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The murder trial without jury against William “Dannyâ€￾ Mason and his 4 co-defendants continued today in the Belmopan Supreme Court. For the past 3 days, DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal has been presenting large quantities of forensic evidence against Mason, Ashton Vanegas, Keron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo.  She’s trying to prove that these 5 men were responsible for the July 2016 beheading of Pastor Lewellyn Lucas. 

DDP Vidal called a DNA expert from the FBI to testify yesterday via a Skype teleconference call. That witness told the court that based on samples sent to them from Belize, several of the defendants had blood on their clothes the night they were detained after Pastor Lucas’ decapitated head was discovered in the pan of Mason’s pickup truck. That expert went on to tell the court that the blood on the clothes matches the DNA profile of Pastor Lucas. 

Well, the 5 defense attorneys got their opportunity to cross-examine this FBI expert this morning, and much emphasis was placed on the possibility that the evidence samples could have been contaminated due to the handling and collection procedures from the Belize professionals. The attorneys challenged the expert that this possible cross-contamination could have negatively affected the results of forensic tests. She assured the court that while she cannot say for certain that any cross-contamination did not occur, once those samples reached the FBI laboratory in the US, they were handled with the highest standards of evidence care.

The trial then proceeded for the rest of the day with 3 local forensics experts testifying to the court about how certain evidence samples were collected and what procedures they used to conduct their tests. 

When the case was adjourned at around 5:00 this evening, we spoke with defense attorney Norman Rodriguez about today’s witness testimony:

Norman Rodriguez - Attorney
"We started off this morning with the cross examination of the forensic analyst from the FBI in the USA and I think the defence attorney attempted to attack that evidence by looking at the cross contamination. After the FBI analyst we had 2 local forensic witnesses and I think the defence was able to attack that evidence by looking at how the evidence is stored and even part of the collection process and finally well, we had the last witness in which the crown, I think it was a big day for the crown, they got in some of the evidence that they wanted to get in and tomorrow we continue with some more of that and then we'll be able to cross examine that final witness, today for them it was all forensics."

Daniel Ortiz
"Now sir for us who aren't legally trained, it appears that the DPP is kind of stacking up this evidence piles high against these defendants, some more than others."

Norman Rodriguez
"First of all, there's no question that the DPP has experience and knowledge, she's a well learned attorney and she has the experience to go with it but you have to watch and see where the attorneys will do their cross examination and how they will do it. Until you see that, then all you will see is that the crown because this is the point where the crown is bringing its case, we will decide if we will present a defence and of course we will, then you will see what the defence attorneys can do."

The trial resumes tomorrow in Belmopan when the local forensics expert will finish with his testimony. The defense attorneys will then get to cross-examine him.