LEXINGTON, Ky (LEX 18) Monday marked the third day of the Marine murder trial. The last time they were gathered in court was Thursday, June 14.
The defendants in the case are Quincinio Canada and Dawan Mulazim. The two are accused of shooting and killing Marine Jonathan Price outside of Austin City Saloon in June 2014. Jonathan’s wife, Megan was also shot that night. She survived and was in a wheelchair for seven weeks. She was one of the Commonwealth’s witnesses Thursday. She said in court that the robbers took $60 from her that night and that Jonathan didn’t carry any cash.
On Monday, prosecutors began by focusing on security footage they say is related to the crime. The Commonwealth brought up another witness, Brian Maxwell, who set up security systems for businesses. He said in court that he set up the security system for a liquor store. Prosecutors claim that the defendants were seen in the liquor store’s surveillance video after the murder.
Detective James Barber with the Lexington Police Department was another witness. He is a member of the department’s Computer Forensics Unit and he said that he helped download video for police in the case. The defense asked Detective Barber if he went to nearby homes and businesses to get surveillance videos, to which the detective replied, yes.
Dawan Mulazim’s sister also took the stand as a witness, saying that she had identified her brother in the video surveillance from the liquor store. The defense had no questions for her.
Next witness is Dawan Mulazim’s sister. She IDed her brother in the surveillance video from the liquor store. Defense has no questions for her. pic.twitter.com/u836yOJOT7
— Karolina Buczek (@Karolina_Buczek) June 18, 2018
An evidence technician for the Lexington Police Department, Tim Russell, was also on the witness stand. He brought the Mobile Crime Lab out to the parking lot of Austin City Saloon where the Prices were shot. In Court, Russell went over photos of the crime scene and recorded video from the crime scene. in the video, there were large spots of blood visible. Jonathan’s body had already been moved to the hospital.
Russell showed a photo of a shell casing that he found at the crime scene. He told the court that he was looking for two of the shell casings because officers told him that two people had been shot. He only found one. He said that it is not unusual to only find one because guns fire differently and the casing may not have been left at the scene.
In court Wednesday, June 14, Detective Timothy Upchurch explained how police made the connection between a robbery at Quality Inn and Price’s murder, saying that police knew a Springfield XDS .45 was stolen at the Quality Inn robbery and he had descriptions of the suspects. The shell casing from Price’s murder was sent for analysis and, Upchurch said, it was the same type of gun used to kill Jonathan.
On Monday, Russell was asked by prosecutors if fingerprints would show up on a mattress or backpack because the robbery victims at Quality Inn claim that they heard the robbers go through these things. Russell said that because of the material and the ridges, fingerprints would not appear on these items.
The defense asked Russell if it was possible for a victim to have the shooter’s DNA on them if there was a scuffle, and Russell said yes. The defense asked if that DNA would have been preserved by the bagging of Jonathan Price’s hands, which is something the hospital does.
The next witness was Officer Chad Karsner. He said that his police K9, Lux, tracked a human scent at the Quality Inn robbery. He said he was also called to the murder scene a few days later.
We’re back after lunch. Next witness is David Walker – custodian of records at AT&T. He will be testifying about cellphone records. pic.twitter.com/qnCfecMLFH
— Karolina Buczek (@Karolina_Buczek) June 18, 2018
The next witness was a woman who dated Quincinio Canada in 2014. She stated that she used to lend Canada her silver Chevy Malibu whenever he needed it. Prosecutors claim that this was the car the defendants used the night of the murder.
Prosecutors showed the woman a photo of a car that was caught on camera near the murder scene. She stated that it was her car in the photo and that Canada and Mulazim were in it.
Lieutenant David Richardson of the Lexington Police Department was also a witness. He played the surveillance video from the liquor store, which is next to the Austin City Saloon parking lot where the murder happened. This video showed a silver Chevy Malibu.
Around 4 p.m. the jury was dismissed for the day. They’re due back in court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
