WINCHESTER, Tenn. - The man on trial in the double ax murder of a Bledsoe County woman and her mother took the stand Wednesday, telling jurors he had no other explanation for who was responsible for their deaths than the fact he was the only one left alive.
But Robert Joe Whittenburg, 47, denies remembering or knowing what happened the night in November 2017 that left 46-year-old Deanna Lawrence and her daughter, Dedra Lawrence, 24, dead. The brutal ax attack, according to testimony, left the women with more than two dozen wounds, one even severing the older woman's brain stem.
Whittenburg, dressed in a gray, button-down shirt and khaki pants, testified that Dedra Lawrence was "the love of his life."
Under direct questioning by his attorney, Sam Hudson, he testified he told the lead TBI agent, "I know it must have been me," but that he did "because I was the only one there. There was no proof there was anybody else."
No lies were identified in Whittenburg's testimony; it was his memory, said assistant district attorneys David Shinn and Steve Strain.
While Strain noted Whittenburg could remember things such as what he paid for a bottle of liquor the day before the women's bodies were found, coming home from work early and other details of the day, he could only say his last memory was of Dedra sitting in a chair and nothing of the slayings that left the home's floor so bloody that officers responding to the scene said they had to hold onto each other to keep from slipping and falling.
Whittenburg said he wanted answers, too. He wanted to be able to recall, he testified.
"I want to remember. I want to know what happened," Whittenburg said. "I want to know why I had to lose the love of my life."
Earlier in the day, forensic pathologist Dr. Emily Dennison testified that each of the women had "chop" and "stab" wounds that could have been inflicted with a weapon like the fireman's ax that belonged to Whittenburg.
Combined, the two women had been struck 27 times, Dennison testified. Many of the wounds would have been fatal if not treated, and the blow to the back of Deanna Lawrence's head severed her brain stem and cut the ligament that connects the skull to the neck. It would have killed her in seconds, she testified. The state rested its case after Dennison left the stand.
Before the accused man took the stand in his own defense, Whittenburg's mother, Mary Ellen Whittenburg, testified under direct questioning by Whittenburg's attorney, Sam Hudson.
She testified that she witnessed some of the arguments Whittenburg and Dedra Lawrence got into when they lived with her for a few months before the four took up residence together on Sawmill Road.
Staff photo by Ben Benton / Robert Joe Whittenburg, 47, of Pikeville, Tenn., is on trial for the 2017 slayings of Deanna Lawrence and her daughter, Dedra. The trial was moved from Bledsoe County to Franklin County because of heavy media coverage, court officials said.She said Dedra Lawrence would scream and throw things, but she'd never seen any actual violence between them.
Earlier Wednesday, the second day of testimony included direct and cross-examination of two TBI agents and a review of grisly crime scene photos.
A recorded statement from Whittenburg, taken after he was released from the hospital and returned to the Bledsoe County Jail, was played late Tuesday to the sequestered jury of eight women and six men and became the point of examination Wednesday morning.
TBI agent Keith Herron questioned Whittenburg on the recording during a 50-minute interview. During the interview, Whittenburg didn't say explicitly he killed the women, but Herron said he drew that conclusion, according to his testimony during cross-examination by Whittenburg's attorney Sam Hudson.
"He said, 'I realize it must have been me, because I was the only one there,'" Herron said.
Herron added that when he asked Whittenburg if he had ever done things and later been unable to recall them, he answered, "never."
TBI agent Chip Andy testified about a series of photos the prosecution team showed to jurors from the interior of the home, depicting the locations of the bodies and blood or reddish-brown stains throughout.
Jurors saw photos of the fireman's ax and the ax itself as evidence from the home was introduced and shown to jurors Wednesday. Other items collected from the home included a knife, box cutter and clothing.
TBI Agent Charly Castelbuono testified about testing for the presence of body fluids that could be used to match DNA profiles.
Castelbuono said swab samples were collected from a note found on Dedra Lawrence's body that was covered with Whittenburg's blood.
The alleged murder weapon had blood on it that matched both women and Whittenburg, according to Castelbuono's testimony. The curved, double-spiked claw side of the ax head had both women's DNA on it.
Circuit Court Judge Thomas Graham halted court action a little after 5 p.m. CDT.
Closing arguments are expected Thursday morning.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton.