AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story will be updated frequently throughout proceedings in the capital murder trial of Corey Trumbull. Refresh this page often for the latest.

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains graphic details from testimony given during a capital murder trial that some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is advised before reading.

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The second week of testimony got underway on Monday morning, August 28, 2023, in the capital murder trial of a man accused of torturing and murdering an 11-year-old boy while living in Wichita Falls in 2019.

Corey Allen Trumbull, 35, is charged with capital murder, murder, and tampering with physical evidence in connection to the horrific death of Logan Cline, 11, whose body was found in an abandoned car in Wichita Falls in February 2020.

A recap of prior proceedings in this trial can be found by using the links below:

The prosecution in Trumbull’s trial is led by John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney, and Kyle Lessor, Assistant District Attorney. Counsel for the defense is led by William Hull and assisted by Gant Grimes, both of the Wichita County Public Defender’s Office.

The second week of testimony in Trumbull’s capital murder trial began with Dr. Stephen Hastings, a medical examiner from the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas, Texas, being called by Gillespie to take the stand and review his autopsy findings.

A running live blog of proceedings in the capital murder trial of Corey Trumbull for Monday, August 28, 2023, can be found below. This story will be updated frequently.

Judge McKnight releases the witness from the stand. Gillespie tells Judge McKnight that the State closes their case. Hull tells Judge McKnight that the defense rests and closes their case. Judge McKnight dismissed the jury until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at which they will be read the charge and hear closing arguments from the state and the defense.

3:19 p.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that the findings he presented to the court were his medical opinion based on his training and experience.

Hull passes the witness to Gillespie for further questioning.

3:17 p.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that while he does get paid to testify, he gets paid his normal wage and loses anything over eight hours. Hull asks Dr. Hastings if his testimony is a part of his duty as a medical examiner in Texas, and Dr. Hastings says yes.

Gillespie passes the witness to Hull for cross-examination.

3:15 p.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that he visibly observed obvious bruising on Logan Cline’s body and he’s unsure how Dr. Young could’ve come to any other conclusion when looking at the photographs.

3:11 p.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that he typically leans conservative in regard to the final conclusions of his autopsy findings. He testified that in the case of Wilder McDaniel, for which he performed the autopsy, he did not rule the death as a homicide, though he believed it was a homicide because other factors could not be ruled out at that time.

3:09 p.m. — Dr. Hastings that his findings from the autopsy of Logan Cline were reviewed by his peers at the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences. He testified that 9 total, including himself, signed off on his autopsy findings regarding the cause and manner of Logan Cline’s death. He testified that Dr. Bernard, chief medical examiner at SWIFS, is among the signatures on his autopsy report.

Hull states he has no additional witnesses. The State calls Dr. Hastings back to the stand.

Gillespie passes the witness to Hull, who has no further questions. Judge McKnight releases the witness and calls counsel to the bench for a brief conference.

3:04 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that despite not receiving many testimonies and statements, there are no deficiencies in his opinion.

3:02 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he typically charges $450 an hour for his services. Gillespie suggested it would cost over $10,000 total for his services, and Dr. Young agreed.

Hull passes the witness back to Gillespie for further cross-examination.

2:57 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that the prior case was retried, that the autopsy was re-reviewed by three different pathologists, and that the victim in this case had lung disease and there was no evidence of any abuse. As a result, the lower court released the defendant accused of the child’s murder.

2:55 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that in 2018, he had a book published called “The Sherlock Effect” after which time his inferential test was peer-reviewed and presented.

2:53 p.m. — Dr. Young testifies regarding a prior case in which the judge referred to him as a “crackpot.” He testified that he was not allowed to testify in the case, and the defendant was found guilty and has been in prison since.

Gillespie passes the witness back to Hull for further questioning.

2:45 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that this child homicide case is different than other cases he’s reviewed and testified on in the past. Gillespie accuses Dr. Young of testifying in this case for monetary gain, which Dr. Young denies.

Hull passes the witness back to Gillespie for further cross-examination.

