KOAA News5Verified account @KOAA
NEW INFORMATION: Prosecutor says piece of tooth found at the
#Frazee property is the evidence that requires consumptive testing. Judge allows testing of that evidence to proceed.
#KelseyBerreth
10:15 AM - 14 Jun 2019
Judge rules that testing can begin on piece of tooth found at Frazee property
Prosecutor Jennifer Viehman confirmed the piece of evidence was a piece of a tooth that was recovered from the Frazee property. This was the first time prosecutors have commented on what the piece of evidence is and where that evidence was recovered.
[...]
Frazee’s defense team objected to the testing over concerns about policies that a defense expert would have to follow at the testing lab.
Caitlin Rogers, a forensic scientist with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said in court that guests who observe the testing would be required to undergo a background check and take a buccal swab to ensure there is no contamination.
The defense argued those requirements were intrusive and should not have been allowed. However, Judge Scott Sells disagreed, saying both are important to the testing of the evidence. He granted permission for testing to begin.
The defense said they would identify the expert that would be selected to oversee the testing within two weeks.
As outlined in court, the expert for the defense would be allowed to witness the sample prep, DNA extract and quantification of the evidence. If there is enough evidence to split the piece of evidence in two, guidelines would call for the expert to leave because the defense can then do its own testing of the other portion of the sample.