The arresting Police Officer - Detective Peter Fire
- would testify at trial that one of the reasons he determined I
had committed the murder of Richardson was the fact that when he
saw me I had blood on my clothing and person, giving the
assumption the blood was from the victim. The clothing would be
marked as evidence and shown to the Jury. Detective Fire would
also describe the procedure used by the police technician when he
took the blood samples from my person. He would then go on to
state the technician had taken the samples wrong, causing a
mixing of the blood so as a positive reading could not be made.
Detective Fire would further state that I told him the blood came
from a broken nose that I suffered when I was struck while
breaking up a fight between the victim and another person earlier
that evening. Detective Fire would further state that he told me
there was blood all over my shirt, arms and legs — how could
that be from a bloody nose? And that I stated I did not know,
that I could not answer that. Earlier, before Detective Fire
testified, the Jury heard the testimony of two alleged alibi
witnesses. Each would state they saw the blood on my person and
clothing. That they were present while I cleaned the blood off my
person and that I told them the blood came from a broken nose I
suffered in a fight.
In closing argument state's attorney Bruce Young would tell the
Jury that they heard there was blood taken from the defendant,
but that it had been taken wrong. That the blood was mixed,
messing up the evidence. He then inferred that if they the Jury
found reasonable doubt because the state did not bring forth
blood evidence they have to disregard all the evidence,
because they had to base their verdict on all the evidence. While
Bruce Young expounded upon the blood evidence he waved the
blood stained pants before him.