2:40 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that statements made by Lexie that were consistent with the autopsy findings did not detract from statements made by Trumbull that were also consistent with the autopsy findings and that both could possibly be true.

2:38 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that in his experience providing opinions in court, at times, with the same witness, some things are consistent and some things are inconsistent. He testified that the further out from an event a testimony occurs, the less accurate the memory is, and statements made closer to the events in question are quite detailed and frequently explain the evidence better than memories that go out further.

Gillespie passes the witness back to Hull for further questioning.

2:35 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he’s not a pediatrician and that he’s not a child abuse expert. He testified that he did not reach out to Dr. Dakil or Dr. Hastings to review their findings.

2:33 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that the weight difference noted in Logan from his last medical appointment in July 2019 to the time of his autopsy could have been caused by decomposition, and that weight is lost in the decomposing process. He also testified that the evidence is consistent with starvation.

2:30 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he’s not an expert on seizures. He testified that Lexie described several beatings of Logan and that the bruising found in the autopsy would be consistent with Lexie’s testimony.

2:26 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that an eyewitness account from someone like Lexie Cline would be important. He also testified that Lexie’s testimony was also consistent with the findings of the autopsy.

2:24 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he was aware Lexie Cline, Logan’s older sister, had previously testified in this trial. Dr. Young testified that he did not ask what Lexie Cline testified and that he had no interest in that testimony. He testified he reviewed a transcript of a forensic interview with Lexie Cline. Gillespie asked if Dr. Young reviewed a statement given in February 2020 or May 2020, and he testified he reviewed both.

2:20 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he was not familiar with the stick called the “Gotta Beat A [expletive] Stick” and that he was not familiar with an interview in which Trumbull claimed Logan Cline asked to be struck because he was into the BDSM lifestyle.

2:17 p.m. — The jury returns to the courtroom and Gillespie continues questioning Dr. Young. Dr. Young testified he did not ask for any police reports, nor did he receive any police reports when forming his opinions on this case.

Judge McKnight raises his voice and stops proceedings after another heated exchange between Gillespie and Dr. Young. Judge McKnight dismisses the jury and instructs Dr. Young to not interrupt him again, to answer the questions he’s asked, and that Hull will have the chance to ask him whatever questions he feels relevant.

2:09 p.m. — Gillespie asked Dr. Young if he asked for the lead detective’s police report or summary before reviewing and giving an opinion on the Cline case. Dr. Young asked how he should’ve known to ask for something he was not aware of its existence.

2:05 p.m. — Gillespie continues to ask about evidence that Dr. Young was privy to and what he was not given by the defense. They continue a rather heated exchange.

2:02 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that post-traumatic seizures are common. He also testified that he was not familiar with the interview with Detective Mogg and Trumbull conducted on March 2, 2020. Gillespie asked Dr. Young if he takes capital murder cases seriously, or if it’s just another Monday. Dr. Young replies, “Goodness. You’re mocking me, sir.”

1:57 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that he does not provide a list of things he requires in order to review and testify in a given case. During a previous question about what the defense attorney provides to Dr. Young before he testifies, several jurors were observed letting out a brief chuckle.

1:54 p.m. — Gillespie asked Dr. Young if witness statements are key to his process when testifying in a capital murder case, and Dr. Young said yes. Gillespie asked Dr. Young that, if that’s the case, did he ask for all witness statements when preparing to testify, and he said “no.” Gillespie and Dr. Young begin talking over each other, at which point Judge McKnight stops them and instructs Dr. Young to wait for the next question, then instructs Gillespie to ask his next question.

1:51 p.m. — Gillespie asked Dr. Young if he holds opinions that deviate from standard medical examiner’s practices and thoughts in the cases for which he testifies. Dr. Young replied, “No.”

1:49 p.m. — Gillespie and Dr. Young’s exchange during cross-examination becomes observably more heated. Gillespie asked Dr. Young if the autopsy findings showed Logan Cline had a severe nasal fracture. Dr. Young responded, “That’s a complex question.” Gillespie asked, “You’re a doctor, are you not?” Dr. Young testified that there was a nasal fracture, though he wasn’t willing to call the fracture severe.

