Cape Girardeau manslaughter case bound over for trial

A Cape Girardeau woman will face an involuntary manslaughter charge after a judge ordered her case bound over for trial Wednesday.

Angelia J. Hanson, 29, is accused of backing a 2001 Dodge Durango over Jody L. Lane, 43, and killing her outside their home at 612 N. Fountain St.

A tearstained Hanson appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday in chains and an orange prison jumpsuit, flanked by her public defenders, Patti Tucka and Terri White.

She looked away as assistant prosecuting attorney Jack Koester showed several crime-scene photos of Lane's body -- including images of her lacerated heart and liver -- to Dr. Russell Deidiker, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Lane.

Responding to Koester's questions, Deidiker said some of the abrasions on Lane's body would be consistent with tire treads.

Deidiker said Lane died of hemorrhaging as a result of multiple internal injuries.

Officer David Valentine of the Cape Girardeau Police Department testified when he arrived at the scene shortly before 8 a.m. July 19, another officer and Cape Girardeau firefighters were there.

Valentine told Koester and Tucka his primary focus at the scene was Hanson, who appeared "extremely emotional."

"Ms. Hanson was extremely emotional, crying, was very upset at the time," Valentine said.

Hanson told Valentine she was supposed to work that morning, but she and Lane -- with whom she said she was in a romantic relationship -- had gotten into an argument because they were running late, Valentine testified.

He said Hanson told him their alarm had gone off at 6 a.m., but they fell asleep and didn't wake up until 7:30 a.m., at which point they got into an argument about some clothing.

Lane agreed to drive Hanson -- whose driver's license was suspended -- to work, but Lane was "extremely irate with her" and began driving erratically, prompting Hanson to ask her to let her out of the vehicle, Valentine said Hanson told him.

"Lane was driving very fast, and Ms. Hanson stated that she wanted out of the car because she feared for her safety," Valentine said.

He said Hanson told him Lane let her out of the car at Sprigg Street, started to drive away, then returned to take her back home. The two women were still "cursing and yelling at each other" when Lane pulled back into the driveway and said she was going back into the house, Valentine testified.

He said Hanson told him she had to get to work, so after Lane left the vehicle, Hanson got into the driver's seat and "floored it" out of the driveway.

"She told me she thought she'd run over the curb. She felt a big bump," Valentine said.

Hanson backed into the street, accelerated, felt another bump and looked in the rearview mirror, at which point she saw Lane lying in the street, Valentine said Hanson told him.

"It's possible that this could have been an accident. Is that correct?" Tucka asked Valentine on cross-examination.

"It's possible," Valentine acknowledged.

After Valentine's testimony, Tucka argued the state had failed to show Hanson acted recklessly.

Judge Gary Kamp overruled her objection and ordered the case bound over for trial.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

612 N. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

100 Court St., Jackson, Mo.