DNA expert ties Sheley to homicide scene

MORRISON, Ill. Prosecutors attempted to tie Nicholas Sheley to the scene where they believe Russell Reed died and the car where his body was found during testimony Friday at Sheleys first-degree murder trial.

The state plans to call one witness Monday morning, and closing arguments are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Circuit Judge F. Michael Meersman told jurors before they left after a short day in court Friday that they should vote early, because he believed they would be at the courthouse on Election Day until they have a verdict.

Heather May, a forensic scientist for the Illinois State Patrol crime lab in Rockford, testified Friday morning that DNA from a cigarette butt found on Reeds kitchen table matched Sheleys DNA, and that the DNA on a water bottle found on the floor of Reeds car matched that of Sheley and his brother, Josh.

Reed, 93, was found beaten to death in the trunk of his 2003 Buick Century on June 26, 2008, three days after prosecutors believe Sheley killed him in the kitchen of Reeds rural Sterling home.

During his cross examination, Sheleys attorney, Jeremy Karlin, attacked the credibility of the DNA evidence, pointing out that one of the samples taken from the crime scene at Reeds home was contaminated with the DNA profile of an unknown female.

Karlin also pointed out that the matrix, a program used to analyze DNA evidence, was, according to May, inadvertently removed from the crime labs software, and that when the cigarette butt was tested for DNA a second time, no DNA profile could be developed from the remaining sample.

The trial became heated when prosecutor Mike Atterberry from the Illinois Attorney General's Office attempted to ask May why the cigarette butt had been tested a second time.

It was done at the request of the defense, and Karlin had argued outside the presence of the jury about making sure any reference to it was attributed to himself, not the defenses DNA expert, who was present during the second test.

Karlin objected and accused Atterberry of grandstanding. Meersman sustained the objection and told Atterberry to move on.

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DNA expert ties Sheley to homicide scene