[TESTIMONY]-- Witness #1

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[TESTIMONY]

[What appears below are excerpts of the testimony of the witnesses. These excerpts do not include, for example, the oath given to each witness, or certain testimony which the Court ruled inadmissible or irrelevant.]

[PROSECUTION WITNESS #1-Kelly Xiong]

[PROSECUTION EXAMINATION]

James: Ms. Xiong, do you recognize this knife?

Xiong: Yes. That is the knife that we found as a match to the one that killed Dallas Gaines.

James: How do you know that?

Xiong: The contour of the blade combined with blade length and width matches the laceration to Gaines's throat.

James: Just to be clear, this knife is exactly the same, not merely similar to the one used to murder Dallas Gaines.

Xiong: Yes, that's correct.

James: Did you find fingerprints on the knife?

Xiong: Yes. We found many, very clear, prints.

James: Did you find Jonathan Ludarac's prints?

Harker: Objection, leading.

J: Overruled.

Xiong: Yes, twelve-point matches on all five digits from AFIS*.

James: Is it safe to assume that Jonathan Ludarac held this knife at one or more times?

Xiong: Yes.

James: Did Jack Sitersin's remains yield any clear clues as to who may have killed him?

Xiong: His genitals were forced back into his body. Whoever did kill him did not think that ending his life was enough. The person who killed Sitersin was very angry.

James: As angry as a grieving father?

Harker: Objection, Your Honor.

J: Sustained. Watch yourself, Ms. James.

James: What killed Cullen Krast?

Xiong: The CSI department believes he died from complications associated with his injuries.

James: And what were his injuries?

Xiong: Krast's head, hands and feet had all been turned around. The crime scene photos clearly show that. We at the CSI office believe this caused cardiac arrest.

James: The pathologist with the FBI stated that the injuries sustained by Mr. Krast did not play an identifiable role in his death.

Xiong: I don't think anyone can look at Cullen Krast's remains and legitimately claim that his injuries played no part in his death.

James: So you believe that Barton Mueller is incorrect in his assertions?

Xiong: Not quite. Mueller pointed out that Krast's body had elevated levels of norepinephrine. It is a logical assumption that he made because that particular hormone does raise the heart rate during stressful situations, but norepinephrine is also a hormone associated with concentration. There is no way of knowing why the body released such large amounts of it. Mr. Mueller also admits to ignoring the injuries completely. I don't believe that his investigation can be considered thorough.

James: So you believe that someone twisted his head, hands and feet around and that is what killed Cullen Krast?

Xiong: Yes.

The People v. Jonathan Ludarac (Abridged)Where stories live. Discover now