Defense attorneys in the murder trial of Matthew Ogden spent this past Friday in court questioning the conduct of investigators who interviewed Ogden after the death of his infant daughter.
Ogden’s public defenders say that officers with the District Attorney’s office and the Parachute Police Department ignored obvious signs of mental breakdown during their questioning of Ogden following the June 2015 death of the 1-month-old girl. The defense contends that officials took advantage of Ogden’s compromised mental state in order get him to incriminate himself. Defenders say Ogden suffers from multiple mental health problems, and that the statements he gave during those interviews should not be allowed in court.
During the second day of a motions hearing on Friday, investigators took the stand and rejected the defense’s arguments saying they believe Ogden was simply trying to use his mental issues to avoid answering uncomfortable questions from the investigators.
Defense attorneys are trying to have evidence collected at Ogden’s home and from his cell phone thrown out before the full trial gets underway. The defense is also working to have the trial moved – they filed a motion for a change of venue due to heavy media coverage and the community’s emotional response to the little girl’s death.
Prosecutors charged Ogden after a brutal nighttime episode in which they say he violently shook his daughter and screamed at her. His trial is scheduled to begin on September 26th.
