Tuesday morning testimony in Milke case details autopsy, NSP investigator findings

BEATRICE, Neb. - Tuesday morning testimony in the murder trial of a Beatrice man focused on autopsy findings and investigative evidence from the Nebraska State Patrol.

Fifty-three-year-old Christopher Milke is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Tammy Leslie. The incident occurred on Sept. 8, 2024.

On Tuesday, Dr. Michelle Elieff, a pathologist for Physicians Laboratory in Omaha, testified that she performed an autopsy on Leslie. Elieff stated there were visible injuries to Leslie’s shoulder and arm, resulting in a broken humerus, as well as injuries to the neck and facial area.

Elieff said a gunshot wound to the head was the cause of death.

Prosecutor Mike Jensen asked, "Have you determined the cause and manner of death (of Tammy Leslie)?" Elieff responded, "Yes." Jensen then asked, "And what would that be?" Elieff replied, "The cause of death to Ms. Leslie would be a gunshot wound to the head. I'd called it a perforating, or through and through, the range is indeterminant meaning it wasn't close up or contact range.... In those situations, you asked about manner, which the circumstances tell us, that would be the county attorney's determination, if asking a forensic pathologist, it would be consistent with a homicide."

Also testifying Tuesday morning was Nebraska State Patrol Investigator Justin Podany.

Podany’s testimony included photographs depicting bullet trajectory and impacts to walls and materials inside the residence at 2212 Hillcrest Ave. Podany confirmed that all shots fired inside the residence traveled in a straight line, eliminating the possibility of a parabolic arch.

Jensen asked, "Are we safe to assume a straight line path of travel from a firearm discharged in this northeast bedroom that caused these defects to the corner, running into the closet in the southeast bedroom?" Podany responded, "Yes, straight line."

Additional testimony Tuesday morning focused on establishing a timeline of text messages and phone calls from Milke to his sons, daughter, and sister on Sept. 7, the night before the death of Leslie.