1:45 p.m. — Dr. Young testified he was only given one interview for review. Gillespie asked if he only reviewed one interview when 4 interviews exist is problematic, and Dr. Young responded that he did not know.

1:42 p.m. — Gillespie asked Dr. Young if he’d heard some of the other statements made by Trumbull during that interview, and he said he did. Gillespie then asked if Dr. Young left his job in Kansas City before he was fired, and Dr. Young testified that was incorrect. Gillespie then asks Dr. Young how much money he makes a year testifying on behalf of the defense in child homicide cases, and Dr. Young said around $70,000. Gillespie then reveals that Dr. Young testified on behalf of the defense in Wichita County in 2018, and he then testified he was making around $250,000 per year at that time.

1:37 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that the autopsy photos do not show evidence of a severely battered and beaten child.

1:35 p.m. — Gillespie asks Dr. Young if he was aware that Trumbull told authorities during an interview that Logan was alive and well in a mental institution in Midland, and Dr. Young stated he was not aware of this.

Hull passed the witness to Gillespie for cross-examination.

1:31 p.m. — Hull asked Dr. Young to reiterate his findings of the interview and the autopsy. Dr. Young again testified that his review of the autopsy found no inconsistencies with Trumbull’s statements during his interview with law enforcement.

Judge McKnight dismisses the jury to their lunch break and the Court into recess. Testimony will resume at 1:30 p.m.

12:03 p.m. — Dr. Young testified that an autopsy is a description of injury and disease present in a body at the time of death, and that reasoning can be consistent, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the truth. “Only the people who saw what happened actually know what happened,” Dr. Young testified.

11:57 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that the autopsy was conducted carefully, but the death cause determination based on Cline’s bruising is problematic and would “have to be quite imaginative.” He testified that determining the cause of death from the bruising alone is a logical fallacy that cannot be done.

11:54 a.m. — Dr. Young again testified that a person having a seizure would lose control of their body and could fall on their face without breaking their fall, as Trumbull said happened. He testified that seizures can occur as a result of past trauma, or methamphetamine use, or it may be possible that they just occur for no real reason whatsoever.

11:52 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that a person can stop breathing post-seizure, then be revised by CPR, then have another seizure, and so on. He testified that based on the evidence, he can determine this might have happened as Trumbull said happened. He testified that what Trumbull said happened fits without any inconsistencies.

11:49 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that Trumbull’s testimony regarding a seizure Logan had prior to his death, the cut on his forehead, and the small amount of bleeding in the brain, are all consistent with the medical examiner’s report and that repeated seizures could cause the level of injury reported by the medical examiner during the autopsy.

11:45 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that the person with the most detailed account of what happened to Logan Cline is Corey Trumbull. Dr. Young testified that he analyzed what Trumbull said during his interview with law enforcement.

11:43 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that a person couldn’t tell where a bruise is “from” just by looking at it, and that decomposition can make it more difficult to determine whether or not a bruise or contusion occurred, or if that “bruise” is actually a result of decomposition.

11:40 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that after reviewing all of the evidence presented he determined with some certainty that the testimony Trumbull gave is consistent with the autopsy findings.

11:38 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that he examined the autopsy report for Logan Cline, the anthropology consultation, the toxicology report, photographs of Logan’s body, photographs of the hotel room, photographs of the 2007 Ford Fusion where the body was found, listened to an interview with Trumbull and two interviews with Stormy Johnson, along with an interview transcript from Lexie Cline.

11:36 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that there are four manners of death; natural, in which someone’s disease causes the death, homicide, a violent death caused intentionally at the hands of another; suicide, a violent death caused intentionally by the person; and accidental, a violent death caused without intent. If a manner cannot be specifically determined, it is ruled as undetermined.

11:34 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that he’s either performed or oversaw tens of thousands of autopsies over the course of his career.

