THERESA PARKER’S MOTHER, CLAIRE CARRUTHERS, TOOK THE STAND IN DAY 4 OF THE SAM PARKER MURDER TRIAL IN LAFAYETTE.  SHE TESTIFIED THAT SAM HAD BEEN ACCEPTED AND LOVED BY HER FAMILY – BUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP DURING THE YEARS OF HIS MARRIAGE TO HER DAUGHTER. 

MRS. CARRUTHERS SAID SHE LAST TALKED TO HER DAUGHTER ON THE PHONE ON TUESDAY, MARCH 20th, 2007.  THAT FRIDAY NIGHT, HER YOUNGEST DAUGHTER CALLED TO SAY THAT NO ONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THERESA.  THE NEXT MORNING, THE CALL WAS MADE TO REPORT HER MISSING… AND A WALKER COUNTY DEPUTY TOOK THE REPORT.  SHE TESTIFIED THAT THAT EVENING, SATURDAY… SAM PARKER CAME TO HER HOUSE, WHICH IS NEAR HER HOME ON CORDELL ROAD… ASKING IF SHE KNEW THERESA’S WHEREABOUTS.  MRS. CARRUTHERS SAID SHE ASKED SAM WHY HE HAD NOT REPORTED HIS WIFE MISSING… AND SAID HIS REPLY WAS THAT "HE HAD TO SLEEP IN THE DAYTIME BECAUSE HE WAS WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT."  PARKER IS ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS WIFE – THOUGH HER BODY HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.

IN OTHER TESTIMONY THURSDAY, A FORMER CO-WORKER… OFFICER JASON STEADMAN, TOLD OF SAM PARKER SPEAKING TO HIM ABOUT "BEING A SUSPECT" IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HIS WIFE. STEADMAN SAID PARKER TOLD HIM "I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LIFT A BODY BECAUSE OF HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERIES."

DISTRICT ATTORNEY LEIGH PATTERSON SUBMITTED A BAG OF EVIDENCE COLLECTED CLOSE TO RIDGEWAY ROAD. SHE DID NOT IDENTIFY THE CONTENTS. AN EARLIER WITNESS TESTIFIED HE SAW A LAFAYETTE POLICE CAR, SIMILAR TO THE ONE SAM PARKER DROVE… COMING OUT OF A LOGGING ROAD ONTO RIDGEWAY ROAD ON THE EARLY MORNING AFTER MRS. PARKER DISAPPEARED. RIDGEWAY ROAD IS IN THE COUNTY, A FEW MILES SOUTH OF LAFAYETTE.

WQCH