Door County Trial Begins in Slaying of Pregnant Plainfield Woman

A murder trial started Monday for a Plainfield-area man accused of strangling a pregnant friend last summer in Door County, Wisconsin.

Brian Cooper, 36, is charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Alisha Bromfield, 21, and her unborn daughter, who was to be named Ava Lucille. He is also charged with third-degree sexual assault and accused of raping Bromfield after strangling her.

Cooper pleaded not guilty to all three charges last September.

According to the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, the jury is expected to watch a video of Cooper's first interview with police on Tuesday. 

Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel said Cooper said Cooper and Bromfield, who both had Plainfield addresses, were in Door County to attend the wedding of Cooper's sister. 

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Bromfield died Aug. 19, 2012. Her body was found the next day at a resort in Nasewaupee, Wisconsin, after Cooper called police to report the murder from a gas station in nearby Sister Bay, police said.

Gas station owner Denise Bhirdo, who is also the village president of Sister Bay, said Cooper was calm and polite when he walked into her business the day after the murder and asked if he could use her phone to call 9-1-1.

“He said he needed to report a murder,” Bhirdo told Patch last summer, adding he remained composed as he spoke to a dispatcher. “At one point, though, I would say after about five to 10 minutes of talking on the phone, he kind of dropped to his knees on the floor and started to get a bit emotional."

Cooper is accused of killing Bromfield after she rejected his attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship.

Vogel said Bromfield was more than six months pregnant when she died.

The trial was originally scheduled to begin Jan. 28, but was pushed back twice — first to April 8, then to June 17.

Also read: A Mother's Request: Show Kindness in Memory of Slain 21-Year-Old