With the first-degree murder trial of a Kansas State University English professor less than two weeks away, police detectives returned to the man’s Manhattan home Wednesday and spent several hours searching it, according to sources familiar with the case and a neighbor who said he saw the search.

The neighbor, who didn’t want to give his name, said officers spent about three and a half hours at defendant Thomas E. Murray’s home.

He said investigators removed the fireplace grate from the home and also had ladders and what appeared to be a long metal pole with a net on the end.

Lt. Kathy Tate, a spokeswoman for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, referred questions about the subject to Dist. Atty. Charles Branson. He said he couldn’t comment.

“It’s an ongoing case, and I can’t discuss the contents of a search warrant,” he said. “I can’t even verify whether a search warrant was issued at this point.”

Murray has been in the Douglas County Jail since October, when he was charged in the November 2003 stabbing and beating death of his ex-wife, Carmin D. Ross, at her home northwest of Lawrence.

Police searched Murray’s home and his car at least once shortly after Ross’ death and considered him a suspect shortly after the discovery of her body. But nearly a year went by before Murray was charged, and officials said it was because they were trying to exhaust all possible leads before they filed the case.

Then-sheriff Rick Trapp did say, however, that the filing of the case didn’t mean officers’ work was done.

6News video: Police search murder suspect’s home again (02-03-05) 6News video: Judge listens to pretrial motions in Murray case (02-03-05) Murray’s lawyers want evidence excluded (01-23-05) Hundreds subpoenaed during trial preparations (01-23-05) Professor enters not guilty plea (12-18-04) 6News video: Professor enters not guilty plea (12-17-04) Murray ordered to trial in killing (12-11-04) 6News video: Murray to stand trial for murder of ex-wife (12-10-04) Web evidence used in murder hearing (12-10-04) 6News video: Defense tries to strike body language testimony (12-09-04) Witness: Suspect noted ‘all the blood’ (12-09-04) 6News video: Colleague testifies in K-State prof’s murder hearing (12-08-04) Murder suspect’s behavior revisited (12-08-04 6News video: Hearing continues in murder case (12-7-04) Murder evidence outlined (12-07-04) More on the Carmin D. Ross slaying

“We’re prepared to assist the District Attorney’s Office in any way to help get this matter prosecuted,” he said at the time.

The reported search came a day before a hearing in District Court on pretrial motions for Murray’s trial, which starts Feb. 14 and is expected to last at least four weeks.

Judge Robert Fairchild ruled on some pretrial matters Thursday.

But he left the most hotly contested issues unresolved, including whether prosecutors will be allowed to present testimony about what they called Murray’s “controlling behaviors” toward Ross. Defense attorneys argue that what Ross said to others about problems in her marriage is inadmissible hearsay.

Another matter left undecided Thursday was whether crime scene detectives’ testimony about the use of Luminol — a chemical that glows in the dark when it comes in contact with traces of blood — can be excluded from court, if police weren’t able to document it with photos.

Fairchild said he would rule later on both issues.

He ruled that members of victim Carmin D. Ross’ family must be excluded from court while fellow family members testify and during opening statements. But he said they could be present at other times.

He also limited the questions prosecutors could ask a Riley County detective about his opinion of Murray’s body language during interrogation.

Other decisions Thursday included prosecutors’ agreement not to mention that Murray once wrote a linguistic glossary of sadomasochism terms and defense attorneys’ agreement not to mention that one of the prosecutors, Thomas J. Bath Jr., has been hired by Ross’ family as a private prosecutor.