reinterview Steven Avery.

MR. KRATZ: And did you proceed to Mr. Avery's property that day?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

MR. KRATZ: Who did you go with?

JAMES LENK: Detective Dave Remiker.

MR. KRATZ: Now, Lieutenant Lenk, had you ever been to the Avery Salvage Yard as of the 4th of November?

JAMES LENK: No, I hadn't.

MR. KRATZ: Did you know where you were going on the property?

JAMES LENK: No.

MR. KRATZ: When you got to -- Or did you proceed to that scene?

JAMES LENK: Yes.

MR. KRATZ: When you got to the scene, where did you and Detective Remiker go?

JAMES LENK: We turned to the right on Avery Lane, I guess it is, towards Steven's trailer.

MR. KRATZ: To assist in your testimony, I'm going to show you a much referred to exhibit, it's Exhibit No. 86; do you recognize that exhibit?

JAMES LENK: Yes, I do, sir.

MR. KRATZ: What is that?

JAMES LENK: That's the Avery Salvage Yard.

MR. KRATZ: And when you and Detective Remiker got to this location, tell the jury where you went. There's a laser pointer, if you need it, just to your right, if that would assist you.

JAMES LENK: We came in -- It's hard to tell the area here. We came in this road and we turned to the right.

100

MR. KRATZ: Why did you turn right?

101

JAMES LENK: Habit, I guess, just turned to the right.

102

MR. KRATZ: All right. Tell the jury where you went, please.

103

JAMES LENK: We went down to the -- almost to the end of the road and we exited the vehicle. Detective Remiker went up to the house trailer to knock on the door, with no response; after which he went to, I believe, the Janda trailer, again, knocked on the door, no response.

As we were getting ready to leave, there was a golf cart coming down the lane towards us.

104

MR. KRATZ: And who was on the golf cart?

105

JAMES LENK: Steven Avery and his mother.

106

MR. KRATZ: Did you have occasion to make contact with both Steven and his mother at that time?

107

JAMES LENK: We talked to Steven, yes.

108

MR. KRATZ: Upon speaking to Mr. Avery, did you and Detective Remiker ask for an opportunity to look in the inside of his trailer?

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JAMES LENK: Yes. Detective Remiker asked permission to look inside his trailer.

110

MR. KRATZ: And was that done?

111

JAMES LENK: Yes, it was.

112

MR. KRATZ: How long did that take?

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JAMES LENK: Approximately five minutes.

114

MR. KRATZ: Mr. Avery cooperative during that entire process?

115

JAMES LENK: Yes, he was.

116

MR. KRATZ: As you think back to that specific time, Lieutenant Lenk, do you have an independent memory of your sense of whether Mr. Avery may have been involved in Ms Halbach's disappearance?

117

JAMES LENK: My memory at that point was that I did not think there was any involvement with Mr. Avery.

118

MR. KRATZ: So you, Lieutenant James Lenk, the head of the Detective Bureau, on the 4th of November, didn't even think Steve was involved; is that what you are telling us?

119

JAMES LENK: That's correct.

120

MR. KRATZ: Let me ask you this, Lieutenant Lenk, with that having been said, did you take any steps from that point forward to either plant evidence or to ensure that Mr. Avery would be falsely accused of that homicide?

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JAMES LENK: No, sir, I definitely did not.

122

MR. KRATZ: Is that something that you have ever done in your law enforcement career?

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JAMES LENK: No, sir, I have never planted any evidence at any time.

124

MR. KRATZ: Would you ever do something like that?

125

JAMES LENK: No, sir, I would not.

126

MR. KRATZ: The next day, on Saturday, the 5th of November; do you remember that day?

127

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

128

MR. KRATZ: What were you doing that day, if you recall?

129

JAMES LENK: I was with my wife over near Menasha, looking for a trailer for camping.

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MR. KRATZ: Do you remember getting a call that day?

131

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir. I believe it was a page, initially.

132

MR. KRATZ: Did you speak with somebody?

133

JAMES LENK: Yes, I did.

134

MR. KRATZ: Who was that?

135

JAMES LENK: Detective Remiker.

136

MR. KRATZ: After getting the call from Detective Remiker, did that affect your activities that morning?

137

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir. We stopped looking for the trailer and I advised my wife, I have to get back, I have to go to work.

138

MR. KRATZ: What did you do then?

139

JAMES LENK: We left the trailer sales, started to head home. We got to Oneida and 441, my wife insisted that I get something to eat because she knew that I wouldn't eat the rest of the day, so we stopped at Wendy's.

