DeKalb police officer who suffered a heart attack in May took the stand Monday during the hearing to suppress Brett M. Hooghkirk’s confession to killing Lisa Garretson.

The defense requested Detective James Rhoades’ testimony when the hearing began May 11, but Rhoades’ doctor would not give him permission to testify.

Rhoades ran the police video camera on Jan. 22 when Hooghkirk admitted he hit Garretson with a clothes iron, raped her, strangled her and set her apartment on fire to hide the crime.

Hooghkirk looked bored and slumped full length in his chair while Rhoades talked about his involvement in the case.

Hooghkirk told DeKalb Sgt. Craig Sell over the telephone on Dec. 12, 1989, that he had seen a tatooed biker hit and threaten Garretson just before her death.

Rhoades said he and Sell drove to Littleton, Colo., on Dec. 13, 1989 to talk with Hooghkirk about the biker suspect.

At the time, Hooghkirk had a pending battery charge in DeKalb County, and Rhoades said Sell told the defendant “come back and help us on this case and we’ll see what we can do on the battery charge.”

On Jan. 19, Hooghkirk returned to DeKalb with a friend and went to the DeKalb Police Department for questioning.

Court documents state on that day “for the first time, the defendant tells the officers that he had sexual intercourse without prophylactics with the victim on the Thursday before her body was discovered.”

hoades also told the court about his role during the video taping of Hooghkirk’s confession.

The detective said the video camera was turned off when Hooghkirk gave pubic and head hair samples, and when he changed video tapes or batteries.

Hooghkirk never asked for an attorney on Jan. 22, even when the video camera was turned off, although he was read his rights by an officer, Rhoades testified.

Bill Brady, Hooghkirk’s attorney, requested a continuance until July 20 and Circuit Judge John Nickels granted it.

Although Brady refused to comment on his request for a continuance, DeKalb County State’s Attorney Mike Coghlan said the defense might need more time to research the case since Rhoades’ testimony.