With suspected serial killer Derrick Todd Lee’s trial underway,the prosecution said they have DNA evidence to convict Lee ofmurder, while the defense contended Lee is an innocent man.
Lee’s trial for the first-degree murder of LSU MBA recipientCharlotte Murray Pace began Monday morning with opening statementsfrom both sides, followed by testimony from key witnesses.
Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings told the jury Lee didnot leave behind much physical evidence, but he left a “silentwitness” that connects him to the murder of Pace and the murders ofsix other south Louisiana women.
“He took beautiful, vivacious Murray and turned her into theevidence,” Cummings said.
The “silent witness” Cummings is referring to is Lee’s DNA thatauthorities say match him to the crimes.
“The silent witness is no longer silent when it gets in thiscourt room,” she said.
Lee’s lead attorney Mike Mitchell countered in his openingstatement, saying the DNA raises more questions than answers, andhe asked jurors to check any preconceived notions at the door.
He reminded jurors the prosecution has the burden of proving Leeguilty.
Mitchell also told the jury there are a lot of things thathappened that they have not been told.
After testimony began Monday afternoon, the state called keywitness Rebecca Yeager, Pace’s roommate.
Yeager testified she found Pace’s body in her bedroom of theirSharlo Avenue townhouse on May 31, 2002. She said they moved intothe townhouse only a few days prior to the murder.
She also testified she and Pace had previously lived on StanfordAvenue, just three doors down from where Gina Green lived at thetime she was murdered. Authorities have said they have DNA tyingLee to the murder of Green as well.
The prosecution called several other witnesses to the standMonday that confirmed Pace’s whereabouts before she was killed, andseveral crime scene investigators that testified what happenedduring the post-murder investigation.
The trial resumed Tuesday morning with the state calling JuliaNaylor, a Louisiana State Police Crime Lab forensic DNAanalyst.
After Cummings questioned Naylor about her training andexperience as an analyst, District Judge Richard Andersonacknowledged Naylor as an expert witness.
Naylor testified she and another DNA analyst arrived on thepolice officer-secured crime scene around 4 p.m. on May 31. Shesaid she did not believe Pace’s body had been touched before shearrived.
Naylor testified she collected 13 cotton swabs from variousspots on Pace’s body.
When called to the stand later in the day on Tuesday, Naylorsaid the probability that the chance of selecting a person atrandom with the same DNA as Lee’s is one in 3.6 quadrillion.
Prosecutors also called city police crime scene investigatorCpl. David Fauntleroy to the stand Monday.
Fauntleroy testified he collected evidence from the scene andhelped Naylor obtain cotton swabs.
Cummings introduced three envelopes of pieces of an ironprosecutors said Lee used to beat Pace. Fauntleroy testified hepackaged the broken pieces on the day of the crime.
Testimony will continue today as the state continues to callwitnesses.