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MR. KRATZ: Was that your idea?

141

JAMES LENK: No, it was not.

142

MR. KRATZ: But you stopped any way?

143

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

144

MR. KRATZ: All right. Where did you go then?

145

JAMES LENK: After we had a quick lunch at Wendy's, I went directly home. And then from home, I went to the department, to pick up my vehicle and my supplies.

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MR. KRATZ: And when you talk about picking up a vehicle, can you describe that vehicle for us, please.

147

JAMES LENK: It's an unmarked police vehicle owned by Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department.

148

MR. KRATZ: What kind of supplies did you pick up at the Sheriff's Department?

149

JAMES LENK: Briefcase with various papers in it, radio, that type of thing.

150

MR. KRATZ: Okay. Where did you go then?

151

JAMES LENK: I went from there to the Avery Salvage Yard.

152

MR. KRATZ: And, again, that's Exhibit No. 86; is that right?

153

JAMES LENK: That's correct.

154

MR. KRATZ: As you sit here today, Lieutenant Lenk, do you recall about what time you arrived at that scene?

155

JAMES LENK: It was just shortly after 2:00, 2:05, somewhere in there.

156

MR. KRATZ: Now, when you got to the scene, the Avery salvage scene, had there been any kind of log in or check in procedure put in place yet?

157

JAMES LENK: I don't recall a log in at that point.

158

MR. KRATZ: All right.

159

JAMES LENK: I just don't recall.

160

MR. KRATZ: What did you do when you got to the scene?

161

JAMES LENK: I met with the officers that were at the scene, some from Manitowoc County, some from Calumet County.

162

MR. KRATZ: Where did you meet with them?

163

JAMES LENK: Right at the beginning of the roadway where the command center would have been set up.

164

MR. KRATZ: Can you show us on the diagram -- or excuse me, the photo?

165

JAMES LENK: Would have been right in this area.

166

MR. KRATZ: Be an area just to the south of what we now know are the business buildings; is that right?

167

JAMES LENK: That's correct, sir.

168

MR. KRATZ: I'm sorry, the north of. When you got there Lieutenant Lenk, were there other members of your department already on scene?

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JAMES LENK: Yes, there were.

170

MR. KRATZ: Do you remember who you met with or who you saw at that time?

171

JAMES LENK: I know I talked to Deputy Inspector Schetter. I'm not real sure who else was there from our department that I talked with, quite a few officers there.

172

MR. KRATZ: From a hierarchy standpoint, or who's the boss kind of a standpoint, is Deputy Inspector Schetter, or was he at the time, ahead of you or on top of you, regarding authority or rank within the department?

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JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, he was.

174

MR. KRATZ: Do you recall, Lieutenant Lenk, being involved, or overhearing discussions regarding who should lead up this investigation?

175

JAMES LENK: I believe, by the time I got there, that they had already decided that Calumet County would lead the investigation.

176

MR. KRATZ: All right. Were there Calumet County officers on scene?

177

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I believe there were.

178

MR. KRATZ: At some point later that afternoon, do you recall other officials arriving at the scene, including myself, with the signed search warrant?

179

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I do.

180

MR. KRATZ: After D.A.'s and lead investigators got to the scene, were you asked to perform any duties at that scene?

181

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir. We were asked to assist Calumet County.

182

MR. KRATZ: From Manitowoc County, other than Deputy Inspector Schetter, was there any individual of higher rank than you at the scene?

183

JAMES LENK: I'm not sure. You mean from the sheriff's department?

184

MR. KRATZ: Yes.

185

JAMES LENK: No, sir. I don't think so.

186

MR. KRATZ: All right. Now, looking at Exhibit No. 86 and remembering back to that first late afternoon; do you remember whether manpower issues were a factor that afternoon?

187

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, they were a factor.

188

MR. KRATZ: Could you describe that for the jury. What does that mean?

189

JAMES LENK: That means that there was a very large area. The search warrants were already obtained and there was limited manpower to search that area.

190

MR. KRATZ: I'm sure most, if not all of these potential -- or these jurors have not been to a crime scene; is this a typical crime scene by way of size or scope?

191

JAMES LENK: No, sir, it's not.

192

MR. KRATZ: Can you describe better or explain that for the jury, please.

193

JAMES LENK: Most crime scenes are a smaller area, either a house or a small yard, or a room, this area was immense.

