Closing arguments held in airman's trial on charges of killing peer at Iceland base

A military prosecutor asking jurors to convict an Air Force enlistee portrayed him Tuesday as a methodical killer who hunted down a fellow airman in a workout room, slammed a weight into her face, dragged her body to another room and used a knife to finish the job.

But in closing arguments at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, Airman Calvin Eugene Hill's defense lawyer said prosecutors ignored inconvenient facts, including authorities' sloppy handling of evidence and the crime scene.

Hill, 21, of Warren, Ohio, is charged with murdering Airman First Class Ashley Turner. He could face the death penalty if convicted. The jury is scheduled to start deliberations Wednesday.

Turner, 20, of Frederick, Md., was found beaten and stabbed at the Naval Air Station in Keflavik, Iceland, on Aug. 14, 2005.

The prosecutor, Maj. Robert E. Luttrell, said Hill killed Turner because she was set to testify against him eight days later at a court-martial on larceny charges. Hill was accused of stealing about $2,700 from Turner by making ATM withdrawals using her card and personal identification number.

"He had motive, a clear undeniable motive, and he had an opportunity to kill," Luttrell said.

Hill's defense lawyers have suggested the killing could have been carried out by others, including Turner's boyfriend. He also was facing a court-martial that month on drug charges, and Turner knew of his drug use, they said.

On Tuesday, the defense noted that Turner's key card was used after the time prosecutors said she was attacked, but that prosecutors never explained why.

"The government has told you that Airman Hill had all kinds of reasons to go to her room," Capt. Jason Kellhofer said. "I was waiting because I was sure we'd get to hear one of those reasons. We didn't."

If the key card was used by Turner herself, that would mean the attack took place later, at a time witnesses say Hill was elsewhere.

The key card was found in the workout room, and prosecutors contend that Hill could have returned it later in the evening. The defense has questioned why he would have bothered to risk returning it.

A key piece of the prosecution's case is a tiny spot of Turner's blood found on Hill's shoelace. Kellhofer argued it could be from a trail of blood left when medical personnel carried Turner to an ambulance.

Hill's court-martial is being held at Bolling Air Force Base because the Keflavik base closed in September. Testimony lasted nearly three weeks.