Aug 28, 2008 10:57 am US/Eastern
Testimony: Murder Trial Evidence Was Contaminated
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A Baltimore man is on trial for the murder of Det. Troy Chesley (pictured), but now court testimony shows evidence from the scene was contaminated.
CBS
A Baltimore man is on trial for the murder of a city detective, but now court testimony shows evidence from the scene was contaminated.
Mary Bubala explains the ties to the firing of the head of the city crime lab.
A defensive decision to challenge DNA evidence came as no surprise to prosecutors, who tell
Eyewitness News it is only part of a very strong case against the suspect.
Brandon Grimes is on trial for the murder of off-duty Baltimore Police Detective Troy Lamont Chesley Sr. The gun allegedly used in the killing became the trial's focal point when the technical chief of the police lab's DNA section admitted during testimony that she left her own DNA on the gun.
"Most importantly, Ms. Jessamy follows the law in these matters and we respond to requests for discovery or any information that is known to prosecutors is made known to the defense," said Marty Burns, State's Attorney's Office.
Defense attorneys quickly questioned the validity of the city's DNA testing in light of the admission and the firing of the crime lab director last week. Police Chief Frederick Bealefeld fired Edgar Koch after learning DNA samples belonging to lab employees wound up in the database.
Prosecutors expected DNA questions to surface, but they tell
Eyewitness News they don't expect them to have an adverse effect on their case.
The state rested its case after presenting physical evidence and testimony placing Grimes at the scene, a gun in his hand and evidence that he was wounded by Chesley before the detective died. Now the jury must decide while the DNA lab looks to re-organize.
The state's attorney's office supports the police commissioner's decision to ask the American Society of Crime Lab Directors to review procedures at the lab.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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