The murder trial of a 36 year-old Plainfield, Illinois man was delayed Monday morning after the defendant requested a new legal counsel. Brian Cooper is charged with 2 counts of first degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of 21 year-old Alisha Bromfield, also of Plainfield, and her unborn daughter at a southern Door County resort last August.
Cooper’s request that Green Bay attorney Shane Brabazon be relieved of his duties was denied by Judge D. Todd Ehlers. The jury trial has already been delayed on at least 2 occasions and has included the granting of a request for a change of venue involving the selection of a jury from Wood County. Fourteen jurors were chosen on Friday.
Opening statements by District Attorney Ray Pelrine and Brabazon were completed before 10am Monday. After a break, the D.A. began calling witnesses to lay the groundwork for the state’s case. The jurors heard from Carrie Gossen, Door County Telecommunications Supervisor, & listened to the 911 call in which Cooper indicated that a murder had taken place & that he had committed the crime. Denise Bhirdo, testified about Cooper’s trip to her business in Sister Bay, his demeanor during the encounter & his call to the dispatch center using her cell phone.
According to the court complaint, Cooper was in a drunken rage when he strangled Bromfield to death because she did not want to have a relationship with him. The entire week has been set aside for the murder trial at the justice center in Sturgeon Bay.
