Witnesses interviewed by police say Shanda Munn was intoxicated, drove and thought she hit a deer the weekend of a fatal hit-and-run accident.

Kelly Jean Laughery died following injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle during the early hours of Dec. 3, 2005. The ISU Police Department named Munn, junior in pre-journalism and mass communication, as the driver in the accident.

The witness statements were obtained from search warrant applications made by ISU Police investigators. The application states Munn, 20, drank and drove from a party held the evening of Dec. 2 at Sterling University Plains, 4912 Mortensen Road apt. #513.

ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said several sources indicated Munn’s presence at the party.

“From a number of sources, we obtained evidence that Munn was at the party,” he said.

Jody George, senior in mathematics, told police he threw the party. In an interview with ISU Police, George stated there was a keg at his apartment the evening of Dec. 2 and that Munn arrived around 9:00 p.m. He stated that Munn had “a few” beers from the keg.

Other witnesses stated that Munn had at least six cups of beer, according to the warrant application. At least one witness said Munn appeared intoxicated at approximately 2:45 a.m.

At 4:27 a.m., the Ames Police Department responded to a report of a person lying along Mortensen Road, south of Wilson Hall. The person was identified as Laughery, who died at Mary Greeley Medical Center from injuries sustained in the accident.

The case was transferred to ISU Police because the incident occurred within its jurisdiction.

Laughery was last seen around 3:30 a.m., walking eastbound down Mortensen Road, according to the warrant application. She was later struck from behind by a vehicle also traveling east.

On Dec. 15, ISU Police identified Munn as the driver of a 1992 Buick Century that struck Laughery the night of her death. The vehicle was discovered in a garage owned by Munn’s biological father, Douglas Munn of Nevada.

According to Munn’s search warrant application, Stacey Adams, junior in elementary education, said she saw Munn standing beside her vehicle at around 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3, approximately seven hours after officers had first responded to the accident scene.

Adams said Munn was holding a disposable camera, said she hit a deer and asked if Adams wanted to see the damage, according to the warrant application.

According to search warrant applications, ISU Police say Munn maintained online profiles with blogs and photos on Facebook and MySpace. As of Thursday, both accounts were unable to be reached.

An online profile at www.match.com, an online dating Web site, shows an online profile and photos of Munn under the account “mrshanda4089.” Although the profile remained accessible as of Thursday, the account has not been updated for more than three weeks, according to the site.

According to a search warrant of Munn’s residence in Lawler, two computer towers, cameras and photo albums were seized.

Other people who were at the party had property taken, as well.

Kristi Mitchell, who was also present at the party, appeared in many photos on Facebook, according to the warrant application. Messages authored by Mitchell and posted on Facebook indicated she had a camera at the party and lost it that evening. Kelly Campbell was also at the party and had a computer and disposable cameras seized by ISU Police.

Both Mitchell and Campbell have Facebook accounts, but are not listed as students in the ISU phone directory.

In a written statement, Munn’s attorney, Russ Schroeder of Charles City, wrote that when police officials discuss “half the facts, [it] serves no purpose other than to prejudice the rights of all people involved that we should all be interested in protecting.” The statement also said Munn has plead not guilty and that facts exist that support her innocence.

Schroeder said he would not elaborate on facts that support Munn.

“I’m not going to argue the facts through the news media,” he said.

Deisinger said in general, he agrees with Schroeder’s statement.

“Fundamentally, we agree that all the facts be reviewed by the court and that a fair finding be made,” he said.

All statements he has made were based on evidence gathered in the case by ISU Police, Deisinger said.

“There’s been nothing gathered in this case that has been treated any differently than any other case,” he said.