5:05 p.m. | Court is in recess for the evening. It resumes at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
4:56 p.m. | Farris and Yust can be heard making their way to the spot they plan to contact Kopetsky.
Farris remarks on the difficulty of the trek and how it must have been hard to carry Kopetsky's body downhill in the area.
She asks Yust, "Why here?" It's difficult to hear what he said in response.
4:40 p.m. | The recording has switched back to audio only.
Yust sounds agitated and said "no one knows this" and that Farris is "the only person."
4:36 p.m. | Yust and Farris appear to arrive at the location they plan to use the Ouija board. He said he swore it was the one place he'd never go back to.
When Farris again says she's excited to hear what Kopetsky has to say and asks Yust if he is, he says no, "Do you understand this is the biggest f*** up of my entire life?"
4:18 p.m. | The audio recording is over and another video recording has begun. It appears they completed the Ouija board and are either on the way to Yust's home or the location the plan to try to contact Kopetsky using the board.
Farris says, "I wonder what she's going to say.." Yust responds by asking if Farris will give him another chance. Saying they could move anywhere like Sacramento, Oregon, not NC. Farris says her mom hates him, Yust says he doesn't care. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
4:10 p.m. | Farris and Yust are heard making a Ouija board and Farris gives Yust some rules about using the board.
She asked Yust some questions about Kara, things she liked, if they had any inside jokes. The pair picked up cigarettes and chocolate at a Walgreens to use.
Farris asking if Yust and Kara had any inside jokes they could put on the ouija. Yust said maybe 'chupa,' like short for 'chupacabra' because Kara had big lips. Farris and Yust continue to chat casually. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
3:32 p.m. | A new recording begins — this one without video.
Moving to an audio recording, it sounds like maybe they got to their destination, getting out of the car. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Just hearing a lot of rustling around. I'm not sure what they're doing, walking? Farris had said previously that they got all their ouija board supplies to take out into the woods to contact Kara's spirit. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
3:30 p.m. | The conversation is bouncing between topics. Farris talks about Ouija boards while Yust repeatedly brings up wanting to get back together with her.
He asks if she's really going to give him another chance, says he'll do anything for her. She says maybe. Then she changes subject. Yust is still giving her directions. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Strange moment in secret FBI recording of Kylr Yust and ex-girlfriend, Katelyn Farris. She put up her pinkie for a "pinkie swear" or "pinkie promise," and he leaned in and bit her finger and wouldn't let go till she hit him. He just laughed. #yusttrial
— Caitlin Knute-KSHB (@CKnuteKSHB) April 7, 2021
Overall, Yust seems to be trying to convince Farris to have sex with him, keeps telling her he still wants to be with her, all as they drive around before they go to the site where they are going to use a Ouija board to try to contact Kara's spirit.
— Caitlin Knute-KSHB (@CKnuteKSHB) April 7, 2021
3:23 p.m. | Court is back in session. They resume playing hidden camera footage of Farris and Yust's conversation in the car.
2:48 p.m. | Court is in a sort recess.
2:45 p.m. | Farris and Yust are heard on a fourth recording talking about what to put on the Ouija board to try to contact Kopetsky.
Farris said Kopetsky "seemed like a cool girl," and Yust further described her:
"She flew by the seat of her pants, always down to have a good time, always spoke her mind... She was just awesome."
Yust tells Farris he thinks she and Kopetsky would have liked each other.
Yust said Kara was mature. "She just.. she flew by the seat of her pants you know? Always down to have a good time, always spoke her mind," Yust said. "She was just awesome." #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Yust talking to Farris on wire-tapped conversation about Kopetsky, describes her as someone who would fly by the seat of her pants, someone who would tell you what she thought. He said, "I think you would have really liked each other."
— Caitlin Knute-KSHB (@CKnuteKSHB) April 7, 2021
2:20 p.m. | The first part of the recorded conversation between Farris and Yust has concluded. The jurors are now viewing a video recording of Yust and Farris in what appears to be Farris' vehicle.
She's asking him if he doesn't want to be alone with her because of what Kara said...? Not sure what the context is. We clearly saw Yust's face in the hidden camera frame. He looks a lot younger, different. This recording happened a decade ago. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:55 p.m. | On the audio recording Yust appears upset Farris is no longer with him.
We're just hearing more of their conversation.. Talking about some intimate details. Farris had moved to NC with her new husband, Yust sounds like he was upset about it, telling her he's still hung up on her.. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:44 p.m. | The audio recording has Yust making suicidal statements.
