ON Friday, we told you how DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal called 2 more FBI experts to testify in the murder trial of William "Danny" Mason, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo. The prosecution has been relying on DNA evidence to help prove that these 5 accused men are responsible for the July 2016 beheading murder Pastor Lewellyn Lucas.
Well, today's testimony was about the part of the police's investigation into this case which involved the telephone communication between Pastor Lucas and William Mason. An IT specialist from BTL, testified today. He said that he was given a court order to extract text messages and registration names for 4 telephone numbers. One of those numbers belonged to Pastor Lucas, and the was allegedly a business number belonging to Mason.
The BTL expert testified that the investigating officer gave him a court order on July 18th, 2019 to extract the necessary information for the phone numbers from the period June 18th, 2016 to July 18th, 2016. He stressed to the court that this sensitive information for any cellular phone user cannot be altered within their system. He told the court that only he and one other person have access to the data. Once he extracted it from the BTL system, he then printed it in two formats, including an Excel spreadsheet.
Once that witness finished his testimony, a previous witness who testified in this trial in March was re-called.
The third witness of the day was a BTL Application Specialist who testified about the steps he took to comply with that same court order to extract information for those 4 telephone numbers that police requested.
Outside of court, defense attorney Bryan Neal spoke with the media about this intercepted telecommunication:
Bryan Neal, Attorney
"Today we went over some evidence, some witnesses from BTL who under the hand of a court order from the Chief Justice were asked to hand over certain phones records. Those have been handed out and tendered into evidence and we did some time keeping to see where we will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think Wednesday we go to Outback Farm and tomorrow we have Russell Blackette that supposed to come in and the investigating officer who is a very important witness for all sides."
"What I want to mention though while I am on the point that over the weekend something concerned me, is that the crown has led FBI evidence and all kinds of important evidence. I've been appointed by the court to represent this young man, but he cannot afford a DNA expert. I think it's incumbent on the state to provide him the way the prosecution has been provided with all these resources. All he has is me, but I think he needs some help from some DNA witnesses and I will make that application possible tomorrow."
Reporter
"Tomorrow we have the investigating lead officer taking the witness stand. What is generally expected from a lead investigating officer when he/she takes the witness stand?"
Bryan Neal, Attorney
"He is that one that has us here. He is the one that charged these men. He is the one that the case stems from, so he will have to account for what he did, why he did what he did, how he did what he did and that is why he is very important."
Reporter
"A lot rest on his testimony."
Bryan Neal, Attorney
"Everything I would say he is the genesis for all of this, so he has to account for everything that he did before we got here."
That investigating officer for the prosecution takes the stand tomorrow, as the final witness for the prosecution.
Email
Print