Grand Rapids, Mich. — We’re learning more about what happened the day Grand Rapids businessman John Dahlinger was murdered.
The man accused of killing him, Danyell Thomas, 36, was in court Thursday to hear testimony during his preliminary hearing.
His girlfriend, Dijana Kilic, 24, is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery in the case.
Her friends tell FOX 17 she was a known prostitute.
It’s unclear exactly what her relationship was to Dahlinger.
Dahliger’s fiance’ Melanie Yanchuk testified about what happened the day of the murder.
“I noticed that he was extremely badly beaten,” said Yanchuk. “His whole upper face, eyes, skull. Blood was starting to coagulate.”
Yanchuk said she came home from work on October, 16, to find Dahliger on his back on the bed, propped slightly upright by pillows and bleeding.
“I walked into the bedroom and that’s where I saw him lying in the bed in his own pool of blood,” said Yanchuk.
Dahlinger also had a towel over his head.
“It was sweeped across his face,” said Yanchuk.
Police believe both Kilic and Thomas were in the home at the time of the murder.
They said that have phone records that show that Kilic had contact with Dahlinger earlier that day.
While her friends told FOX 17 she had worked as a prostitute they said she was also pregnant, presumably with Thomas’ baby although paternity had not been established.
Police said they found a bag in a field in Allegan County with the suspect’s phone containing ammunition that matched the murder scene.
“For obvious reasons, it appears that he has lived a second life,” said Yanchuk.
Yanchuk testified that Dahlinger was feeling a bit depressed after losing his sales job of 7 years after his division was eliminated at the company and things had changed.
“I’m not a clinician, but I can say it was stressful times,” said Yanchuk.
She also testified that once in awhile Dahlinger asked her to withdraw money late at night.
“There had been times when he said to me, like woke me up at 1:00 in the morning, and said, ‘I need you…he goes…can you drive up to the ATM with me I need to take out $100 or something like that,” she said. “He would say that I’ll be home in 15 minutes.”
She also said he liked to gamble.
“He liked to play cards yes he did,” said Yanchuk.
Thomas’ defense attorney mentioned that Dahlinger had been borrowing money and although the attorney brought up speculation of drug use, Yanchuk said she couldn’t say for certain if that was part of Dahlinger’s second life.
“I have never seen him do drugs in front of me,” she said.
Yanchuk said she had been in a relationship with Dahlinger for 24 years.
Testimony in the case is scheduled to continue January, 15.
