By HOI ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Photos shown in court were so graphic they can’t be shown on our airwaves, but testimony from a Normal police officer still painted a vivid picture.

“Joseph Gardner then would have been laying face down, Reginald Hart was partially on top of him, and his head would have been where the top blood spot is,” said Officer Jonathan McCauley.

Our news partner HOI ABC reports McCauley was one of the first officers to arrive at 1444 E College Avenue, where Christopher Harrison shot and killed Reginald Hart and Joseph Gardner after an attempted robbery. McCauley said when he first walked into the building, there was smoke and it smelled like a gun had just been fired.

“As I further entered the building, I observed there to be two males lying face down, both appeared to be unconscious and motionless,” said McCauley.

He said Hart was moved off of Gardner and taken outside by other officers to see if they could perform any sort of life saving measures. It was too late — both men were already dead.

The jury was shown a picture of a bloody Gardner lying next to the building’s stairwell. Defense attorney Kevin Sanborn prodded police about why pictures weren’t taken before Hart’s body was moved. The state argued the officers needed to try to help the men before taking a photo.

Other witnesses included experts from the Illinois State Police Lab. The jury was shown several guns, including an AM-15 rifle, commonly called an AR-15, the weapon that was used to shoot Gardner and Hart a total of 21 times in the back.

Court resumes Thursday morning when the jury will hear more from the state’s experts, as well as text messages the defense hopes will strengthen their self defense argument.

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