194

MR. KRATZ: When you arrived, did you appreciate the size or the scope of this effort?

195

JAMES LENK: Yes. I also got a further appreciation the more I looked around the property.

196

MR. KRATZ: All right. What did you believe Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department involvement was going to be at that scene?

197

JAMES LENK: Our involvement was to be part of the search team, basically extra eyes and hands to do the searching.

198

MR. KRATZ: Are you familiar with the term evidence tech?

199

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

200

MR. KRATZ: What is that?

201

JAMES LENK: It's an individual on the police department, or sheriff's department, that has had some training in how to gather evidence and package evidence, at a crime scene.

202

MR. KRATZ: You talked about manpower before, was there an abundance of evidence techs at that scene?

203

JAMES LENK: No, sir, there was not.

204

MR. KRATZ: Are you an evidence tech, or were you?

205

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

206

MR. KRATZ: Do you know, at that scene, what other members of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department would have similar training or experience as an evidence tech?

207

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir. Sergeant Andy Colborn and Detective Dave Remiker.

208

MR. KRATZ: Now, Lieutenant Lenk, prior to your arrival at the Avery Salvage Yard on the 5th, had you had previous dealings or contact with Steven Avery?

209

JAMES LENK: Just the contact on the 4th of November.

210

MR. KRATZ: Do you recall being one of many individuals involved in what's called a deposition, for Mr. Avery?

211

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

212

MR. KRATZ: And can you tell the jury about that process, please.

213

JAMES LENK: Well, the process was, I received a subpoena to give a deposition in the Avery lawsuit case against Manitowoc County.

214

MR. KRATZ: Did you respond to that subpoena, did you provide testimony?

215

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I did.

216

MR. KRATZ: And so the jury understands, when Mr. Avery was wrongfully convicted back in 1985, were you a member of the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department?

217

JAMES LENK: No, I was not.

218

MR. KRATZ: Then, what involvement did you have; in other words, what was your part of the deposition?

219

JAMES LENK: The part of the deposition was that I received a statement from Sergeant Colborn, in 2003, I believe, September, that he had taken a phone call back in 1997, from another department, I believe he said it was Brown County Sheriff's Department, that they had in custody an individual that had committed an assault in Manitowoc County and that Manitowoc County had someone in custody for that assault.

220

MR. KRATZ: Is that all?

221

JAMES LENK: That's all.

222

MR. KRATZ: Did you even receive that call back in the mid-nineties?

223

JAMES LENK: No, sir, I did not.

224

MR. KRATZ: So your deposition was that you heard that Andy Colborn got such a call; is that right?

225

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I received that information from Andy, himself.

226

MR. KRATZ: Did that lawsuit cause you any personal or professional embarrassment?

227

JAMES LENK: No, sir, it did not.

228

MR. KRATZ: Did that lawsuit create any angst or ill feelings on your part?

229

JAMES LENK: No, sir, it did not.

230

MR. KRATZ: Did the fact of that lawsuit cause you any upset, or aggravation, or anger?

231

JAMES LENK: No, sir, it did not.

232

MR. KRATZ: Did that lawsuit cause you or compel you to -- to plant any evidence in this case?

233

JAMES LENK: No, sir, definitely not.

234

MR. KRATZ: What did you feel about that lawsuit; do you remember?

235

JAMES LENK: I pretty much didn't care, one way or the other.

236

MR. KRATZ: All right. How were individuals assigned responsibilities out at the Avery salvage property?

237

JAMES LENK: I believe the assignments came through the two officers in charge, Agent Fassbender and Investigator Wiegert.

238

MR. KRATZ: Was this a situation where you volunteered for a particular search or an area that you wanted to become involved?

239

JAMES LENK: No, sir.

240

MR. KRATZ: Did you even know when you got your assignments -- and we'll be talking about a couple later that week -- but did you know where you were going to be assigned?

241

JAMES LENK: No, sir.

242

MR. KRATZ: Lieutenant Lenk, were you made aware that search teams were being assembled?

243

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

244

MR. KRATZ: And was there anything unique about the law enforcement officers that were being selected for those search teams, if you know?

245

JAMES LENK: I don't know, specifically, other than that they were to have a Calumet officer in charge of the team.

246

MR. KRATZ: What I'm asking, though, is the other -- other than a Calumet County lead person involved, the others that were chosen to be on that team, did they have any unique or similar quality about them?

247

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir. They were requesting anyone that had evidence technician experience.

