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The trial of Henry Segura continues Monday in Leon County, Florida. Segura is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his girlfriend, Brandi Peters, their 3-year-old child JaVante Segura, and her twin 6-year-old daughters who were not his, Tamiyah and Taniyah Peters. Peters was found dead, beaten and shot on November 20, 2010, with one child also shot and the others drowned. If convicted, Segura could get the death penalty.
Opening statements happened Thursday. Prosecutors said that Segura committed the crimes because he owed child support payments. He allegedly told his ex-girlfriend before the killings that he needed a gun. The defense, on the other hand, said authorities got the wrong guy. They claim other people’s DNA were found at the scene, including that of Angel Avila-Quinones, a possible suspect. Another man, James Carlos Santos, said he had ordered the killings from prison because Peters had allegedly stolen from a Mexican drug cartel.
On Friday, the prosecution called forensic witnesses and investigators from the Tallahassee Police Department.
Latent print examiner Annie Williams returned to the stand in the morning, discussing how she collected DNA from Peters.
Williams showing blood stained jeans to the jury. She says everywhere you see discoloration is blood. #SeguraTrial https://t.co/FFHEZsbMzd pic.twitter.com/I88TLQvmzK
— LawNewz Network (@LawNewzNetwork) August 4, 2017
Forensic expert Joann Maltese followed her. Caroline Wilder, a forensic specialist, took to the stand to talk how she examined a bathroom area. Officer Mark Lewis, who led the probe, walked through the investigative process. Medical examiner Lisa Flannagan said Peters was shot at least seven times, but it wasn’t the bullets that killed her. It was blunt forced trauma:
#SeguraTrial – Brandi Peters had multiple blunt impacts to her head, skull fractures and defensive wounds on her hands. pic.twitter.com/5d2cGA7YuD
— LawNewz Network (@LawNewzNetwork) August 4, 2017
Forensic specialist Vernon Henderson testified that he collected evidence during the autopsies of the younger victims.
Jeff Foggy, a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, was a crime laboratory analyst with the FDLE at the time of the murders. He said each of the ten shots fired in the house that day were shot from the same .32-caliber gun.
We’ll soon learn if Santos will testify at the trial. Prosecutors expect to rest their case next Wednesday, and after that:
#SeguraTrial – Judge will hold an evidentiary hearing after the State rests next week regarding inmate Santos testimony/confession.
— LawNewz Network (@LawNewzNetwork) August 4, 2017
Stay with LawNewz.com and the LawNewz Network for continuing coverage of the case.
[Screengrab via LawNewz Network]
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