Courts

Jury selection Monday will begin Phillips homicide trial in La Crosse that could draw national media

Published

1 year ago

November 5, 2023

Brad Williams

FILE - An aerial photo of the home of Mark and Lori Phillips is shown in La Crosse County court

A jury is scheduled to be chosen Monday in La Crosse County court for a murder case dating back nearly five years.

About 80 people have been included in the jury pool for the Lori Phillips case, which is expected to draw national media coverage on Court TV.

Phillips goes on trial for the February 2019 death of her husband Mark at their Holmen area residence.

Mark’s body was discovered lying in a snowbank. Authorities believe Lori hit him with a truck after an argument.

During a pre-trial hearing last week, the La Crosse County District Attorney’s office wanted the jury to visit the crime scene. Defense attorney Christopher Zachar, however, argued against it, saying there was already enough evidence available for the trial. Judge Elliott Levine ruled in favor of Zachar.

The court calendar says opening statements could begin later on Monday and that the case may last all week.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.