Yust heard on audio telling Farris she'll never hear from him again because he's going to kill himself. Yust has said over and over that no one will ever love him, every girl he's loved has left him. He doesn't sound like he's in a good frame of mind. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:40 p.m. | Yust calls himself a "killer" on the recording.
Calls himself a "killer." Breaks down and cries, saying he's not good enough for anyone, he's always alone. That this happened because he "killed someone." #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:39 p.m. | Audio from the wire reveals Yust's comments about other women.
Farris is telling Yust he's not an evil person. Yust said the only girl who actually knows about the "Kara thing" won't talk to him again .. He's talking very fast.. saying that he has to be reminded of raping someone.. Calling himself a "pervert f-ing douchebag."#YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:32 p.m. | Audio from the wire instance is played in the courtroom.
Just heard what we assume is Yust's voice on camera saying "...on the day we're going to the death spot of the girlfriend I killed..." #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
ON AUDIO. Farris says "at least you feel better about getting this off your chest." Yust said he regrets telling Farris about it. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
On the audio Farris tries to convince Yust she'll never tell. Yust says he can trust her about as far as he can throw her. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:30 p.m. | Farris talks about the wire and how the pair made an Ouija board to contact Kara.
Farris says she flew back from NC to wear a wire for the FBI and contacted Yust to hang out. She said they hung out for awhile, 4-6 hours, most of that caught on audio. She says she was on a ouija board kick, and wanted to make one to see where Kara was and if she was happy.
— Caitlin Knute-KSHB (@CKnuteKSHB) April 7, 2021
1:25 p.m. | Farris explains the meaning of Yust's tattoo.
Yust gave Farris a tattoo.. She asked him about his 'funky' tattoos. He has a raven tattoo w/ all seeing eye with wings wrapping around his neck - told her it's a representation of fingers around the neck, of death. #YustTrial
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:23 p.m. | Farris is asked about an instance where she wore a wire, which the defense initially filed a motion to suppress.
Farris says she was living in North Carolina when FBI contacted her about her helping out w/ investigation, and later they asked her if she'd be willing to wear a wire. At the time, she was married to another man, but was still friends w/ Yust and talked to him regularly.
— Caitlin Knute-KSHB (@CKnuteKSHB) April 7, 2021
1:20 p.m. | Farris said she was not afraid of Yust.
Farris said she wasn't concerned w/ her safety when Yust told her about Kara, she just thought he was messed up on drugs. She continued to have contact w/ PD and FBI in the coming years.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:18 p.m. | Farris discussed her relationship with Yust and comments he made about Kara.
She described easygoing relationship, normal high school stuff. Lasted a year. She did not know Kara but learned about their relationship. Said Yust showed up on 'some sort of substance' to her house..
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Yust asked Farris if she knew about his relationship w/ Kara. Farris said Yust told her he had put Kara in his car and she was never seen again. pic.twitter.com/ndTCZbmfwb
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Farris told a friend about this encounter w/ Yust, the friend told police. Police contacted Farris. She had 'heard things thru the grapevine' but never took the rumors seriously.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
1:14 p.m. | After the lunch break, Katelyn Farris is called as a witness.
Back from lunch break. Katelyn Farris, another of Yust's ex-girlfriends, is testifying.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:45 a.m. | Court is in recess until 1 p.m.
11:40 a.m. | St. Clair said Yust made statements to her about dragging Kopetsky's body into the woods.
St. Clair said she didn't know until today that her and Runions' bodies were found in the woods.
She said she had met Runions briefly once.
She got the ex-parte order but they ended up getting back together. On and off until 2013. Candace did not tell police about Yust's statements about dragging Kara's body in the woods. I think defense is trying to portray her to the jury as unreliable.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:38 a.m. | During cross examination, the defense questions St. Clair's timeline of events.
They ask why St. Clair didn't go to the police immediately following the attack, or why she didn't tell anyone at a crisis pregnancy center about the attack. St. Clair said she was scared.
St. Clair was pregnant with Yust's child at the time. She said when she was eventually interviewed by police, she miscarried the child.
Candace went to a crisis pregnancy center four days after the attack but didn't tell anyone about it. She didn't tell them about her injuries. She didn't post anything, tell police until August. She posted about the attack on the Find Kara Kopetsky page.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
The defense also questions St. Clair's involvement in a "Find Kara" Facebook group.
