Forensic experts testify in Ellicott murder trial | News, Sports, Vacancies

MAYVILLE — Four state police experts, some of whom work in research laboratories in the state capital, took the stand in the murder trial of an Ellicott man shot to death early last year.

The first to testify was Steven Packard, a Batavia State Police investigator who was brought to the witness stand.

Packard is working with the medical examiner’s office and processed three shotguns and one pocketknife found at 2256 Willard St. Ext. where Scott Blake was shot and killed on January 6, 2023. His stepson, Tucker Richard, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, is charged with second-degree murder in Blake’s death.

Packard explained the evidence processing procedure.

Victoria O’Connor was next. She works as a forensic firearms examiner at the State Police Investigation Center in Albany.

O’Connor tested the weapons recovered from the scene, as well as the shell casings found. She confirmed that two intact pistols were functioning properly. One of the three weapons was found in three parts.

Next up for Packard was Kimberly Stoddard, a forensic serologist at the State Police Forensic Investigations Center in Albany.

As a forensic serologist, she tests blood and biological evidence.

Stoddard said she obtained swabs taken from shotguns, a doorframe, items of clothing and Blake’s hands.

She noted that swabs from the trigger area of ​​one of the guns, as well as the door lock, tested positive for blood.

Public defender Nathaniel Barone asked if she had identified whose blood it was, to which Stoddard replied that she could not because she was not a DNA analyst.

After Stoddard, Vanessa Richmond, a forensic scientist at the State Police Investigation Laboratory in Albany, was brought in as a witness.

Richmond is a serologist and DNA analyst. She was able to create a DNA profile of Blake and Richard.

During her testimony, she noted that the tests were carried out on various parts of the weapons provided to their office, as well as on a folding knife.

Her investigation led her to believe that Blake’s DNA was on the pistol’s handle, fore-end and barrel.

At the same time, Richard’s DNA was also on the handle and barrel.

As for the folding knife, Blake’s DNA was found on the blade.

Richard’s DNA was not on the blade, but on the handle of the folding knife.

During opening statements on Oct. 21, Barone said Blake kicked in Richard’s bedroom door and hit him with a shotgun, causing it to break.

In response, Richard grabbed a pocket knife and stabbed Richard, further angering his stepfather.

Richard later shot and killed Blake in another room of the house. Barone claims this was done in self-defense.

As of Wednesday, 12 people had testified from the prosecution.

The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday morning.