Mother of woman accused of shooting Brevard Co. deputy testifies

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A surprise in court Wednesday as the mother of Andrea Kerchner took the stand in her daughter's defense.

"She started doing poorly in school. She just pulled away from the family," Pamela Kerchner said.

Abuse, Kerchner's mother said, caused her daughter to act out.

Andria Kerchner and her boyfriend, Brandon Bradley, are accused of the March 2012 slaying of Brevard County Deputy Barbara Pill, who was shot down during a traffic stop.

After the killing, Kerchner made hours of statements to police.

Kerchner's attorney's want her statements tossed out.

Wednesday, an expert witness for her defense team also described her as a woman with a conscience.

That same expert told the court that Kerchner was severely impaired on drugs when she spoke with investigators about the shooting.

"Ms. Kerchner was so impaired that it would not have taken a mental health professional to see how impaired this woman was," said Dr. Alan Waldman, a witness for the defense.

Pamela Kerchner watched some of the videos her daughter's defense team now wants tossed before trial.

"She appeared to be on something, high or something," Pamela Kerchner said.

Despite what the defense said was Kerchner's inability to waive her Miranda rights, prosecutors argued Kerchner wanted to talk to investigators and was coherent enough to lie about both her involvement and that of her co-defendant, Bradley, in Pill's slaying.

"Isn't it clear to you, doctor, that she wanted to talk to the police officers and tell her story?" Jim McMaster, assistant state attorney, said.

"She wanted to tell a story, but it was all over the place," Waldman said.

WFTV