"Instead of reaching out to the police, you reached out to the Find Kara Kopetsky group?" Defense is trying to drive the point that she didn't go to the police initially. Then Officer Josh Meirer (that kcpd officer) contacted her for an interview.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:33 a.m. | St. Clair describes long drives she and Yust used to take to smoke weed. She said she recalled driving by the area Kopetsky and Runion's remains were eventually found.
At one point, she said Yust told her he collected "Find Kara" signs and put them in her parents' yard.
Candace said Yust said something bad had happened to Kara, that he was dragging her through the woods. She had been suspicious about certain locations. Candace said she briefly met Jessica Runions.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:23 a.m. | The state questions St. Clair about a violent attack from Yust in July 2011. Yust found her packing bags to leave from their shared apartment and began choking her.
St. Clair said Yust positioned his hands in a way to crush her throat, and when she lost consciousness he would punch her legs to wake her up and choke her again.
She said Yust told her he'd killed past girlfriends out of sheer jealousy and would kill her too before she had a chance to scream.
This is Candace telling her story. She said after Yust strangled her repeatedly, she woke up to him the next day to him spooning her and telling her if she was good it wouldn't happen again. She told her friend about it, posted on Facebook, that's when police contacted her. pic.twitter.com/3CCEOaeOhN
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:11 a.m. | The state next calls Candice St. Clair (formerly Matthews) to the witness stand. She dated Yust off-and-on for about a year.
11:08 a.m. | The prosecution briefly speaks with Yeates again, saying he's "always been truthful" that he didn't know exactly what Yust said, but did know he confessed to killing Kopetsky.
State redirects: Says Yates has always been truthful about what he remembers, that he was drinking the night of the alleged confession, he realized w/ clarity that this happened. Yates confirms, says Yust said he killed her but didn't go into specifics.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
11:00 a.m. | The defense's line of questioning turns to the genre of music The Seraphim played: death metal.
Defense attorney Sharon Turlington asks Yeates about death metal culture and if things such as violence, sexual violence and other dark themes were prevalent and "cool" in that community.
10:51 a.m. | During questioning, Yeates recalled a time Yust allegedly confessed to him that he'd killed Kopetsky.
He lived with Yust at the time of Kopetsky's disappearance and said Yust tried to prepare him for interviews with police.
In cross examination, the defense questions Yeates about his memory, because at one point he said the confession may have been a dream, but ultimately he said he believes it happened.
The defense also points out Yeates failed to go to the police because he initially believed it was a dream. The police contacted him months later after receiving a tip and that's when he told them about the confession.
Yeates at one point wore a wire to try to recapture the confession.
Yates: Yust said he 'just snapped' & something bad happened to Kara. Yates said they'd been drinking that night. At one point he said something like it may have been a dream but then said he is certain Yust confessed. Yates wore a wire later on but Yust didn't say anything else.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
At some point, Yates secretly wore a wire to Waffle House w/ Yust. Yates asked him if he killed Yust, Yust denied it & said whatever he said at Burger King basically wasn't true. Yust said he responsible anyway, that being a suspect was ruining his life.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
10:36 a.m. | The state calls Nick Yeates to the stand. He identifies himself as a "former friend of Kylr's," and played in a band called "The Seraphim" with Yust.
10:33 a.m. | The defense wraps up cross examination of Jones with questions about Kopetsky's phone record and GPS trackers placed on Yust's car.
10:20 a.m. | Court is back in session. Defense questioning of Jones resumes.
This friend, Ryan Talley, said he saw Yust's truck day Kara went missing on Hwy Y, which is near where her body (and Jessica's body) were found.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:53 a.m. | Judge Collins called a 15 minute recess.
9:50 a.m. | The defense questioned Jones about the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department doing "their own" investigations into Kopetsky's case.
Jones said Belton police told a rogue officer to stop his investigation and hand over everything he had, but learned a year later he was still contacting witnesses.
Belton told the KCPD officer to stop and hand over everything he had. Officer assured them he would, handed them a stack of docs. But a year later, Belton found out from witnesses that this officer was still contacting them about the case.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:42 a.m. | The defense asks Jones about a lead he was assigned to check out.
Now we're getting into a sort of confusing side story here. A man said he was contacted by someone using screen name "IcePrincess" and thought it might be Kara. Jones was assigned to figure that out.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Who is IcePrincess? Jones said they never figured that out for sure. This man knew Kara, in circle of friends. Believed that if it wasn't Kara contacting him then it was Yust. I thought the defense might ask more about this since it was outlined in a motion but guess not.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:39 a.m. | The defense questioned the Belton police's investigation of Yust's alibi.
