Hearing Held For Former Tulsa Police Officer Charged With Murder

A former Tulsa police officer charged with killing his daughter's boyfriend returned to court Tuesday asking that some evidence be thrown out.

Shannon Kepler, 56, was in a Tulsa County courtroom for a motions hearing ahead of his jury trial scheduled for October.  

Shannon Kepler faces a first-degree murder charge - accused of killing his daughter's 19-year-old boyfriend Jeremy Lake in August of 2014. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and two other charges of shooting with intent to kill.  

In the hearing Tuesday, Kepler's attorney asked the judge to throw out statements reportedly made by Kepler during an early interrogation. Richard O'Carroll claims he gave Kepler a business card and had him sign on the back, "I invoke my right to counsel," written on the back of it, to give to detectives.

O'Carroll said once Kepler handed that card to detectives, he should not have been taken to an interrogation room and questioned.

6/29/2016 Related Story: No 'Stand Your Ground' Defense In Former Tulsa Police Officer's Murder Trial

Two detectives testified that they saw the card, but they didn't see anything written on the back of it.

The state's attorney argued that it is not a big issue because Kepler was only asked if he had had something to drink the night of Lake's death (to which Kepler is said to have answered, "yes,") and that Kepler was told he was being booked for first-degree murder (to which Kepler is said to have responded, "He died?" and was told yes.)

The prosecutor wants those statements in front of the jury while the defense does not.

The judge said she does not have sufficient information to make a ruling, and she set another hearing for September. At that time, she said she will make a decision on whether those statements can be heard by the jury.

Kepler served as a Tulsa Police officer for 24 years and was off duty at the time of the shooting.