Jennifer Randel died from the swelling of her brain after suffering multiple blows to her head, the coroner who performed her autopsy testified Friday.

Natrona County Coroner James Thorpen told jurors it wasn't possible to determine exactly how many times she had been hit in the head.

"This is not accidental trauma," he said. "This is homicidal."

Thorpen's testimony came on the 10th day of the Donald Rolle murder trial at Natrona County District Court. Rolle, 47, is charged with kidnapping and killing Randel, who made a frantic 911 call on Nov. 3 and said she couldn't get away from him.

Officers say they found her body in Rolle's truck the following day, along a dirt road that follows an irrigation canal west of Casper. Randel had been beaten, stabbed and strangled, according to Thorpen's testimony.

The coroner spent more than two hours detailing cuts, scrapes and bruises that were found over much of Randel's body. As he spoke, Rolle, dressed in an orange jail uniform, took notes and occasionally rubbed his beard.

Randel had bruises and cuts from her feet to her head, Thorpen told jurors. One of her ribs in her lower back was broken; another was bruised. Thorpen also found marks on her legs, her left elbow and left shoulder where she appeared to be grabbed.

The 40-year-old mother of two also suffered a broken nose and black eyes. There were also signs she had been strangled, although that wasn't the cause of death, Thorpen said.

Randel suffered a stab wound to the right side of her neck, about an inch below her ear, from a single-edged knife. The officers who arrested Rolle near the canal found a single-edged filet knife strapped to his wrist, according to earlier testimony.

Despite its location, the wound was not fatal, Thorpen said. The knife did not cut any major blood vessels and the wound was nearly bloodless.

Earlier this week, jurors were told of a letter found in Rolle's truck and written by him. In it, he said he did not stab Randel.

Thorpen, however, said he found no indication the stab wound resulted from an accident.

Randel also had cuts on three fingers on her right hand that Thorpen characterized as defensive wounds. He suggested they could have been caused by Randel grabbing at a knife in a defensive posture.

During cross examination, defense attorney Randolph Hiller asked Thorpen whether he could tell exactly when Randel's injuries occurred. The coroner replied that he couldn't but added that he believed they were done over a significant period of time, possibly hours.

As his questioning progressed, Hiller appeared to suggest some of Randel's injuries could have occurred if she fought with Rolle in his truck. He also said a single blow could cause the brain to swell.

"Yes," Thorpen replied, "but in this instance, there were many blows struck."

Hiller also suggested the injuries could have been caused if Randel hit her head against the windshield if the truck stopped suddenly. Thorpen said Randel did not bleed from her brain stem, which is often the case in car crashes.

The prosecution, which is seeking the death penalty, rested its case after hearing from Thorpen and two witnesses from the Wyoming State Crime Lab. Rolle's attorneys will begin presenting their defense Monday morning.

Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.

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Last we knew: Two former girlfriends of Donald Rolle told jurors he physically abused them. An expert witness characterized Jennifer Randel as a typical victim of domestic violence.

The latest: The coroner who performed Randel's autopsy testified she died from brain swelling after being struck multiple times in the head.

What's next: Rolle's defense attorneys will begin presenting their case to jurors Monday.