Thirty-four years after Tammy Rothganger was murdered, her bereaved family found a modicum of justice, when Martin Dean Priest was declared guilty of Capital Murder on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 in Laclede County court.

Excerpts from closing arguments (judge limited amount of video; footage courtesy KRCG pool camera):

Priest's trial lasted two-and-a-half days and the prosecution's relied heavily on the testimony of David Nicholas, who was 13 when Tammy was killed. Nicholas told the jury he was in the car when 15-year-old Tammy got in with him and Priest, on May 16, 1984. Nicholas said Priest told them they were skipping school that day, and he drove them to a remote place in Miller County where he knocked Tammy unconscious with a wrench, raped her, and strangled her. Nicholas said they put Tammy's body in a back bedroom of his house, and later moved the body to a hole.

The defense sought to undermine Nicholas' testimony and credibility, but the jury took less than two hours to come to a decision: Priest is guilty.

The state waived the death penalty before the trial. Sentencing is set for Nov. 6, at 10 a.m., at the Laclede County Courthouse.

Read prior coverage of Tammy's death and the hunt for her killer:

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