Alicia Ritenour Takes The Stand On Day Two Of Her Trial
By Eduardo Zamarripa, CRI Weekly News
Testimonies continued on the second day of Alicia Ritenour’s trial. Alicia Ritenour, as well as the doctor who performed the autopsy on Ava Ritenour, took the stand on Friday.
Alicia Ritenour has been charged with murder in the first degree, and child endangerment, in the death of her 18-month old daughter Ava Ritenour. Alicia Ritenour has pled not guilty.
On Friday, Jan. 24, officers found 18-month old Ava Ritenour deceased after responding to a 911 call at the Southern Hills Apartment Complex.
According to the affidavit released by the Oskaloosa Police Department, the infant had been deceased “for a significant period of time” when they arrived on scene. A witness said it heard a loud thump during the middle of the night, of the previous night, according to the affidavit.
An autopsy was performed at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner on the body of Ava Ritenour on Jan. 25 and 26. It was determined that the cause of death had been trauma to the head. The manner of death was classified as a homicide, according to the police report.
Five individuals took the stand on Thursday (Nov. 13). You can read a summary of the first day of the trial right here.
On Friday (Nov. 14), Alicia Ritenour was the last of seven individuals to take the stand. Alicia Ritenour talked about her relationship with Jacob Rauch and Logan Cavan, and described the day of Ava Ritenour’s passing.
On Rauch, Alicia Ritenour said “I thought we got along pretty well.” On Cavan, Alicia Ritenour said the two didn’t really have a relationship and were not friends.
Ritenour talked about her parenting. She said she was very proud of her daughter and added, “I’m not gonna say I was a perfect mom.” Her attorney, Michael Adams, asked her about the state’s allegations that she had “inconsistent” stories in the interviews she provided.
Alicia Ritenour said “she was really ticked off” that the authorities kept asking her questions instead of trying to revitalize Ava Ritenour. Alicia Ritenour added that she was going through a lot and acknowledged giving different information to the authorities, but said she tried to revoke some of her comments once she realized she had provided the wrong information.
“I don’t know how someone is supposed to deal with this,” Alicia Ritenour said.
Alicia Ritenour also said she expressed concerns about Cavan on her second interview on Jan. 31, because she spoke to her neighbors Ashley Parks and Zachary Beason the day of Ava Ritenour’s funeral. Beason and Parks told Alicia Ritenour about an incident in which Cavan clenched his fist and raised it towards Ava Ritenour saying “shut the f**k up” and “all she f***ing does is cry.”
In his testimony on Thursday, Rauch said Beason told him about the incident, and Rauch then told Alicia Ritenour. Alicia Ritenour denied Rauch telling her about the incident and said that’s why she expressed her concerns about Cavan to the authorities.
On the day of Ava Ritenour’s passing, Jan. 24, Alicia Ritenour said she woke up and put a bottle in Ava Ritenour’s room before driving Abigail Parker, her cousin, to school. Alicia Ritenour said that when she returned from driving Parker to school, Cavan was sleeping on the couch with a pink blanket (Ava Ritenour was found deceased with a “vanilla-colored” blanket, a blanket that the defense claims was typically used by Cavan).
Alicia Ritenour further discussed her interactions with the authorities and added that blaming the mother was the easy way out.
“I felt wronged, like they didn’t want to do their job,” Alicia Ritenour said.
Alicia Ritenour said she felt guilt for trusting Rauch and Cavan around Ava Ritenour.
Alicia Ritenour testimony will continue on Monday at 9 a.m., as the state will continue its cross-examination.
But Alicia Ritenour was not the only individual to take the stand on Friday. Earlier, the state called Dr. Michelle Catellier to the stand. Catellier is an associate medical examiner for the state of Iowa, and performed an autopsy on Ava Ritenour on Jan. 25.
Catellier described the injuries inflicted on Ava Ritenour.
“There was significant injury on the head,” Catellier said.
