‘She was very scared’: State trooper reviews first interview with Rodhouse’s wife in Blessing Hospital

WARNING: This story includes descriptions of explicit violence and graphic sexual content that may be considered profane, vulgar or offensive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Jordan Gerard, a former trooper with the Illinois State Police, remembered the look on the face of Austin Rodhouse’s wife when he first spoke with her at Blessing Hospital on May 8, the day after she arrived with a punctured spleen from a kick allegedly delivered by her husband.

“(She was) very scared,” he said in response to a question from Assistant State’s Attorney Leecia Carnes. “You could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t going to talk to law enforcement, and she was scared to talk to law enforcement. You could tell she was in a lot of pain.”

Gerard was one of three witnesses who testified before a jury of eight women and four men on Tuesday afternoon during the second day of Rodhouse’s trial in Pike County Circuit Court before Judge Charles H.W. Burch.

Rodhouse was charged with aggravated domestic battery when he was arrested the day Gerard was at the hospital. He is being tried on 19 domestic violence and sex-related felonies:

• 3 counts of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony with a sentencing range of between three and seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. 
• 1 count of criminal sexual assault involving force, a Class 1 felony with a sentencing range of between four and 15 years in prison.
• 4 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony with a sentencing range of six to 60 years in prison.
• 3 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony with a sentencing range of six to 30 years in prison.
• 2 counts of child pornography, a Class X felony with a sentencing range of six to 30 years in prison.
• 3 counts of indecent solicitation of an adult, a Class 2 felony with a sentencing range of three to seven years in prison.
• 3 counts of aggravated battery to a child, a Class 3 felony with a sentencing range of two to five years in prison.

Gerard testified that he and Ereka Glass, an investigator with the Illinois State Police, met Rodhouse’s wife, identified in court documents as “CC,” for the first time on May 8. He first asked to have Austin removed from the hospital, then asked — and received permission — to take CC’s phone for an investigation.

When CC was asked why she was in the hospital, Gerald said she claimed she had fallen in the bathtub and hit her side because she heard tornado sirens.

“We you spoke with Dr. (Pierre) Charles, and none of us believed that was the case,” Gerard said. “Then Ereka reached over, grabbed her hand and said, ‘You’re safe. Can you please tell us what is going on? We’re here for you and the children.”

Gerard said he told CC he was aware that potentially something was being held over her head, and “whatever that was, we would figure it out.”

“How did she respond?” Carnes asked.

“She cried,” Gerard said.

CC eventually said Austin had kicked her when she was on the ground. Gerard then asked her what she was being blackmailed with.

“She said she was forced to have ‘Mommy Time’ (which included sexual activity),” Gerard said. “During ‘Mommy Time,’ she had to take videos and pictures of him (with her boys) and send them to Austin.”

Gerard said he eventually secured CC’s phone, a work phone and a personal phone belonging to Austin, and an iPad belonging to CC. He said he applied for and received search warrants and passwords for all four devices, then gave all of that information to the digital crimes unit with the Illinois State Police in Springfield.

Schnack said CC had not been out of surgery for her ruptured spleen for long when Gerard and Glass interviewed her. She asked Gerard if he knew if CC had been given any medication that may have affected her judgment. He said he did not know.

Mark Sheftick, a digital forensic examiner with the Illinois State Police, explained how data was extracted from each electronic device Gerard had obtained, as well as an SD card. He also explained how information from Snapchat, a multimedia instant messaging app, was gathered.

Stacy Bucher, a former child protection specialist with the Department of Child and Family Services, said she learned on the morning of May 8 of a severe domestic violence case that happened the night before. Bucher testified that two more reports came in later on May 8, alleging CC had been drugged, that she had sex with her children while Austin watched, and that Austin had tapes of CC that he was using to blackmail her. Bucher said she eventually contacted the Illinois State Police.

Schnack said the first report Bucher received was flagged as a “non-emergency,” but the next two were flagged as “emergencies.” 

“Do you operate under the assumption that the report is true, regardless of the information that you have?” Schnack asked.

“We go through the same process, no matter what report we have,” Bucher replied.

Testimony in the trial is expected to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Rodhouse has pleaded not guilty to all charges.