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The murder trial of George Burch enters its second week on Monday in Wisconsin. Burch is accused of killing Nicole VanderHeyden, who disappeared on May 21, 2016. Burch and VanderHeyden allegedly met that same evening. Burch is now facing a trial for first-degree intentional murder, but he insists that he didn’t do it. Watch live in the player above.
Police found Burch’s DNA on VanderHeyden’s body, and he has admitted that he was with her on the nightshe died. He claimed he was having sex with her in a car, when VanderHeyden’s boyfriend, Douglass Detrie, found them. Burch said that Detrie then killed the woman, and threatened Burch at gunpoint, making him move the body to the spot where investigators later found her.
Much of Friday’s testimony dealt with expert testimony regarding DNA evidence. DNA analyst Kevin Scott told the court about how he tested various items. A cable that was found with blood on it was tested and proved to be a match for VanderHeyden’s DNA. Other items also had her DNA, but a sock that was swabbed also had traces of DNA that matched George Burch.
Detective Brian Slinger discussed various items that were taken from VanderHeyden and Detrie’s home for testing. Among those items were Air Jordan sneakers that had a herringbone pattern that matched markings on VanderHeyden’s back. Those sneakers belonged to Detrie, and Slinger acknowledged that this was one piece of evidence that led to Detrie initially being arrested for the crime, before additional information led to police releasing him.
The prosecution is expected to continue calling witnesses on Monday.
Stay with Law&Crime.com and the Law&Crime Network for continuing coverage of the trial.
[Image via Brown County Jail]
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