10-01-2015, 03:16 PM
THE MURDER WEAPON / EVIDENCE
A serrated steak knife with a bent blade and damaged point seized from the Fowler home has traces of Leila’s blood under the handle. Officials insist it is a murder weapon and the accused simply washed away everything but microscopic trace elements.
“There are only two people who know what happened that day and the one version we’ve heard here doesn’t add up,” said Calaveras County Deputy District Attorney Dana Pfeil.
Prosecutors maintain the murder weapon is a 3.5-inch J.A. Henckels steak knife bearing traces of Leila’s blood. The serrated knife is one of dozens seized from the Fowlers’ kitchen after the slaying. The blade has a noticeable bend and microscopic images show damage to the point. The combination of factors clearly makes this the murder weapon, according to the prosecution.
Dr. Robert Lawrence said the child’s wounds were consistent with such a knife. He testified the blade is most likely 3.5 inches based on the depth of the deepest wound.
Libby Schreiber, a senior criminalist with the California Department of Justice, dissected the knife and found blood traces beneath the composite handle. Gordon Wincott, a criminalist and DNA expert for the prosecution, testified it is Leila’s.
A serrated steak knife with a bent blade and damaged point seized from the Fowler home has traces of Leila’s blood under the handle. Officials insist it is a murder weapon and the accused simply washed away everything but microscopic trace elements.
“There are only two people who know what happened that day and the one version we’ve heard here doesn’t add up,” said Calaveras County Deputy District Attorney Dana Pfeil.
Prosecutors maintain the murder weapon is a 3.5-inch J.A. Henckels steak knife bearing traces of Leila’s blood. The serrated knife is one of dozens seized from the Fowlers’ kitchen after the slaying. The blade has a noticeable bend and microscopic images show damage to the point. The combination of factors clearly makes this the murder weapon, according to the prosecution.
Dr. Robert Lawrence said the child’s wounds were consistent with such a knife. He testified the blade is most likely 3.5 inches based on the depth of the deepest wound.
Libby Schreiber, a senior criminalist with the California Department of Justice, dissected the knife and found blood traces beneath the composite handle. Gordon Wincott, a criminalist and DNA expert for the prosecution, testified it is Leila’s.