Baseball bat assault case in limbo; bruised woman declines to testify

Judge Gary Kamp declined to make a ruling Thursday at a preliminary hearing for a woman accused of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

The 32nd Circuit associate judge declared in court in Jackson he would take the case under advisement and deliver a ruling on whether the case met the requirements for probable cause directly to defendant Chene Cominique Aldridge, 32, of Cape Girardeau next week at the Cape Girardeau County Jail, where she has been in custody since she was arrested Sept. 20.

Aldridge represented herself Thursday.

She did not object to photographs of the victim’s injuries submitted as an exhibit by assistant prosecuting attorney Julie Hunter, but she said she thought the photographs were circumstantial.

Aldridge questioned Cape Girardeau police officer Aaron Bennett, who wrote the probable-cause statement filed Aug. 16. Bennett testified he responded to a domestic disturbance at about 11:25 p.m. in the 1800 block of Ricardo Drive.

He was allowed entry into an apartment by the property owner and found the 21-year-old victim lying under covers, talking to her mother and trying to arrange medical treatment.

The victim stood up and revealed bruising from her left shoulder to her leg, Bennett said.

“Obviously she had been struck by an object,” Bennett said.

The victim said she had gone to bed at 10 a.m. Aug. 15 and was awakened about 11 a.m. by Aldridge repeatedly hitting her with an aluminum baseball bat, Bennett said. The victim said Aldridge accused her of stealing a pair of shoes, according to Bennett’s probable-cause statement.

Questioned by Aldridge, Bennett said the victim reported she had been punched by a different woman the evening of Aug. 16 .

John Volkerding, investigator for the prosecuting attorney’s office, testified about trying to contact the victim and getting her to testify.

He said he talked to both of the victim’s parents Tuesday and Wednesday before reaching the victim herself about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“She did not want anything to do with this case anymore,” Volkerding said.

Aldridge tried to submit a letter she claimed was written by the victim and signed by two other witnesses.

Hunter looked at the letter and said there was no way to verify the victim’s handwriting.

Kamp said the letter was inadmissible because Aldridge did not provide any witnesses to verify the victim wrote the letter.

Aldridge said she also had text messages from the victim but could not provide them during the hearing.

“We’re friends,” she said of her relationship with the victim.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

1800 block of Ricardo Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.