DNA yields few conclusions
RCMP scientist testifies in Liu's murder trial
Jake Rupert
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, November 15, 2002
DNA analysis of samples collected in the bedroom and house where Fengzhi Huang was found strangled in her bed does not provide definitive answers, court was told yesterday.
Testifying at Yongsheng Liu's first-degree murder trial, RCMP scientist Anne Charland went over the results with the seven-woman, five-man jury hearing a case that assistant Crown attorney Julianne Parfett has described as "circumstantial."
Mr. Liu was charged with killing his wife after Ms. Huang was found dead in the couple's Kanata home on Feb. 29, 2000. A pathologist has not yet testified about the cause of death, but autopsy pictures suggest signs of strangulation on her neck.
The Crown's theory is that Mr. Liu, 37, raped and killed his 36-year-old wife. The defence said it will show the police had tunnel vision in their investigation and the Crown's case falls well short of what is needed for a criminal conviction. Yesterday, Ms. Charland said DNA from Mr. Liu, Ms. Huang and their daughter was found on two scarves found tied to the headboard of the bed and three "cloth ropes" found in various parts of the house. There was no blood on these items.
Ms. Charland said DNA could be left on the items simply by picking them up.
Ms. Huang's blood was on a pillow, a sheet, the panties she was wearing when her body was found, a white girdle that was found on the floor, the carpet near the bed, and a drop of it was found on the blinds behind the bed. Mr. Liu's semen was also found on the sheets. Crime scene pictures shown to the jury show Ms. Huang's mouth had bled before she died, and in a police interview after he was arrested, Mr. Liu said he had had sex with his wife the night of Feb. 28, 2000.
During the trial, the jury has heard that Ms. Huang and Mr. Liu were having problems in their marriage in the time leading up to her death. It has also heard Ms. Huang was having an affair with co-worker Glen Glover at the time of her death, and had had one previous affair with a school mate, Yutian Luo.
Ms. Charland said DNA samples were taken from Mr. Glover, Mr. Luo, and a neighbour and schoolmate of Ms. Huang's, Zhengao Zhou. Their DNA wasn't found on any of the items seized from the crime scene, Ms. Charland said. However, she said there were indications of "another donor" of DNA on one of the scarves and one of the cloth ropes, but added the samples were too small to get profiles from.
Referring to the scarf, Justice Colin McKinnon directly asked Ms. Charland to clarify what she meant by another donor. "Not the deceased, not the accused, not the daughter?" the judge said. "Yes," the scientist answered.
Mr. Liu's defence lawyer, Patrick McCann, barely started his cross-examination of Ms. Charland yesterday and didn't get into the DNA evidence.
© Copyright 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
RCMP scientist testifies in Liu's murder trial
Jake Rupert
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, November 15, 2002
DNA analysis of samples collected in the bedroom and house where Fengzhi Huang was found strangled in her bed does not provide definitive answers, court was told yesterday.
Testifying at Yongsheng Liu's first-degree murder trial, RCMP scientist Anne Charland went over the results with the seven-woman, five-man jury hearing a case that assistant Crown attorney Julianne Parfett has described as "circumstantial."
Mr. Liu was charged with killing his wife after Ms. Huang was found dead in the couple's Kanata home on Feb. 29, 2000. A pathologist has not yet testified about the cause of death, but autopsy pictures suggest signs of strangulation on her neck.
The Crown's theory is that Mr. Liu, 37, raped and killed his 36-year-old wife. The defence said it will show the police had tunnel vision in their investigation and the Crown's case falls well short of what is needed for a criminal conviction. Yesterday, Ms. Charland said DNA from Mr. Liu, Ms. Huang and their daughter was found on two scarves found tied to the headboard of the bed and three "cloth ropes" found in various parts of the house. There was no blood on these items.
Ms. Charland said DNA could be left on the items simply by picking them up.
Ms. Huang's blood was on a pillow, a sheet, the panties she was wearing when her body was found, a white girdle that was found on the floor, the carpet near the bed, and a drop of it was found on the blinds behind the bed. Mr. Liu's semen was also found on the sheets. Crime scene pictures shown to the jury show Ms. Huang's mouth had bled before she died, and in a police interview after he was arrested, Mr. Liu said he had had sex with his wife the night of Feb. 28, 2000.
During the trial, the jury has heard that Ms. Huang and Mr. Liu were having problems in their marriage in the time leading up to her death. It has also heard Ms. Huang was having an affair with co-worker Glen Glover at the time of her death, and had had one previous affair with a school mate, Yutian Luo.
Ms. Charland said DNA samples were taken from Mr. Glover, Mr. Luo, and a neighbour and schoolmate of Ms. Huang's, Zhengao Zhou. Their DNA wasn't found on any of the items seized from the crime scene, Ms. Charland said. However, she said there were indications of "another donor" of DNA on one of the scarves and one of the cloth ropes, but added the samples were too small to get profiles from.
Referring to the scarf, Justice Colin McKinnon directly asked Ms. Charland to clarify what she meant by another donor. "Not the deceased, not the accused, not the daughter?" the judge said. "Yes," the scientist answered.
Mr. Liu's defence lawyer, Patrick McCann, barely started his cross-examination of Ms. Charland yesterday and didn't get into the DNA evidence.
© Copyright 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
