Focus Turns To Pair Of Levi's Jeans In Rahmael Holt Trial, Jury Also Sees Crime Scene Photos
GREENSBURG (KDKA) -- The man accused of fatally shooting a New Kensington Police officer during a traffic stop in 2017 is back at the Westmoreland County Courthouse today as his capital murder trial continues.
Day 4 of the Rahmael Holt trial included both more testimony and the jury seeing dozens of photos of the crime scene from the night of Officer Brian Shaw's murder.
The jury just saw crime scene photographs from Officer Brian Shaw's murder for the first time, including the shell casings. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/8GBZ9nzCtP
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 7, 2019
Holt is accused of gunning down Officer Shaw, of the New Kensington Police Department, in November of 2017 as the officer was trying to pull the SUV Holt was riding in over.
In addition to the photos, the lawyers focused on a pair of ripped Levi blue jeans.
Detectives found these jeans in the dirty clothes hamper of a relative of Holt. Investigators say he stayed with that relative while police were looking for him.
Holt's state ID card and Rivers Casino card were in the front right pocket. They're using the jeans to get Holt's DNA.
Detectives also swabbed the car that Officer Shaw tried to pull over that night. It was driven, at the time, by key witness Tavon Harper. They swabbed the passenger seat and door handle. That could put Holt in the car as a passenger during that traffic stop.
If detectives found Holt's DNA in the car, that could strengthen the prosecution's case that Holt was, in fact, in the vehicle that night.
Detectives did not swab the backseat for DNA.
The court also saw pictures of Officer Shaw's uniform and bulletproof vest, as the lawyers pointed out exactly where the bullets struck the fallen officer, just narrowly outside the cover of his vest.
The jury also just saw Officer Brian Shaw's uniform shirt and bullet proof vest in person, on a mannequin.
I circled the one bullet hole that pierced his body, just outside of the scope of his kevlar vest. @KDKA #rahmaelholt pic.twitter.com/7UPaBoNhHK
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 7, 2019
The gunman fired six times and three bullets hit Shaw.
The pathologist testified Shaw died from extreme blood loss as the bullets perforating his lung, causing blood to accumulate in his chest cavity. She said even if this had happened right outside of a hospital, Shaw likely still would have died.
A young woman who was staying in the house where Holt's girlfriend was living on the night of the shooting testified about Holt's cousin visiting the house.
She said he didn't say anything when she asked him why he knocked on the back door or was speaking so low. @KDKA
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 7, 2019
**She said no one lived or hung out down in the basement, and said only the washer and dryer were in the basement. @KDKA
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 7, 2019
The jury heard from a detective who took the stand to testify about finding five .40 caliber cartridge cases and photographing the officer's autopsy.
On the stand right now is witness #18- Detective Todd Roach who photographed the crime scene. He found five .40 cal cartridge cases. After the break, he is going to talk about photographing the process of Officer Brian Shaw's autopsy on the morning of Nov. 18, 2017. @KDKA
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 7, 2019
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.
