Tyler Thomas' college friends testify at Josh Keadle trial Wednesday

BEATRICE - The murder trial of Joshua Keadle continued at the Gage County Courthouse in Beatrice Wednesday, with the first full day of testimony after opening statements Tuesday.

The jury heard from seven total witnesses - all of whom were friends or acquaintances of Tyler "Ty" Thomas when she was a student at Peru State College. Much of the questioning focused on the night of Dec. 2, 2010 - the night Thomas disappeared.

On that night, Thomas and a group of friends made their way to Shyriah Marshall's off-campus apartment. The group was celebrating Marshall's birthday that night, and went party hopping, eventually ending up at a place known as "The Baseball House" just down the street from campus. It was a residence where many Peru State baseball players lived.

On that night, several altercations broke out at the Baseball House, resulting in police showing up. Some of Thomas' friends left the house with Thomas still inside. Eventually, Dana Dormer led Thomas back to Shyriah Marshall's apartment. Shortly thereafter, Thomas and Myneeka Childs got into a verbal altercation at Marshall's that nearly turned physical. Both Childs and Thomas had to be restrained.

Thomas became angry with Childs for supposedly "leaving her" at the baseball house, and drunkenly lashed out at several people that night.

Eventually, after kicking a hole in the wall at Marshall's apartment and stating that she wanted to go to Omaha, Thomas stormed out of the apartment and was last seen walking back toward Peru State campus. She was never seen or heard from after that. One of Thomas' friends, Jenna French, said she last heard from Thomas via text around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 3. French then learned that Thomas was missing about two hours later. 

Another friend of Thomas', Leslie Portillo, testified that she had seen and heard Keadle arguing with Thomas during the fall 2010 semester, even calling her a "bitch" on more than one occasion. Portillo couldn't exactly recall when those confrontations took place.

Keadle, 38, is currently serving a 15-20 year sentence for first-degree sexual assault from Dodge County. Thomas' body was never recovered - she was declared legally dead in 2013. On Tuesday, prosecutors asserted that Thomas "was killed at the (Missouri) River, and dumped in the river" near a boat dock in Peru. Keadle allegedly picked Thomas up in his car the night she disappeared.

The defense says no DNA links Thomas to ever being in Keadle's car the night of Dec. 2, 2010. The trial continues on Thursday, and could last up to three weeks.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @Tommy_NCN.