Minden woman to gain second attorney in Valley murder case

A woman who is accused of killing her aircraft mechanic husband will be allowed a second attorney, a Minden judge ordered Tuesday.

Karen Bodden, 44, has been incarcerated since September 2006 in connection with the shooting death of her husband Robin.

Bodden pleaded innocent to the charges on Oct. 2 and invoked her right to a trial within 60 days.

On Tuesday, Judge Dave Gamble said he would allow her defense attorney, James Wilson Jr., to seek a co-counsel in preparation for a Nov. 29 jury trial. The trial is expected to last three weeks.

Wilson's motion was to seek an attorney with death penalty experience. Gamble asked District Attorney Mark Jackson if he intended to seek the death penalty in the case. Jackson answered that he did not.

"It's not the state's intention to pursue the death penalty," he said.

Jackson opposed Wilson's request for a second attorney but agreed to help him find someone who was willing to work for the statutory rate.

Gamble said that because Bodden retained Wilson, he was willing to appoint a second attorney in the case.

Wilson said that with the trial looming just more than two weeks away, he needed help to get ready.

Gamble set a pre-trial conference on Nov. 21 to hear motions in the case, which includes two from the defense to suppress search warrants issued just before his client's arrest.

Wednesday is the deadline to file motions and it appears that there will be a minimum of a half-dozen.

Gamble also ordered at least 270 photos of the aircraft mechanic's body sealed until he could determine which ones would be shown to the jury.