The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the belt found wrapped around pregnant schoolteacher Marisha Bowen’s neck two years ago had blood on it and was “frayed”, it did not have any traces of the DNA belonging to the man accused of killing her.

Detective Sergeant Nathanial Lloyd, attached to the forensic section of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, testified how his analysis of the belt revealed it was frayed on one end, was “saturated” with red/brown stains and had blood on it.

However, Rachel Oefelein, a forensic DNA analyst from Florida, in her evidence, said Allister Williams can be excluded as a contributor to the DNA profile obtained from the two items she and her employer, DNA Labs International received for analysis, that is a swab of the belt buckle and the belt itself.

In his testimony, Det Sgt Lloyd said evidence from two vaginal swabs and two oral swabs of the Guyanese teacher suggested that “friction” or “force” occurred.

Additionally, Det Sgt Lloyd said the presence of seminal material on the two vaginal swabs suggested that sexual intercourse occurred.

During previous proceedings, Ms Oefelein said one of the two vaginal swabs in question contained a “sperm fraction,” which in turn indicated one male contributor and matched a DNA profile previously obtained by Williams.

Ms Oefelein said the chance that an unrelated person, chosen at random from the general population, would match that DNA profile is approximately one in every 160 quadrillion individuals.

However, Ms Oefelein, in her evidence, said Williams can be excluded as a contributor to the DNA profile obtained from one of the oral swabs.

Yesterday also saw brief testimony from Miriam Brown, a tenant in the apartment complex where Bowen lived. Ms Brown said around 7.30am on September 9, 2016, she was lying down listening to the news when she heard screams from downstairs and someone asking: “How you get inside here?”

Ms Brown said she heard that remark just once.

She said she walked over to the window and saw a Ms Armbrister walking towards the source of the sound. However, Ms Brown said she advised Ms Armbrister not to do so because that woman got shot in the leg on a previous occasion.

Ms Brown said Ms Armbrister did as told, and said she subsequently moved from the window.

Williams is on trial over allegations he murdered the former CW Saunders Baptist teacher on September 9, 2016.

He is charged with murder, robbery, and receiving in connection with the incident. Concerning the robbery charge, it is alleged Williams also robbed Bowen of two cell phones and an iPod.

According to initial reports, Bowen was found shortly after 8am on September 9, 2016, by other tenants of a complex on Red Sea Road, off Sumner Street, suffering from a single wound to the body.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

During previous proceedings, Detective Corporal Javod Frazer said he saw blood on walls, the floor and miscellaneous items in the Guyanese woman’s apartment before ultimately finding her “lifeless” and “nude” body lying in a “large accumulation” of blood in her bed.

Det Cpl Frazer said the woman had what appeared to be a yellow dress with suspected blood covering her face, as well as a black cloth belt wrapped around her neck. He said he noticed visible injuries to the woman’s neck and chin and also a grey towel with blood stains in the area of her right arm.

After an autopsy commenced in his presence, Det Cpl Frazer said Dr Caryn Sands, the pathologist conducting the operation, further pointed out injuries to the left and right sides of Ms Bowen’s skull, and also pointed out an embryo.

Roger Thompson and Fania Joseph are the two Crown attorneys on record for the matter, while Stanley Rolle and Marianne Cadet from the Office of the Public Defender, represent Williams.

The trial continues.