ORLANDO, Fla. — A DNA expert testified Monday in the murder trial of a man accused of raping and killing a 27-year-old woman at her downtown Orlando apartment.
Police said Stephen Duxbury strangled Sasha Samsudean in October 2015 at the Uptown Place apartments after she returned from a night out.
Duxbury worked as a security guard at the apartment building at the time.
A DNA expert testified Monday that DNA evidence that was discovered on Samsudean's breasts matched that of Duxbury. The expert used charts to illustrate how his DNA profile was isolated.
Duxbury's defense attorneys asked the expert if his DNA could have somehow gotten onto Samsudean's body without him touching her. The expert said the odds of it belonging to someone else is in the billions or trillions.
Duxbury told the judge he would not testify. His defense call no witnesses and rested Monday afternoon.
Jurors on Friday were shown physical evidence in the case, including a pair of Skechers sneakers prosecutors said Duxbury was wearing when he killed Samsudean.
%
%%
%
The shoes, which were found beside Samsudean's bed, match shoe prints found in her apartment, police said. Duxbury told investigators that he never entered her apartment.
Investigators said DNA evidence was also discovered on Samsudean's bedsheets, and Duxury's fingerprints were found on her toilet and her nightstand.
Investigators said surveillance footage shows Duxbury walking with an intoxicated Samsudean.
His attorneys claim that investigators botched the case and that the true killer remains at large.
Duxbury faces life in prison if convicted in Samsudean’s death.
Closing arguments begin at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Cox Media Group