11:32 a.m. — Dr. Young testified that he graduated from Loma Linda University in Southern California and has studied forensic pathology. He previously served as a medical examiner in Kansas City, Missouri, for 11 and a half years, and in January 2007, he began a private consulting firm.

Judge McKnight calls the jury back into the courtroom and instructs Hull that he may proceed with his witness.

Hull calls Thomas Young, a medical examiner designated as an expert, to the stand. The State requested a 702 hearing outside of the jury’s presence to determine the validity and scope of his testimony.

Gillespie passes the witness back to Hull, who has no further questions. Judge McKnight excuses the witness. Gillespie, on behalf of the prosecution, rests the case for the state. Judge McKnight excuses the jury to take up a few matters outside of their presence before the defense is set to bring its case.

11:02 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that there was hemorrhaging all over the brain, indicating multiple blows to the head. Gillespie stands up and asks if stomping on a child’s head would cause it, then proceeds to stomp with force on the ground, causing a loud noise that is a bit startling to the jury and the gallery. Dr. Hastings testified the injuries found on Cline’s head were consistent with a stomp.

Hull passes the witness back to Gillespie for further questioning.

11:00 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that he found no injury to the visceral organs, such as the heart, lungs, and liver. Dr. Hastings testified again that he could determine the cause and manner of death, but he cannot specify exactly what type of blunt force trauma occurred or who caused the blunt force injuries.

10:58 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that his job is to determine what happened and less about determining who caused what happened. He testified that the subdural hemorrhaging can be caused by a number of things, but in this case, he can determine it was caused by blunt force trauma, but he cannot say exactly how the blunt force trauma occurred.

10:55 a.m. — Testimony resumes with defense attorney Wiliam Hull cross-examining Dr. Hastings. Hull asks Dr. Hastings about the bruising and asks that even though blunt trauma injuries exist, he wasn’t able to determine exactly how those bruises came to be. Dr. Hastings testified that he cannot say who caused the injuries, but that they are not accidental.

Gillespie passes the witness to defense attorney William Hull for cross-examination. Before the defense could begin, Judge McKnight dismissed the jury for their morning break. The Court will be in recess until 10:50 a.m. when testimony resumes.

10:29 a.m. — Dr. Hasting testified that his stomach was virtually empty at the time of his death. He testified his overall view of Logan’s injuries showed a child who was beaten to death.

10:28 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that a toxicology screen showed ethanol in Logan Cline’s system, which could have been caused by either drinking alcohol or as a byproduct of decomposition. Dr. Hastings also testified methamphetamine was found in his system, along with ibuprofen.

10:25 a.m. — Gillespie presents a hypothetical scenario to Dr. Hastings, describing the situation leading up to Logan’s death and the injuries Trumbull is accused of inflicting on Logan, and then asks Dr. Hastings if those circumstances are consistent with the type of injuries he found on Logan during the autopsy. Dr. Hastings testified the injuries were consistent.

10:20 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that the cause of Logan’s death was blunt force trauma, and he testified the means of death was a homicide, or death at the hands of another. He testified the subdural hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain caused by a traumatic brain injury, was the most significant injury that played a role in Logan Cline’s death.

10:17 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified that Logan Cline was a child who was battered from head to legs. He testified that Logan was an otherwise healthy child and had no underlying medical issues that played a role in his death. He testified he found no physical evidence of sexual abuse on Logan’s body during the autopsy.

10:14 a.m. — Dr. Hastings testified regarding the bruising and contusions on the right leg of Logan Cline. Regarding the bruising, Dr. Hastings said, “It’s difficult to determine where one starts and one stops.”

10:00 a.m. — The prosecution called Dr. Stephen Hastings to the stand to begin the morning. Dr. Hastings, a medical examiner with the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas, conducted the autopsy on Logan Cline after his body was found in the back of an abandoned car in Gillespie questions Dr. Hastings regarding his findings, while gruesome photographs taken during the autopsy are shown to the courtroom, causing members of the jury and the gallery to become visibly uncomfortable.

This is a developing story. Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.