MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Wednesday marked the beginning of a scheduled two-day jury trial for a Blacksburg man accused of concealing the body of his missing 3-month-old daughter.
Andrew Terry was indicted in January in connection with the disappearance of Arieanna Day on Sept. 11, 2018.
He previously admitted to burying the baby near Jennelle Road after he picked her up bruised and barely alive from her mother's house in Roanoke, according to prosecutors.
During Wednesday's opening statements, the defense argued that Terry's two confessions don't mean he is automatically guilty. Because Arieanna's body is still missing, the defense argued there are other possibilities for what could've happened.
The defense said this includes Jessica Day, Arieanna's mom, saying she sold the baby or an adoption agency stealing the baby.
The morning session of Wednesday's trial saw four witnesses called by the prosecution:
The biggest takeaways from witness testimony so far include:
- Before Arieanna went missing, Terry and Day had been arguing over custody of her and whether Terry was the girl's father.
- Day called 911 about an hour after the child went missing.
- Before calling 911, Terry and Day communicated using Facebook messenger and called each other
- A Facebook message from Day to Terry said, " Are you harming her or setting me up for murder? "
- Police body camera footage showed that Terry and Day were both calm and showed little emotion when officers arrived the night Arieanna went missing.
- In the video, officers asked why Terry's pants were wet. He told them it was because he worked as a chef and was doing dishes.
- When officers searched Terry's car, they found mud inside of it and also found clothes left in the car.
- Terry's two confessions were also part of Wednesday's testimony
- After hours of interviews, Terry confessed the next day to knowing more than he originally let on.
- Audio of Terry claiming to have picked the baby up from Day bruised, bleeding and barely alive was played in court. In the audio, he told officers he put Arieanna in his car and drove to Montgomery County. At that point, Terry said she was dead, so he buried her along the railroad tracks in a shallow grave that he dug with his hands. However, when he led police there, there was no body . They said he'd be arrested and he said he only brought them there to prove he wasn't involved.
- An hour-long interview from the following day was also played, where Terry went back to the original confession.
What's still to come in court on Thursday:
- The answer to the question, where is Arieanna's body now.
Court reconvenes at 9 a.m. Thursday.
10 News has extensively covered all aspects of this case since we first learned of Arieanna's disappearance last year.
- September 12, 2018 -Search underway for missing Roanoke 3-month-old girl
- September 13, 2018 - Roanoke police: 'Realistic possibility' 3-month-old Roanoke girl is dead
- September 14, 2018 -Â Search continues for missing Roanoke 3-month-old girl
- September 18, 2018 -Â Authorities holding informational checkpoint to locate body of missing 3-month-old girl
- September 26, 2018 -Â Warrants show police looking at cellphone records of relative in missing baby case
- October 11, 2018 -Â One month later, few answers in case of missing Roanoke baby
- November 16, 2018 -Â Roanoke police partner with forensic expert in search for Arieanna Day
- January 09, 2019 -Â Blacksburg man indicted on charge of hiding body of his 3-month-old daughter
- September 11, 2019 -Â One year since Roanoke 3-month-old disappeared, father to go on trial later this month