(WBIR - KNOXVILLE) Friends of Brittany Eldridge and lovers of her estranged boyfriend Norman Clark took up most of Thursday afternoon's testimony as Clark's murder trial continued in Knox County Criminal Court.
Several of Eldridge's friends told a Knox County jury the pregnant young woman had informed them she was carrying Clark's baby. Eldridge, just two weeks shy of delivering the boy she'd already named Zeke, was found slain in December 2011 in her Cross Creek apartment complex off Western Avenue.
The friends also testified Clark didn't want to be part of the child's life, even though Eldridge wanted him to be. Directed by prosecutor Leslie Nassios, much of their testimony focused on the week or so before the killing.
Marsha Swanson recalled that Eldridge told her that she'd heard from Clark, who she called "Bear," and that he told her he was going out of town but that she wasn't to have the baby before he got back.
The handful of women who had a physical relationship with Clark either said he told them the baby was not his or that he knew nothing about Eldridge at all.
The first-degree murder trial continues Friday in Judge Steve Sword's court.
Earlier today: The trial for a Knoxville man accused of killing his estranged girlfriend and her unborn son will likely continue into next week.
Norman Clark is charged in the December 2011 killing of Brittany Eldridge and her unborn son, who she'd named Zeke, in Eldridge's Cross Creek Apartments off Western Avenue.
The trial started Monday with jury selection. The judge initially said he expected the trial to wrap up this week, but the prosecution is still building its case. On Thursday, the judge told jurors to be prepared to be back in court next week.
On Thursday, prosecutors continued to build their case against Clark in Knox County Criminal Court. They called a cell phone expert from Sprint to explain how they can be used to track the phone's location. Investigators used Clark's cell phone to put him in the vicinity of Eldridge's apartment the night of her murder.
Prosecutors also called several more witnesses that knew Clark and Eldridge, working to emphasize their claim that Clark did not want the baby that Eldridge was carrying.
The friends of Eldridge all said that she told them Clark was undoubtedly the father of her unborn son. One witness even said she picked out the name "Zeke" to go along with the name of Clark's first child, who's name also starts with a Z.
Korey Hearst said she and Clark broke off their physical relationship in 2011, but said he started reaching back out to her once Eldridge became pregnant.
She said he was very emotional and frustrated during that time, and that he told her he didn't want to deal with that part of his life anymore.
"That she was bad mouthing him. Saying it was his baby. And saying that she was trying to ruin his life and that it wasn't his," testified Hearst.
The defense also questioned Hearst. Defense attorney Greg Isaacs tried to paint the picture that Clark wouldn't be pouring his heart out to a girl that he was just physically involved with, but Hearst said during that time he was.
Another woman who had a physical relationship with Clark said he denied being the father of the baby, but was very emotional and frustrated during the pregnancy.
"Norman got really upset and didn't want her to have the baby. She wanted her to have an abortion," testified Allison Brockhoff.
"She would text him and ask for any kind of response, and he did not many times respond. She invited him to doctor's appointments and told him where they were and what time. He never came," said another witness, Andrea Ray.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015: Victim's mother testifies in double murder trial
Robin Owens, Eldridge's mother, took the stand Wednesday. She emotionally recounted finding her daughter's naked body in her apartment She also talked about her daughter's relationship with Clark, and how she said he changed when he found out she was pregnant.
You can get live updates from reporter Brittany Bade via Twitter below:
Tuesday, August 13, 2015: Prosecutor: Man who murdered pregnant girlfriend didn't want the baby
