Lankford murder trial starts in Wallace
By TY HAMPTON Staff Writer Tuesday, February 5th 2008
WALLACE -- The controversial retrial of Mark Henry Lankford for two counts of first degree murder began Monday morning at Shoshone County Courthouse.
Lankford, 51, was brought off his death row sentence for the retrial of the murder of Robert and Cheryl Bravence at an Idaho County campground in June 1983. Lankford's fate now rests on the verdict of 14 local Shoshone County jurors and two alternates.
In Monday's opening comments, Idaho County Prosecutor Kirk MacGregor spoke to the jury in an attempt to draw similarities between the scene of the crime in Idaho County to the scene of the trial in Wallace.
"It surprises me how similar Idaho County and Shoshone County really are," MacGregor said eluding to the counties' populations, law enforcement offices, and way of life.
"This case is about brutal double murder," he said. "This case is about two wonderful, beautiful people who were murdered while camping along the South Fork.
"The evidence presented will overwhelmingly show that the victims were enjoying their time on the river when they were brutally murdered by Mr. Lankford," MacGregor added pointing to the defendant.
MacGregor went on to say the trial is also about two brothers who murdered the young couple, went on a spending spree down the west coast with their stolen credit cards and Volkswagen van to end up dropping the vehicle in skid row and the murder weapon down a manhole in Los Angeles.
The prosecutor said from there the brothers took a bus ride back to their home state of Texas where they were arrested in the Trinity River area in early October 1983.
Lankford's defense attorney Charles Kovis stated in his opening comments that the prosecutor's overwhelming evidence was based around everything but what happened that night in the Sheep Creek campground.
"The state's case is based off of lies, deception, and speculation," Kovis said.
According to former reports, Lankford was testified against by his brother, Brian, who received life in prison for aiding in the murders. According to former reports, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Lankford's trial lawyer denied his client the right to affective counsel when the jury was allowed to consider Brian Lankford's testimony.
Therefore, Lankford was warranted a retrial or release because although the brother's corroboration is legal in federal law, Idaho forbids it.
In response to Brian Lankford's testimony, Kovis called the younger brother a "yo-yo man," switching his testimony back and forth from testifying against Mark and himself to just the elder.
"He's a liar," Kovis stated. "But Mark has never changed his version of the case."
According to the defense, Mark and Brian had been camping in the Idaho wilderness in a remote area known as Summit Flats. Brian became fed up with the cold weather and camping and wanted to head back to Texas.
Kovis stated there was an argument and Mark gave his younger brother $50 telling him "not to do anything stupid," and the pair parted ways. Brian held up the couple with his shotgun at a nearby campground, hit them on the head with the weapon and then repeatedly hit them over the head with a rock.
"While Brian is doing all this, Mark is pacing back and forth in front of the campground unaware," Kovis said.
The defense said it was then that Brian stole the couple's van and picked his brother up, Mark re-entering the scene after the murder occurred.
"Mark asked, 'Where did you get the van?' to which his brother replied, 'Don't worry about it. I just stole it off some campers,"' Kovis added.
Kovis said it was then that Mark saw the two bodies at the camp site, adding that he chose family blood over the victims' and has paid many years of his life for the costly decision.
"If you base your decision on honor and justice then you will find the defendant not guilty of murder."
Seven witnesses were called to testify on the stand before the court Monday. Witnesses included family members of the victims, current and former law enforcement officials from Idaho County, a Marine that served with Robert Bravence, and the Idaho County resident who came across the victims' bodies in the wilderness.
Many items of evidence were introduced through the first day of questioning, as well as work to establish a timeline of the incident and a thorough recreation of the crime scene at the campgrounds along the South Fork of the Clearwater River.
Second District Judge John Bradbury, presiding over the trial, made the decision to move the trial to Wallace from Grangeville in late December in order for a fair jury trial due to extensive pretrial publicity in Idaho County.
The trial continues in Wallace today beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Originally published at Shoshone News-Press
Originally published by the Lewiston Tribune
