Immediately after the verdict, another trial began in the court of Judge Terry Shewmaker, this one on the matter of what sentence to impose. After the second deliberation, the jury recommended that Halliburton be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Judge Shewmaker, who will impose a sentence on May 17th, is not bound by the jury’s recommendation.

The trial ended with a bizarre and unusual twist, when Halliburton, who was not shackled or handcuffed, broke away from sheriff’s deputies on the way out of the courtroom. After a brief search, his escape attempt ended when he was found hiding in a bathroom in the basement of the court house.

Marshal Michael Swallow and Chief Deputy Mike Albin of the Bristol Police Department (BPD) were present for the three 12-hour days of the trial. Swallow was only able to be in the courtroom for his own testimony, but remained nearby in a separate room. Albin, as the lead investigator in the case, testified for more than eight hours, and attended the entire trial.

Both Swallow and Albin expressed their relief that the trial is over, ending a long, expensive, and time-consuming period for their department, and assisting with closure to Kiska’s family. The verdict came four years, one month, and one day after Sheena’s murder. Albin spent a large majority of his time during that period working on this case, for many years devoting full time effort to the exhaustive investigation.

Marshal Swallow noted that he had made a promise to Kiska’s parents that he would put forth every effort to find and prosecute the person responsible for their daughter’s death. He acknowledged that many police departments would find it difficult to devote the time and resources that the BPD was able to bring to this case. He said the Bristol Town Council “can’t be praised enough” for giving his department the funds and other support it needed to bring this matter to a successful conclusion.

Swallow and Albin emphasized the fact that this case was solved because of a “joint effort,” in which the BPD was assisted by many other agencies, including state police, county sheriff’s departments, and local police departments, both from Indiana and Michigan, and Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office investigator Dave Gizzi.

Chief Deputy Albin said that he is “pleased with the outcome” of the trial, and is convinced that “justice was served.” He added that he feels he “has been enriched by the entire process,” including by the parts played by the judge, the prosecution, and the defense. “I’m proud of every one of the jurors,” he said, noting that their lives will be changed by doing their civic duty in this trial.

Commenting on key factors in the trial, the police officers stressed the importance of the testimony of Halliburton’s former girlfriend, Nicole DeFronzo. After lying about her knowledge of the crime for almost four years, she recently admitted knowing about the defendant’s guilt. The officers said that her testimony “tied up a lot of loose ends, and corroborated many details of the investigation,” confirming what they had thought had happened at the scene of the crime.

The jury’s visit to the apartment in which the murder took place was possible because the BPD had sealed off the unit as a “crime scene” for the last four years. This undoubtedly helped the jurors understand the brutal nature of the killing, in which the victim suffered more than 50 stab wounds with a knife.

Even though the trial is over and the verdict rendered, Albin says he will be involved in tying up loose ends for some time. He and Swallow are more than ready to see their over-extended police department return to its normal routine, serving the community of Bristol.

Marshal Michael Swallow (left) and Chief Deputy Mike Albin look over the seemingly endless files and paperwork all gathered while investigating the Kiska murder case. (Photo supplied)