More than a year after a woman was found stabbed to death near a college campus, her killer is headed to trial.
Tyrik Jones is charged in the death of Rebecca Miller, who was found dead along a walking trail near Geneva College last January. Only Channel 11 was in the courtroom as his trial got underway.
Several of Miller’s close friends took the witness stand, testifying that they pieced together clues from the last day she was alive, which is how they eventually found her body.
One friend told the jury she got a text from Miller the day she disappeared, saying “I’m going on a walk with Ty.”
Then they heard nothing from her for days.
Miller’s friends decided to search the Rails to Trails path behind Geneva College, first discovering her water bottle and umbrella. Deeper into the trail, they saw her body lying on the ground.
According to police, Miller had been raped, and stabbed several times. It took five months for them to charge Jones with her death.
During testimony, Channel 11 learned Jones admitted to a friend that he took a walk with Miller on the trail, but claimed he left her there to meditate.
Surveillance video shows the two of them walking down the path, and only Jones returning.
Prosecutors are arguing that DNA is a big part of their case — but the defense is countering that, saying another person’s DNA was also found on Rebecca’s body.
The trial is expected to last through the week.
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