248

MR. KRATZ: As a supervisor and as a long time law enforcement officer, do you have an opinion as to why that was being done?

249

JAMES LENK: My opinion is they wanted the best people that they could get, at the scene, to do the searching.

250

MR. KRATZ: All right. That first night, were you made a part of one of those teams?

251

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

252

MR. KRATZ: Who was in charge or who was the lead officer in your search team?

253

JAMES LENK: Sergeant Bill Tyson.

254

MR. KRATZ: Now, you are a lieutenant and he was a sergeant; is that right?

255

JAMES LENK: That's correct, sir.

256

MR. KRATZ: Did you have any concern or problem with taking directional orders from Sergeant Tyson?

257

JAMES LENK: No, sir.

258

MR. KRATZ: Did you believe at that time, or actually throughout this entire investigation, that rank had anything to do with who was calling the shots?

259

JAMES LENK: No, sir, I did not.

260

MR. KRATZ: Tell the jury, if you recall, when that first team was assembled, if there were particular responsibilities that each officer had?

261

JAMES LENK: Each officer was assigned a certain area of searching. It was done as a team, but each officer was assigned a certain particular area of a room, or living room, or kitchen, of an area that he was responsible for, or a team of officers would be responsible for.

262

MR. KRATZ: All right. Was there direction that your team received about items of evidentiary value and who should take them into custody or who should seize them?

263

JAMES LENK: Yes, we were told that all evidence would be collected by Calumet County officers. All reports would be done by Calumet County officers. And basically we were there just to assist in the searching process.

264

MR. KRATZ: Let's talk about reports for a minute. Wouldn't it be typical for each individual officer at a scene like this to do their own reports?

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JAMES LENK: Normally, yes.

266

MR. KRATZ: Are you saying this was different or you were given different direction?

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JAMES LENK: We were given different directions, yes.

268

MR. KRATZ: The first area that you were involved personally, in searching on the 5th, was what?

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JAMES LENK: Steven Avery's trailer.

270

MR. KRATZ: Can you tell us who the other members of your search team were?

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JAMES LENK: Sergeant Tyson, Sergeant Colborn and Detective Remiker.

272

MR. KRATZ: The jury has already heard this a couple of times so we're not going to go piece by piece, I'm sure thankfully; but could you just tell us the rooms that were searched by the search team, please.

273

JAMES LENK: The rooms that were searched would be the southernmost bedroom, that would be Steven Avery's bedroom; the hallway; the bathroom that is next to the bedroom; next to the bathroom area is a second bedroom that was searched; next to the bath -- or the second bedroom is the living room area; followed by the kitchenette area; and the kitchen.

274

MR. KRATZ: I'm not sure my math is that great, Lieutenant, but how long have you been a police officer, just total number of years?

275

JAMES LENK: Around 24 year.

276

MR. KRATZ: In 24 years of law enforcement experience, have you been involved in searches of residences and property before?

277

JAMES LENK: Yes, I have.

278

MR. KRATZ: Are there different kinds of searches?

279

JAMES LENK: I'm not sure what you mean.

280

MR. KRATZ: Well, if a property, a residence, as an example, is to be searched by you or another law enforcement officer; are you familiar with the detail in which some of those searches are performed in?

281

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

282

MR. KRATZ: Was this first search of the Avery property intended to be a thorough, tear the place apart, type search?

283

JAMES LENK: No, sir, it was not. It was more of a general search.

284

MR. KRATZ: All right. I guess that's my question, maybe tell the jury what you believed a general search was?

285

JAMES LENK: At that time, a general search was looking for any obvious signs for the missing Teresa Halbach, in that trailer. It's pretty generalized at that point.

286

MR. KRATZ: Do you know about how long you guys took in that trailer?

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JAMES LENK: I believe it was around two and a half hours.

288

MR. KRATZ: All right. During that initial search, did you notice any firearms in Mr. Avery's bedroom?

289

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

290

MR. KRATZ: Can you describe what you saw, please.

291

JAMES LENK: There was a gun rack above the head of the bed, in the bedroom area. There were two firearms in there. I believe one was a .22 and one was a muzzleloader firearm.

292

MR. KRATZ: You said that you searched the entire trailer. After that first search was complete, of Steven's trailer, can you tell the jury what you did, please.

293

JAMES LENK: After that search was completed, I think we ended for the day.

294

MR. KRATZ: Was there some meeting or something that occurred before you left?

295

JAMES LENK: Yes, there was a meeting at the command center.

296

MR. KRATZ: What's the purpose of that?