Catellier said that based on the fractures she examined, she estimated at least four to five blows to the head. Catellier also explained that determining a time of death is a very difficult. She went on to say that Ava Ritenour could have been deceased from six to 24 hours before she was found.
Catellier also described the force used as “excessive and extreme,” and added that the fractures she found were equivalent to the fractures she would find in a motor vehicle accident.
Earlier on Friday, Agent Don Schnitker testified as well. Schnitker is the lead agent of the investigation and works for the Department of Criminal Investigation.
Schnitker interviewed Alicia Ritenour on three separate occasions and said he found “inconsistencies” with her story. Specifically, Schnitker said Alicia Ritenour gave different stories on what she did the morning of the passing of Ava Ritenour. On one interview, Alicia Ritenour said she put a bottle in Ava Ritenour’s room before driving Abigail Parker to school, in another interview, Alicia Ritenour told Schnitker she fed Ava Ritenour after returning from driving Parker to school.
In one interview, Alicia Ritenour also denied having sexual intercourse with Jacob Rauch the morning of the passing of Ava Ritenour, and in another interview, Alicia Ritenour confirmed having sex with Rauch.
Schnitker added that his team investigated Alicia Ritenour’s phone and found several incoming and outgoing calls from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 24, the day of Ava Ritenour’s passing. He also said there were about 10-12 text messages between Alicia Ritenour and her mom, Tina Ritenour. Because of Alicia Ritenour’s cell phone provider, the authorities were not able to read the text messages or listen to the incoming and outgoing calls.
Schnitker also referenced negative posts published on Alicia Ritenour’s Facebook page. The defendant’s attorney, Michael Adams, reminded the jury that no one can be certain Alicia Ritenour published those posts herself. On Thursday, the state referenced a negative post on Alicia Ritenour’s Facebook post. Adams said the post referenced an Eminem song called “Run Rabbit Run.”
Catellier and Schnitker concluded the state’s presentation of evidence.
The defense then called on Abigail Parker.
Parker, Alicia Ritenour’s cousin, described Ritenour as her “sister” and said Alicia Ritenour is a good mother. Parker had temporarily moved into Alicia Ritenour’s apartment because her dad was working out of town. Alicia Ritenour would drive Parker to school.
Parker also spoke about Logan Cavan. Parker said Cavan was not around Ava Ritenour very much and referred to him as a “very temperamental person.” Parker said Cavan would get upset whenever he was asked to do chores around the house.
Parker also said that Alicia Ritenour checked on Ava Ritenour and put a bottle in Ava’s room before driving Parker to school on the day Ava Ritenour passed away.
The state then cross examined Parker and said Parker had told the police that Rauch and Cavan both were “incredible” with Ava Ritenour. Assistant Attorney General Susan Krisko pointed out that Parker told the police that Alicia Ritenour did not check on Ava Ritenour before driving her to school on Jan. 24, and that she confirmed that Alicia Ritenour would sometimes call Ava “little bitch.”
The defense then called on Megan Carmer, and Michael Gaarder, both family friends of the Ritenours.
Carmer said Alicia Ritenour was a “good mother” and that she was always very careful and protective with Ava Ritenour. Carmer also said she had never heard of Rauch and did not know he was in a relationship with Alicia Ritenour. Gaarder said that Alicia Ritenour parented Ava Ritenour “very well.”
The defense then called on Ashley Parks and Zachary Beason. Parks and Beason lived in Apt. 221, right across from Alicia Ritenour.
Beason talked about an incident in which Cavan clenched his fist and raised it towards Ava Ritenour saying “shut the f**k up” and “all she f***ing does is cry.” Beason said Cavan did not hit Ava Ritenour and said that’s the only time he saw Cavan do that. Beason told Rauch about the incident. Parker confirmed seeing Cavan raise his fist towards Ava Ritenour as well.
The trial will continue on Monday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. at the Mahaska County Courthouse.
