Published: June 07, 2006 12:02 pm      

Ada attorney state prosecutor in murder trial

WOODWARD — The next scheduled hearing for Katherine Pollard, accused of first-degree murder in the disappearance of her 6-year old son, Logan Tucker, is set for August, according to Chris Ross, the state’s prosecuting attorney from Ada.

Ross’ involvement in the trial was sought by the state because the child’s body has not been found and he has won convictions in murder cases where no body has been recovered.

Pollard’s attorney, David Christian, was dismissed from the case by Associate District Judge Joseph Marak Thursday, June 1, for an alleged conflict of interest from an inappropriate relationship.

Christian denies his relationship with Pollard was inappropriate and according to Ross, “Pollard’s allegations, true or not, have created a conflict of interest.” Pollard spoke of splitting proceeds from a movie deal about her life with Christian. Prosecutors presented evidence, including a receipt for a hotel room Pollard stayed in that was paid for by Christian.

Logan Tucker disappeared around June 23, 2002, according to Woodward County Sheriff Les Morton and Undersheriff Monty Clem. Katherine Rutan Pollard was arrested some 44 months after the child went missing and remains jailed on a $250,000 bond. Authorities say Pollard told various stories to people about her son’s whereabouts, ranging from him being in DHS care, to being with his birth father. Others were told Logan Tucker was camping with her brother inVermont or Pennsylvania, or was sent to the Brown School in Tulsa, none of which was verified.

Allegations that Pollard borrowed a shovel and some plastic and left to dig wildflowers, which she never brought back on June 24, 2002, were stated in an affidavit filed with the court clerk. The grandparents were concerned enough over not having heard from Logan to ask a deputy to do a welfare check on the boy on July 7. The next day deputies searched Pollard’s car and found a large plastic sheeting, some cotton rope and a bottle of drain cleaner, but no Logan. Pollard was staying at Melody Lennington’s residence in Woodward where deputies also found masking tape with hairs stuck to it and what appeared to be blood on it in the basement. A DNA analysis found the blood to be consistent with hair belonging to an offspring of Robert Tucker (Logan’s father) and Katherine Rutan Pollard.

Pollard’s four year old son may have witnessed her take his brother in her car to a field where she allegedly went to bury him. The boy said his brother was in the backseat of the car sitting up, but not crying or talking and his mother carried Logan with her but did not bring him back to the car. The affidavit alleges the mother also told him to stay in the car because there were snakes out there. The boy was not able to take officers to the specific area where this occurred.

For the past three weeks an indepth search of the Woodward County Landfill has been undertaken after a tip from a man led police to look for Logan Tucker’s body there. The Colorado law enforcement officers were asked for their assistance in searching the site due their expertise along with local oil-field companies who have moved 150 tons of trash to get to the the target area used in 2002. Undersheriff Monte Clem said searchers are specifically looking for a suitcase, plastic and rope.