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January 30, 2009 No faulty wiring at fire scene, expert saysPosted: 10:11 AM ET
LAWRENCE, Massachusetts–On day nine of the arson murder trial of Kathleen Hilton, prosecutors presented testimony to support their position that investigators looked for other causes before they suspected arson in a fire that killed a family of five.
Kathleen Hilton with defense attorney Hilton, 62, is charged with five counts of second-degree murder in connection with the fire. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The defense is expected to begin presenting their case next week. Dennis Toto, an electrician and consultant to the State Fire Marshall’s Office, testified he was called to the scene to determine whether faulty wiring could have caused the High Rock Street fire. He noted there was no damage to the wiring connecting the smoke alarm on the second floor landing, and in fact noted that the circuit breaker connected to that wiring had “tripped,” indicating to him that the safety mechanism had been activated and the electrical systems were working properly. Toto testified that he examined the electrical devices on the first floor, found them in good condition and concluded that “electrical current was not the heat source that caused the fire.” The jury also heard from two fire investigators at the scene who took statements from witnesses. David Legere testified he took a statement from Krystina Sutherland, who told him her ex-boyfriend had called at 9:00 p.m. that night and threatened to burn her house down if she didn’t let him see their children. Another fire investigator said he went to the house the day after the fire to document the scene, drawing diagrams and sketches of the burned rooms. His testimony centered on his observations of the staircase leading to the upper floors. He noted that there was a direct shaft from the staircase to the third floor, and that there were rubber mats on each step and on the bottom of the landing. While the rubber mats on the lower steps were destroyed by fire they left a distinguishable pattern. Also called by the Commonwealth was John Drugan, the chemist who conducted tests on evidence samples, including clothing taken from Kareme Powell for the presence of accelerant. At the time of the fire, Powell was visiting his grandmother who lived on the first floor of the house. He did not reveal the results to the jury, but the Commonwealth is expected to argue that investigators tested his clothing to rule him out as a suspect. Drugan also testified that certain alcohol-based accelerants are difficult to detect. He returns to the witness stand on Friday. Stay tuned to In Session for live coverage with correspondent Beth Karas. –In Session staff Filed under: Uncategorized |
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