ERLANGER, Ky. — An 18-year-old was in court Tuesday after he allegedly beat his grandmother to death in Erlanger last week.
Wyatt Testerman has been charged with murder for the death of 74-year-old Cheri Oliver.
Police responded to the 100 block of Ridgewood Drive around 2 p.m. Oct. 8 for a reported assult. When they arrived, they found Testerman outside the home, while Oliver was inside the home.
On Tuesday, Detective Tom Loos with Erlanger police said Oliver was found laying in a pool of blood, and she was transported to UC Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Loos said an autopsy found her cause of death was blunt trauma to the head.
Loos also revealed that Oliver's ex-husband and Testerman's mother were present at the time of the alleged assault.
Testerman told detectives he was watching a movie with his grandparents prior to the assault, and that his grandmother was suicidal and "she needed to stay in the chair," according to Loos. Loos said Oliver's ex-husband told detectives that Testerman told his grandmother that if she got out of the chair that "she'd suffer the consequences."
Testerman said his mother then arrived home and was "erratic" and walked outside to try to call the police, according to Loos. Testerman followed her outside to attempt to take her phone, and when he failed, he went back inside and found his grandmother at the top of the steps.
"He began striking her with his hands and then she went to the ground, and he continued to strike her with his hands and a metal Yeti cup," Loos said.
Loos also said police found Testerman with blood on him, but there was no injury on him that was immediately identified by first responders.
As Tuesday's preliminary hearing was wrapping up, Testerman had an outburst in court, yelling at the judge "innocent until proven guilty."
"Can it be proven that I thought she didn't have a weapon?" Testerman asked the judge, who didn't respond to his questions.
The defense also asked for a furlough from jail so Testerman could attend his grandmother's funeral.
"Absolutely not. She wouldn't need a funeral if he hadn't killed her," Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said in response to the defense' request. "That's the most ridiculous request."
The judge denied the furlough.
Testerman is being held at the Kenton County Detention Center.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Erlanger police through Kenton County dispatch at 859-356-3191.
