A few weeks before Carmin D. Ross was found slain in her rural Lawrence home, her ex-husband openly mused how life would improve if she died, said a witness in Douglas County District Court.

That testimony was heard Thursday during the murder trial of Kansas State University professor Thomas E. Murray. His neighbor in Manhattan, Kathy Love, told jurors of a discussion she had with Murray a few weeks before Ross’ death.

“I hate to say this, but it would be better off if she weren’t alive,” Murray said of Ross, according to Love.

But Douglas County Sheriff’s Det. Pat Pollock on Thursday testified he hadn’t found “conclusive” proof that Murray was in Ross’ home the day she died.

“In your review of these records,” defense attorney Pedro Irigonegaray asked, resting his left hand on a binder full of police reports, “have you found one bit of conclusive proof that Mr. Murray was at Carmin Ross’ house on the 13th of November 2003?”

“I’m not aware of any,” Pollock replied.

Murray is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing and beating death of Ross, his ex-wife, at her home northwest of Lawrence.

Guessing game?

Irigonegaray’s question to Pollock drew a quick response from prosecutor Tom Bath, who asked the detective’s opinion of what went on at Ross’ home the day of the murder.

Douglas County Sheriff's Det. Pat Pollock, right, is questioned by prosecutor Tom Bath during the murder trial of Thomas E. Murray. Pollock, who testified Thursday, was one of the detectives who interviewed Murray the day Murray's ex-wife, Carmin D. Ross, was found slain.

“What do you think?” Bath asked.

“Objection!” Irigonegaray bellowed. “This is not a guessing game.”

“He opened the door,” Bath said to the judge.

“I asked about proof, your honor, not guess,” Irigonegaray said.

Judge Robert Fairchild warned the two to settle down as they approached the bench to discuss the issue out of jurors’ earshot.

Eventually, the judge allowed Bath to ask whether any evidence besides physical evidence indicated Murray had been to the home. Pollock said yes, then thought for several moments.

“I’m sorry. I’m drawing a blank right now,” Pollock said, then paused again. “There were statements made by Mr. Murray during the interview. There was a forensic examination done of his computer that would indicate he would have went there. I believe that was it.”

6News video: Neighbor, colleague testifies in Murray case (02-24-05) Photo Gallery: Murray Trial Day Five Audio: Detective Pat Pollack on why Murray wasn’t arrested early on in the investigation Audio: Larry Rodgers, former chair of the KSU English Department, describes Tom Murray See complete trial coverage

Changing his story

Pollock also testified that Murray told detectives he took only Interstate Highway 70 when he drove to Lawrence. But Pollock said an examination of Murray’s computer found that on the day before Ross’ death, he searched Yahoo.com for the terms “Highway 40” and “Topeka.”

When detectives asked Murray where he was the morning they believe Ross died, he initially said he was home all morning grading papers in Manhattan. But after Murray asked police whether an electronic device overhanging I-70 was a camera, he changed his story to say he’d been on I-70 and had driven toward Topeka to “clear his head” and go shopping in Paxico but had turned around on the way.

Another key piece of testimony Thursday came when prosecutors showed the jury a receipt for Pedialyte children’s medicine bought on Oct. 5, 2003, at the Walgreens at Sixth Street and Kasold Drive in Lawrence. The store is the nearest drugstore to Ross’ home.

The significance of the receipt is that Murray told detectives Ross had a nosebleed in his car when she borrowed it weeks before the death to drive to a Lawrence store to buy Pedialyte. He told detectives Ross borrowed the car in part because he didn’t know how to get to the store.

Murray’s signature is at the bottom of the receipt shown in court Thursday — an apparent contradiction to the story he told detectives.

Douglas County Sheriff's detective Pat Pollock, center, visits with Assistant Dist. Atty. Amy McGowan during a break in the first-degree murder trial of Thomas E. Murray. Pollock was one of the detectives who interviewed Murray the day after his ex-wife was found slain at her home northwest of Lawrence.

‘Better off’

Several of Murray’s acquaintances from Manhattan also took the stand Thursday.

Love said she didn’t initially report Murray’s statement about the possibility of Ross’ death to police. She said she was concerned about her family’s safety, and she didn’t want to hurt Murray’s reputation if he hadn’t killed Ross.

Larry Rodgers, a faculty colleague of Murray’s at K-State, testified Murray had a great reputation as a teacher. He said Murray seemed interested in being by himself and doing a lot of work.

“I don’t think he liked change,” Rodgers said.

Prosecutors allege Murray killed Ross in a crime of passion, motivated in part by fear of losing custody of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter if Ross moved to California with her new love interest.

Rodgers testified that he never knew Murray to be interested in writing fiction, which is relevant because detectives found that before the death, Murray searched the Internet for a litany of murder-related terms including “how to murder someone and not get caught.”

Murray’s explanation was that he had a fantasy of becoming a script writer for crime-related TV shows.

Testimony is expected to resume today.