STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) DNA from a Detroit-area man charged with killing four suspected escorts was found under the fingernails of one of the women, a scientist testified Wednesday. <\/p>\n
More than a year later, a judge must determine whether James Brown will stand trial for first-degree murder in the December 2011 deaths. <\/p>\n
The women were found in pairs in car trunks in Detroit, six days apart. Two of the victims were burned beyond recognition in a car that was set on fire. Doctors who performed autopsies believe all four died of asphyxiation. <\/p>\n
Jennifer Jones, a Michigan State Police scientist, said Brown's DNA was under the fingernails of Renisha Landers and it can't be ruled out from evidence gathered from the nails of Demesha Hunt. <\/p>\n
The blood of another victim, Natasha Curtis, was discovered on a closet door in Brown's Sterling Heights home and likely was on a pillow, Jones testified. <\/p>\n
Dr. Francisco Diaz, an assistant Wayne County medical examiner, performed autopsies on Landers and Hunt. He found no signs that would suggest a physical struggle such as broken nails or contusions. <\/p>\n
He said it's possible for someone to be asphyxiated without a struggle, especially if the attacker is larger than the victim. Brown is muscular, more than 6 feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds. <\/p>\n
Dr. Carl Schmidt, the county medical examiner, testified that Curtis and Vernithea McCrary were burned beyond recognition. But he believes they, too, were victims of asphyxiation before the fire. <\/p>\n
\"Clearly they were killed somewhere and the bodies were placed in trunks of cars. ... We don't know what happened, but we know something bad happened to them,\" Schmidt said. <\/p>\n
At least three of the four women promoted themselves as escorts-for-hire on Backpage.com, which carries classified and personal ads. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read the original here: STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) DNA from a Detroit-area man charged with killing four suspected escorts was found under the fingernails of one of the women, a scientist testified Wednesday. Continue reading
\nMan's DNA linked to 1 of 4 slain suspected escorts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"