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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: News
Student Murder Trial: Prosecution rests case against Malinovskaya
Defense gets chance to prove defendant's innocence despite pattern of jealousy
Jon Meza
Tension rose in the courtroom when a recess was called to solve a dispute between defense attorney Eugene Maurer and state attorney Paul Wallace.
Maurer wanted to use forensic pathologist Ali Hameli to prove that the medical examiners, who arrived nine hours after the body was found, should have been called to the crime scene earlier, while Wallace alleged that a search warrant was needed.
Delaware Superior Court Judge James Vaughn sided with Maurer, and Hameli testified that, in his experience, medical examiners are usually called to the scene immediately.
"That was the rule and still should be the rule," he said.
Hameli also said the injuries were caused by a blunt force and that the assailant had to be standing close enough to be splattered by the victim's blood.
He added that if Malinovskaya committed the crime, there should have been blood found in her car.
"I would expect that some blood even not visible to the naked eye to be transferred to the interior of the vehicle."
It had previously been established that Malinovskaya's rental car was not cleaned, and no traces of blood were found in it.
Defense will continue with testimony tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
Copy Editor Alyssa Schwenk contributed reporting to this article.
Maurer wanted to use forensic pathologist Ali Hameli to prove that the medical examiners, who arrived nine hours after the body was found, should have been called to the crime scene earlier, while Wallace alleged that a search warrant was needed.
Delaware Superior Court Judge James Vaughn sided with Maurer, and Hameli testified that, in his experience, medical examiners are usually called to the scene immediately.
"That was the rule and still should be the rule," he said.
Hameli also said the injuries were caused by a blunt force and that the assailant had to be standing close enough to be splattered by the victim's blood.
He added that if Malinovskaya committed the crime, there should have been blood found in her car.
"I would expect that some blood even not visible to the naked eye to be transferred to the interior of the vehicle."
It had previously been established that Malinovskaya's rental car was not cleaned, and no traces of blood were found in it.
Defense will continue with testimony tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
Copy Editor Alyssa Schwenk contributed reporting to this article.
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