Former crime scene detective Erwin Trotman yesterday testified that murder accused Anthony DePaul Hope led him to what was believed to be the weapon used to kill Colleen Forrester, whose body was found in a septic tank in 2008.
Hope, Ralph Tyndall and Kevin O’Neil are jointly charged with murdering Forrester between December 27th, 2007 and January 6th, 2008.
Forrester was the caretaker of the William Street, Kitty residence, where her body was found in the septic tank.
Trotman told Justice Roxane George and a 12-member jury that he took photographs of the two-storey house and the septic tank where Forrester’s body was discovered by police. He stated that afterward Hope told him something and led the way to a piece of wood in the grass.
He said the wood, measuring approximately 19 cm, was retrieved some 15 metres away, southeast of where the septic tank was located. The piece of wood was admitted as evidence in the trial.
Trotman further said that Hope led him to a bathroom in the second storey of the house, where he saw several pieces of wet cloth and he immediately took photographs of them.
Trotman also stated that he had retrieved a piece of mattress that appeared to have dried blood on it. He said everything that he suspected to be related to the crime scene investigation was collected and carried to the crime detection laboratory for analysis.
On Wednesday, crime scene detective Kevin Herbert recounted the discovery of Forrester’s body. He said there was a pungent odour coming from the vicinity of the septic tank and upon closer investigation he noticed that some of the grass was trampled on.
Herbert said he then asked for the septic tank’s lid to be lifted and what he saw inside was a body wrapped in a sheet. He said Forrester’s son positively identified her when a piece of cloth was removed from her face.
Right then, he said, he read Hope and O’Neil their rights and placed them under arrest.
He stated that while he was searching the house, he noticed what appeared to be spots of dried blood in a bedroom. When he questioned Hope about it, Herbert said, the man responded that he had cut his foot. Herbert said he asked Hope to see his foot and there was no cut.
He said dried blood was also observed on the inside staircase of the house.
The trial will resume on Monday when Trotman is to be cross-examined.
