Jennifer Amell

Judge Paul Hudson presided. In a pretrial hearing, Tallman pleaded innocent to second-degree murder. Bail was set at $100,000, money Tallman and his family probably never even dreamed of, let alone had access to. Judge Hudson also decided to seal all affidavits from the public. Jury selection began on April 29, 1985, nearly one year after Heidi Martin's murder.

Judge Paul Hudson presided. In a pretrial hearing, Tallman pleaded innocent to second-degree murder. Bail was set at $100,000, money Tallman and his family probably never even dreamed of, let alone had access to. Judge Hudson also decided to seal all affidavits from the public. Jury selection began on April 29, 1985, nearly one year after Heidi Martin's murder.

Robert Kiner and his law partner James Dumont acted as defense, and Bill Boss was the state's prosecutor. The Rutland Daily Herald reported that many potential jurors knew Delbert Tallman, knew the witnesses, or were even relatives of the victim. Many also believed that Tallman was innocent. One woman said Delbert followed her son around, who was in a band he liked.

Robert Kiner and his law partner James Dumont acted as defense, and Bill Boss was the state's prosecutor. The Rutland Daily Herald reported that many potential jurors knew Delbert Tallman, knew the witnesses, or were even relatives of the victim. Many also believed that Tallman was innocent. One woman said Delbert followed her son around, who was in a band he liked.

Her son said Tallman was constantly picked on, and he never fought back. This woman also had a daughter who was, quote, mildly retarded, and Tallman once asked her to a dance. Her daughter said Tallman was a, quote, gentleman, but she refused to go with him because he had allegedly waved a knife around, saying, quote, what I could do with this knife you don't know.

Her son said Tallman was constantly picked on, and he never fought back. This woman also had a daughter who was, quote, mildly retarded, and Tallman once asked her to a dance. Her daughter said Tallman was a, quote, gentleman, but she refused to go with him because he had allegedly waved a knife around, saying, quote, what I could do with this knife you don't know.

And yet another potential juror said she believed Tallman was framed by one of the witnesses. Opening arguments were heard on May 1st, 1985. Prosecutor Bill Boss said that Tallman had already confessed, and he would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Tallman told the truth about murdering Heidi Martin. The defense, on the other hand, opened with a pretty punk strategy.

And yet another potential juror said she believed Tallman was framed by one of the witnesses. Opening arguments were heard on May 1st, 1985. Prosecutor Bill Boss said that Tallman had already confessed, and he would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Tallman told the truth about murdering Heidi Martin. The defense, on the other hand, opened with a pretty punk strategy.

They would argue that Delbert Tallman was a witness to the murder, and he confessed only because he's intellectually challenged and, quote, feared the real killer. That's right. The defense's strategy was to point the finger at someone else. Someone they called Mr. X. April, Heidi's sister, told me that her father, Barry, and stepmother, Linda, had not attended the trial.

They would argue that Delbert Tallman was a witness to the murder, and he confessed only because he's intellectually challenged and, quote, feared the real killer. That's right. The defense's strategy was to point the finger at someone else. Someone they called Mr. X. April, Heidi's sister, told me that her father, Barry, and stepmother, Linda, had not attended the trial.

I asked Robert Kiner about this, and he said he had no memory of the victim's parents attending the trial. This struck me as kind of odd. Why wouldn't you want to hear evidence against the person who the state says killed your daughter? Yet the Burlington Free Press reports that the first people to take the stand at trial were Barry and Linda Martin.

I asked Robert Kiner about this, and he said he had no memory of the victim's parents attending the trial. This struck me as kind of odd. Why wouldn't you want to hear evidence against the person who the state says killed your daughter? Yet the Burlington Free Press reports that the first people to take the stand at trial were Barry and Linda Martin.

Here's what the article dated May 3rd, 1985 said. Quote, Barry Martin testified that his daughter was, quote, on cloud nine when she went out jogging after lunch on that fateful Sunday afternoon. They had just shopped for Heidi's first car that morning, and she was determined to get the money to buy it, he said.

Here's what the article dated May 3rd, 1985 said. Quote, Barry Martin testified that his daughter was, quote, on cloud nine when she went out jogging after lunch on that fateful Sunday afternoon. They had just shopped for Heidi's first car that morning, and she was determined to get the money to buy it, he said.

He broke down on the stand as he described his daughter as a child with a quote, He recalled how she got involved in track and cross-country skiing. Linda Martin told the jurors that she had just ridden home from work in a White River Junction early that afternoon, on a bicycle Heidi had dropped off at work.

He broke down on the stand as he described his daughter as a child with a quote, He recalled how she got involved in track and cross-country skiing. Linda Martin told the jurors that she had just ridden home from work in a White River Junction early that afternoon, on a bicycle Heidi had dropped off at work.

As the afternoon progressed, she started to worry when her daughter had not come home from jogging. The mother said she started calling neighbors around 3 p.m. By 4.30 p.m., she called the police. Barry said the search late that afternoon and into the evening turned up nothing. He said he couldn't sleep that night and intermittently searched during the early morning hours.

As the afternoon progressed, she started to worry when her daughter had not come home from jogging. The mother said she started calling neighbors around 3 p.m. By 4.30 p.m., she called the police. Barry said the search late that afternoon and into the evening turned up nothing. He said he couldn't sleep that night and intermittently searched during the early morning hours.

The next morning, the father said, he waded downstream in waist-high water, searching for his daughter. Less than an hour later, the search party found Heidi Martin's body lying in the streams. Okay, so first of all, that's kind of a strange thing to say about wading into the water and then your daughter's body being found in the water.

The next morning, the father said, he waded downstream in waist-high water, searching for his daughter. Less than an hour later, the search party found Heidi Martin's body lying in the streams. Okay, so first of all, that's kind of a strange thing to say about wading into the water and then your daughter's body being found in the water.