We continue to learn more about the early days of the investigation into the disappearance and presumed murder of Jennifer Dulos. The early days were central in court Friday on day 2 of Michelle Troconis’ trial.
“I was tasked with mapping the garage of 69 Wells Lane,” Connecticut State Police Sergeant Jamie Pearston said.
Pearston was the first witness testifying Friday. She spent the morning breaking down state police investigators tactics in mapping and sketching a crime scene.
“We want to memorialize the location of evidence,” she said.
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Those sketches included several markings for spots investigators believed was a blood-like substance. It was that blood-like substance that delayed the trial a few hours.
As defense attorney Jon Schoenhorn argued, the jury should not be introduced to testimony that indicated blood-like substances had tested positive for blood in presumptive field tests.
“The only possible reaction of this jury is they will be thinking that somehow, aha the fact that this turned, it glowed in the blue light, there must be more blood there,” Schoenhorn said.
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He argued the field tests are inconclusive because too many substances besides blood test positive.
“Particularly a detective who’s only there to take samples from a garage or from a car doesn’t need to talk about a chemical that is basically junk science,” he said.
The judge took some time to consider other cases that have run into similar roadblocks, ultimately deciding the witness could testify about the presumptive field tests.
But following his deliberation, a considerable part of the afternoon was dedicated to admitting evidence that showed results from some of the presumptive field tests.
The day concluded with the judge dismissing the jury for the day, and state prosecutors walking through some of the testimony that would be made by retired state police detective Matthew Reilly.
“I did put a drop of hydrogen peroxide substance on the substance and obtained an immediate result, positive result,” Reilly said.
The judge decided he would take some time considering if that testimony would be heard by the jury. That is likely where Reilly’s testimony will pick up when the trial resumes Tuesday, Jan. 16.