Yust's grandpa said he filled Yust's truck w/ gas at Belton gas station that day. Defense says PD never went to check at the gas station either. "None of that was ever done, did you know that?"
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:20 a.m. | The defense questioned the accuracy of the phone data in cross-examination.
State has no further questions. Defense cross examining Jones. Jones said the phone companies never sent them the full GPS data on Yust's phone. Later they found out that TMobile had a system that would quit capturing data when tower was overloaded, data wouldn't be available.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Defense asking Jones if they ever tried to recreate the location data on Yust's phone? He said no, he is not aware. Jones continually saying that he attempted to get the location data but it was not provided.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Defense's tactic is trying to show that Jones didn't try hard enough to find Yust's gps data. Says that Jones made multiple reports about psychics calling but yet he never documented his multiple attempts to find the gps data? Jones says he wrote many reports over the years.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:16 a.m. | Jones gives testimony about interviewing friends of Yust during the investigation.
State asks Jones to confirm that two friends of Yust's said Yust confessed to killing Kara. Jones recalls friends said Yust made statements he wanted to 'go out w/ a bang,' have a concert and kill himself on stage and tell everyone what happened.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9:10 a.m. | The prosecution has started trying to poke holes in Yust's alibi on the day of Kara's disappearance.
Yust said he was w/ his grandpa on 5/4 around 1ish, that's his alibi. But state points out that Yust's records show he called his grandpa at 1:06pm, then called his friend at 3:35pm. Grandpa calls him later at 4:29. Kara's friends and mother start calling him from 4:56 - 8ish.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Kara's friend, grandma, mother call him asking where she's at. Yust calls grandpa again, grandpa calls him back in 8pm hour. Then at 11:25 pm Yust tried to call Kara's phone, but his records show no further calls/texts/ attempts to contact her after that.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
9 a.m. | Jones also shared testimony related to Yust's phone records and communication with Kara.
Now Jones is going over Yust's phone records from end of April thru early May 07. Constant communication between Kara/Yust - but not after 5/4.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
No activity on Kylr's phone from 9:22am - 11:28am on 5/4.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
8:56 a.m. | Jones relays information about Kara's phone records that matches up with information in the initial probable cause statement.
Kara was also texting w/ Yust early that morning, other friends. Jones says her phone never sent any texts after 9:46am, never made any phone calls after 10:25am that day 5/4/07.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
8:46 a.m. | Jones testified about Kara's online activity and an interview with Yust after her disappearance.
Says there was no activity on any of Kara's social media, phone, email after 5/4/07. He interviewed Yust who said he didn't know anything about where Kara was, accused her of 'running around w/ different guys.'
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Jones: Yust said he & Kara talked on 4/3 and she had plans to meet with friends & that made him mad. Jones got Kara's full phone records. pic.twitter.com/2PaRniiPx4
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
Jones is going over Kara's records, all the people she called the morning she went missing. Called some friends from 8ish am thru 9:20am, including incoming/outcoming calls w/ Kylr Yust. She was trying to skip school that morning, needed ride.
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
8:41 a.m. | The first witness called for the day is retired Belton police detective Billy Jones.
Hearing from the first witness of the day - Billy Jones, ret. Belton PD detective. He investigated Kara's disappearance in 2007. Follow this thread to get updates from the Yust trial all day. @41actionnews
— Sarah Plake (@SarahPlakeTV) April 7, 2021
8 a.m. | The murder trial for Kylr Yust will enter its third day on Wednesday, which will be the second day of hearing witness testimony.
Yust is accused of killing Kara Kopetsky in 2007 and Jessica Runions in 2016.
On Tuesday, the jury heard from 15 witnesses called by the prosecution, including Kara's mother, Rhonda Beckford.
The prosecution appeared to be taking a chronological approach to calling witnesses, starting with Kara's mother and working through various friends and members of the Belton Police Department who worked on her restraining order against Yust and her missing persons case.
Witnesses talked about the tension in the relationship between Yust and Kopetsky and about the early days of the investigation.
The defense spent cross-examination time questioning the early investigation and attempting to point out possible errors.
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41 Action News is committed to bringing you complete coverage of the trial of Kylr Yust, the man accused in the murders of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. Visit kshb.com/yusttrial for all our stories, case details, timeline and more.
