ATX Choir Director tried to fight off Attacker
AUSTIN, Texas - Forensic experts spent Tuesday going over evidence they found inside the home of Kathy Blair.
Shoe prints were recovered at the crime scene back in 2014 and were enhanced to provide more detail and sent to the DPS crime lab. Lindsi Delarosa who is a supervisor at the state lab told the jury they matched the tread marks to a brand allegedly worn by Shawn Gant- Benalcazar.
"I took a general measurement of the size, an almost complete impression and let the manufacturer of Shoes for Crews, the contact I had to Shoes for Crews, I told them the size and what we did through a discussion decided that 9 through 13 would be sufficient for me to compare," said Delarosa.
The jury also saw other blood stains. Some visible to the eye, others had to be illuminated by a special chemical called Blue Star. Crime Scene Tech Jennifer Aguirre told the jury, a spot on the side of Blair's bed prompted her to look inside a green sedan that had been seized by police. Particular focus was made on the car seats.
"Well, whenever we went back and we examined the screen with Bue Star and noticed in the guest bedroom whenever there was a reaction on that side of the bed kind of low, that made me think that maybe the suspect had blood on their lower legs, from the murder, and so I knew that area would be a great place to look inside the vehicle and try to find any blood transfer," said Aguirre.
Blood stains were found. They were located on the lower part of the front passenger side seat which can make contact with a person's legs. The car, at the time of the murder of was allegedly being driven by a man by the name of Tim Parlin. Investigators said Parlin and Gant-Benalcazar did landscaping work at Blair's home and returned after being fired to burglarize it.
Tuesday afternoon, the jury saw Blair's autopsy report. They were told she had been choked, beaten and stabbed 7 times. The fatal wounds were to her neck and abdomen. There were also several defensive type wounds indicating Blair put up a struggle and tried to fight off her attacker.
When police caught up with the two men, Gant-Benalcazar according to investigators confessed to stabbing Blair. But the jury has yet to hear that statement and defense attorneys who claim was the statement was coerced are still pointing the finger at Tim Parlin.
"We are very curious as to the approach the state is going to take in this case," said Keith Lauerman the attorney for Parlin.
Lauerman and Parlin are scheduled to go on trial, in the same courtroom in early May. Fox 7 asked if Parlin would testify in the trial underway now.
"It’s too early to tell for if that is going to happen," said Lauerman.
Lauerman also declined to say if a plea deal had been offered to his client. The trial for Gant Benalcalzar is expected to continue into next week.