First week of Clayton Allison retrial wraps, prosecution to continue its case

PALMER, Alaska (KTUU) - Though the Palmer Courthouse is only open until noon on Fridays, testimony continued in the case against Clayton Allison, who is accused of killing his 15-month-old daughter Jocelynn in September of 2008.

Allison is facing three charges; second-degree murder, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide.

On Friday, the state pushed forward with its case, calling Dr. Tim Cohen, the neurosurgeon who operated on Jocelynn, to the witness stand. The jury was once again asked to have a basic understanding of extremely complex subject matter as Cohen depicted the basic anatomy of a brain, and described varying degrees of head traumas.

Allison and his wife, C.J., have maintained that the child accidentally fell down a flight of stairs, but the medical examiner ruled the manner of death as a homicide, reporting the injuries were severe to have been caused by a fall of that nature.

Unlike Dr. Elizabeth Galloway’s testimony on Thursday, Cohen was never asked to speculate on signs of abuse when he treated Jocelynn at Providence Hospital. He detailed the medical care the child received and recalled his decision to take her into surgery where she later died. Doctors spent 21 minutes trying to resuscitate her.

Cohen was excused by Superior Court Judge Patrick McKay just before the conclusion of the trial day. As parties still lingered in the courtroom, Allison and his wife took an opportunity to thank Cohen personally for the measures he took that day 14 years ago.

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