Yesterday, the St. Clair County Circuit jury trial of Stephen Traskal, an Ira Township man accused of murdering the 77-year-old woman he lived with, began with Senior Assistant Prosecutor Paul Soderberg asking in opening arguments for the jury to find the man guilty of first degree murder, especially in light of the alleged premeditated nature of the attack.
Soderberg believes that Traskal,age 66, was motivated to act by an eviction notice from Carlene Nowlin, the victim, and her son, Jimmy Nowlin, both of whom Traskal had lived with for the past 20 years. The notice had been served to Traskal by one of Nowlin’s neighbors two weeks before the August 14 murder last year. When 54-year-old Jimmy Nowlin arrived his home in the 8500 block of Short Cut Road that day, he found himself literally stabbed in the back by Traskel, and he only found his mother’s dead body in the living room after fighting his assailant off. Nowlin was able to flee into the front yard, where he attracted the attention and help of neighbors, one of whom guarded the house until police arrived to arrest Traskel.
Despite a note found with him saying, “I’m sorry, they treated me horribly,” Traskel allegedly called the murder “Best thing I ever did,” and later pursued an insanity defense through his lawyer, Michael Boucher. Despite failing to procure that insanity defense plea, and though Boucher admits his client did murder Carlene and assaulted Jimmy, he asked the jury to consider if there was intent in Traskel’s actions.
Traskel is currently charged with open murder, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to murder, for which he is being held on a $750,000 bond. He faces life in prison if convicted.
