WASHINGTON -- The Chandra Levy murder scene lacked usable fingerprints, bloodstains or semen stains, FBI technicians said Wednesday morning.
A retired FBI fingerprint expert and a current agency biologist each testified that neither was apparently able to identify samples useful in tracking Levy's killer. Though potential stains were found, nothing could be confirmed.
"No latent (fingerprints) at all, on any of the items," retired FBI technician Oscar Ford Cheshier said.
The testimony confirmed what prosecutors have already stated, that they lack DNA or other direct evidence connecting accused killer Ingmar Guandique to Levy's murder.
Prosecutors say Guandique killed Levy on May 1, 2001, during an attempted sexual assault in Washington's Rock Creek Park. They are relying on circumstantial evidence, including further testimony provided Wednesday by a former Guandique pen pal.
Levy's skeletal remains and the clothes she was apparently wearing at the time of her murder were discovered May 22, 2002.
FBI biologist Robyn Wolfe testified Wednesday that in June 2002 she tested a number of stains found on Levy's underwear and black running tights. Wolfe said she identified six stains on the clothing items as being potentially blood, and one stain as being potentially semen.
Wolfe added, though, that she was not able to confirm the presence of either blood or semen in follow-up tests. She was to continue her testimony Wednesday afternoon, going into further detail about other samples and tests.
Cheshier, too, was part of the Levy investigation in 2002, when he tested Levy's sneakers, radio-cassette player, sunglasses and other items. He said he tested the items with laser lights, a vapor form of Super Glue and a special powder, but he was not able to detect any usable prints.
The testimony was delayed while prosecutors and defense attorneys wrangled for nearly 90 minutes over procedural matters. Angry sounding at times, and at other times complaining about unfairness, defense attorneys tried with minimal success to block some questions and testimony.
The 16-member jury panel remained out of the courtroom through much of the morning as attorneys argued. Eventually, Miami resident Maria Mendez was brought back to the stand for a second day of questioning.
On Tuesday, Mendez had been the first witness since the trial began to directly tie accused killer Ingmar Guandique to murder.
Mendez told of receiving a 2003 letter from Guandique in which he spoke of a "muchacha muerta" -- a dead girl. Prosecutors suggest this was referring to Levy's murder, as part of a litany of misdeeds being recounted by Guandique. Defense attorneys on Tuesday had challenged Mendez's account, but on Wednesday Mendez confirmed her earlier grand jury testimony that the "muchacha muerta" referen
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