297

JAMES LENK: To discuss what had been done and what needs to be done the next day.

298

MR. KRATZ: Lieutenant Lenk, any time on the 5th of November, did you have any contact with Teresa Halbach's SUV?

299

JAMES LENK: No, sir, I did not.

300

MR. KRATZ: Did you have any contact with her SUV on the 4th of November, or the 3rd of November, or in fact any time there before?

301

JAMES LENK: No, sir, I did not.

302

MR. KRATZ: Were you asked to return to the property the next day, the 6th?

303

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I was.

304

MR. KRATZ: And can you describe for the jury what your responsibilities were on the 6th, please.

305

JAMES LENK: On the 6th we met at the command center. We were assigned to Deputy Kucharski. And I believe we were to search the garage on Steven Avery's portion of the property.

306

MR. KRATZ: Describe the kind of search that was, please.

307

JAMES LENK: Again, that was a general search for any indications of Teresa Halbach.

308

MR. KRATZ: Where did you go after that?

309

JAMES LENK: I believe we went -- got -- either went back to the command center or received information from them for the next place to search.

310

MR. KRATZ: Do you remember how long you were in the garage, roughly?

311

JAMES LENK: Maybe an hour, hour and a half, I'm not exactly sure.

312

MR. KRATZ: Now, the question, Lieutenant Lenk, is searching that garage for an hour, or an hour and a half, do you believe that you found, or would have found everything of any evidentiary value in that garage?

313

JAMES LENK: At that time we thought we found everything that was of evidentiary value, yes.

314

MR. KRATZ: All right. Do you remember the interior of that garage, as you think back?

315

JAMES LENK: Yes, I do.

316

MR. KRATZ: Was there a lot of things in that garage?

317

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, it was full of things.

318

MR. KRATZ: All right. Were you informed, Lieutenant Lenk, of how long, that is, the estimated time that law enforcement was going to keep control of this scene? Did you know that first day?

319

JAMES LENK: No, I didn't know that first day.

320

MR. KRATZ: Did you know whether you were going to do additional searches of either residences, or garages, or outbuildings, or anything like that?

321

JAMES LENK: Yes, we planned on doing additional searches of the buildings.

322

MR. KRATZ: Let me ask you, Lieutenant Lenk, on the 6th, that is, on that Sunday, did you have occasion to assist other officers in a search of the defendant's sister's home, that's Barb Janda?

323

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

324

MR. KRATZ: Could you describe that search, generally, for us, please.

325

JAMES LENK: That was, again, a general search looking for items that might relate to Teresa Halbach.

326

MR. KRATZ: Do you remember Detective Remiker noticing and investigating an answering machine at that time?

327

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

328

MR. KRATZ: Were you asked to return to Steve Avery's trailer at all?

329

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, I think we were.

330

MR. KRATZ: And do you remember the scope of that?

331

JAMES LENK: I believe we were asked to go back, as a team, to collect the firearms, a vacuum cleaner and the bedding, I believe, off the spare bedroom.

332

MR. KRATZ: Again, who was in charge of seizing and taking control of the evidence on that day?

333

JAMES LENK: Calumet County officer Deputy Kucharski.

334

MR. KRATZ: I just have two other points, Judge, and then I will recommend that we quit for the day, but let me finish this day, if I may.

335

MR. KRATZ: On the 6th, Lieutenant Lenk, were there other buildings that you were asked to search?

336

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir, there were.

337

MR. KRATZ: What were those buildings?

338

JAMES LENK: There was a large business office area building, I believe they called it the office. And we also searched, I believe it was Mr. Chuck Avery's residence.

339

MR. KRATZ: All right. And the same search team that is headed by Kucharski was involved in those searches as well?

340

JAMES LENK: Yes, sir.

341

MR. KRATZ: All right.

342

MR. KRATZ: I do recommend, Judge, and this may be a good time to break for the day and call this witness tomorrow morning.

343

THE COURT: All right. Members of the jury, I will remind you, again, that you are not to discuss this case at all and make sure you don't watch any news accounts about the case this evening. We'll see you tomorrow morning.

344

MR. STRANG: Your Honor?

345

THE COURT: Yes.

346

MR. STRANG: While we still have the jury, I forgot to move in Exhibit 212, Sergeant Colborn; 213 was only marked and need not be moved in.

347

MR. KRATZ: No objection.

348

THE COURT: 212, you are asking for admission?

349

MR. STRANG: Yes.