The People v. Jonathan Ludarac (Abridged)

WITNESS #6

[PROSECUTION WITNESS #6—Sgt. Adam Dalton]

[PROSECUTION EXAMINATION]

James: Officer Dalton, what lead you to investigate Mr. Ludarac as a possible suspect in this case?

Dalton: Dallas Gaines’s girlfriend, sister and parole officer all mentioned him as a “person of interest” during interrogations. He was not the only lead we followed. Our other possible suspects had legitimate alibis. Jonathan’s was thin at best. When Jack Sitersin was murdered, we began investigating the possibility that someone was targeting the defendants in the case of The People v. Gaines, Sitersin, Krast and Bates.

James: Was this possible connection to that court case your only evidence for investigating Mr. Ludarac?

Dalton: At the time, yes, but more evidence presented itself as the case progressed.

James: What kind of evidence?

Dalton: As I said before, his alibi was thin. We followed up with his wife, Dana Ludarac, but she was hostile during our interrogation. Detective Renfield and I agreed that her statements were not as credible as we would have hoped. Due to some reconnaissance on his home being compromised, he lacked alibis for all four murders.

James: Anything else?

Dalton: We came to believe he had abused his daughter, Kayla Ludarac. Since this would display violent tendencies, he became even more of a person of interest. The most important piece of evidence was the knife found in St. Mark’s church.

James: Take us through Dallas Gaines murder. What occurred that night?

Dalton: An attacker snuck into Gaines’s home while he was watching television. No fingerprints or sign of forced entry were found indicating that the attacker was either his girlfriend, Tessa O’Dell, who was home at the time, or someone who used gloves and came in through an open window. Two of his windows were open upon discovery of his body. Ms. O’Dell reported the attack and made legitimate attempts to save Mr. Gaines’s life. None of the knives in her house matched the laceration to Mr. Gaines’s throat, so she was removed from our list of suspects. The attacker held Gaines down in his chair and slit his throat. He was still in the chair when he was found, and the CSI department determined that he had not moved during the attack, so we can assume the assailant held him down until he died.

James: Can you identify this item for the court?

Dalton: That is the knife that was discovered on the altar of St. Mark’s church.

James: Is this the knife that killed Dallas Gaines?

Dalton: Yes.

James: Did you find Jonathan Ludarac’s fingerprints on this knife?

Dalton: Yes.

James: There is an inscription on the blade. Can you read it for the court?

Dalton: The Ludarac’s will burn in hell.

James: Where have you heard that phrase before, Detective Dalton?

Dalton: It’s the same phrase that was carved into Kayla Ludarac’s skin.

James: In your professional opinion, do you believe that Jonathan Ludarac carved those words into this knife and his daughter’s skin?

Dalton: Yes.

James: What made you believe that Mr. Ludarac killed Jack Sitersin?

Dalton: The manner in which we found his remains seemed to be a recreation of what Mr. Sitersin was accused of doing to Lucy Ludarac.