Murder Trial Begins In Glenwood

Opening arguments were heard in a trial Tuesday afternoon at the Mills County Courthouse for a 27-year-old Ohio man charged with first-degree murder.

Mark Alan Troutman is accused of fatally shooting 18-year-old Kathryn “Katie” Weber-Kuhl outside the Linnwood Estates Assisted Living facility last September.

Ms. Weber-Kuhl was an employee at Linnwood Estates and was shot outside the facility while on break from her job on the evening of Sept. 17. Troutman was arrested less than 90 minutes later at the Western Inn Motel where a handgun believed to be used in the shooting was secured.

In his opening statements, assistant Mills County Attorney Tyler Loontjer told the jury of three men and 11 women (including two alternates) nobody is disputing Troutman shot Ms. Weber-Kuhl in the head to cause her death and evidence will be presented during the trial proving his actions were premeditated.

Loontjer said Troutman was upset because Ms. Weber-Kuhl had ended a long-distance relationship with him in August. Loontjer said Troutman made the 700-mile drive from Sylvania, Ohio, to Glenwood with a handgun and extra ammunition. Loontjer said Troutman checked in the Western Inn on Sept. 15 (two days before the shooting) and on the day of the fatal incident wrote ” I can’t live with that and neither should she” on his motel room wall.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson, in his opening statements, painted Troutman as a heartbroken man who became depressed and suicidal after Ms. Weber-Kuhl, "the love of his life," broke off their relationship. Nelson indicated Troutman reached out to a friend online and to a suicide prevention hotline where he allegedly shared thoughts of killing himself.           

On Sept. 17, according to Nelson, Troutman began drinking heavily while watching football on television in his motel room. Nelson said photographs of the motel room will show three empty rum bottles.

Nelson said there are no eyewitness to the shooting and claims Troutman never went to Linnwood Estates with intent to kill Ms. Weber-Kuhl, but rather to kill himself in her presence.

“He was obsessed with killing himself in front of her, not killing her, after the break-up,” Nelson said.

Nelson said a video of Troutman in police custody following his arrest shows Troutman handcuffed with his head down, pleaing for officers to kill him.

“He planned to kill himself,” Nelson said. “His intoxication shows this was not premeditated. There were no witnesses so no one knows what happened.”

Jurors will begin seeing evidence and hearing testimony Wednesday morning.