Susan Brandt testified for the prosecution in Brendan Dassey's trial about Kayla Avery's frightened counseling-office visit and Kayla's statement that Steven Avery had asked an unidentified cousin to help move a body. Cross-examination tested Brandt's limited familiarity with Kayla; on redirect, Brandt said she did not think Kayla had come merely for attention.
WitnessMishicot Middle School / Mishicot High School
Susan Brandt
School counseling intern who heard Kayla Avery's account during a counseling-office visit.
AppearedBrendan Dassey
41 lines·4 proceedings·1 mention
About
Susan Brandt, an intern at Mishicot Middle School and Mishicot High School, testified for the prosecution on Day 3 of Brendan Dassey's trial about a January 2006 counseling-office visit by Kayla Avery. Brandt said Kayla appeared scared and told Brandt and Karen Baumgartner that Steven Avery had asked one of her cousins to help move a body. Brandt said Kayla did not identify the cousin. She also recalled Kayla expressing fear of going to the shop and asking whether blood could come up through concrete.
On cross-examination, Brandt acknowledged that she had just met Kayla and did not know her usual demeanor or reputation for truthfulness. Brandt agreed that children sometimes act to draw attention, without saying Kayla had done so. The court sustained the State's objection to a question asking Brandt to assess Kayla's truthfulness and struck the question.
On redirect, Brandt said she had not thought Kayla was at the counseling meeting just to get attention. Her testimony conveyed Kayla's reported statements and Brandt's observations, while leaving the cousin unnamed.
Trial Record (4)
No proceedings match this filter.