FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) – Sasha Krause was a devout Mennonite woman who was often absorbed in books, lightly quoted scriptures, and occasionally taught Sunday school before her body was found in a clearing in northern Arizona.
Mark Gooch grew up in a Mennonite community in Wisconsin, but rejected the faith and joined the US Air Force. He was stationed at a base in Metropolitan Phoenix when he was arrested and charged with Krause’s death last year.
There is no evidence that the two knew each other. Prosecutors will try to convince a jury that Gooch despises Mennonites in general and drove more than seven hours to Farmington, New Mexico, where Krause lived, kidnapped and fatally shot.
The selection of the jury began on Tuesday in the largely cumbersome case. Gooch, 22, faces life imprisonment if convicted of first degree murder and other charges.
Krause, 27, disappeared on January 18, 2020 while collecting materials for Sunday school. Her body was found outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, more than a month later, with tape on her wrists.
Gooch’s attorney Bruce Griffen has said that any connection Gooch had with the Mennonite community or conversations he had with others about the followers of the faith was not evidence of “murderous malice”.
Sheriff’s officials who searched for Krause and those investigating her death are expected to testify in the Coconino County Superior Court along with cell phone data and ballistics experts and people from Krause’s parish.
Jury selection continues on Wednesday, somewhat hampered by coronavirus protocols that limit the number of people who can be in the courtroom at the same time.
Authorities said they linked Gooch to Krause’s disappearance and death with cell phone records, Gooch’s financial statements and receipts, and surveillance videos from Luke Air Force Base. A report from the state crime lab showed that a bullet made from Krause’s skull was fired from a .22-caliber rifle owned by Gooch.
Gooch’s cell phone was the only one that communicated with the same cell towers as Krause’s cell phone before hers left West of Farmington, authorities said. The prosecution is not sure why he targeted Krause.
Gooch told authorities he was in the area when Krause went missing for checking Mennonite searches for the community. He denied having played any role in her disappearance or death, according to the sheriff.
Griffen tried unsuccessfully to prevent a prosecutor from testifying about the cell phone data, which he described as “weak science”. He also tried to limit mentions of text messaging conversations Gooch had with his brothers that related to Mennonites.
Neither Griffen nor the public prosecutor’s office responded to requests for comments before the trial.
Gooch never officially became a member of the Mennonite Church, he told investigators. He said he joined the military to escape what he believed to be a difficult, sheltered and constrained life, the sheriff’s records indicate. He worked in equipment maintenance at Phoenix Air Force Base, where he was stationed in October 2019.
Krause belonged to a group of conservative Mennonites in which women wore headgear and long dresses or skirts. She moved from Texas to Farmington, where she taught at school.
On the one year anniversary of their disappearance, the Mennonite community sent memories of Krause’s parents. Krause’s students said she was a good teacher who read to them and played with them. Krause preached hard work, even if it went unrecognized, others said.
She spoke Spanish and French. Recalling her deep, dancing brown eyes and calm mannerisms, the congregation said her time in Farmington was short but her influence was lasting.
Paul Kaufman, general manager of Lamp and Light Publishers, where Krause worked, said that as the process began, emotions began to emerge that were slowly healing. He said the community wanted to feel safe and whoever was responsible for Krause’s murder in order to repent.
“We didn’t see who showed up at church that night and kidnapped Sasha,” he said. “We did not see who did this terrible act. We didn’t see that. But God saw that. “
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