Day four of the Delonte Wynn trial brings new evidence to light

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 20, 2017
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

The trial of Delonte Wynn, charged with the murder of Darlene Bryant, continued Monday and is expected to conclude this week.

Before jurors entered the room Monday morning, attorneys debated whether or not a key witness’ testimony was able to be readdressed since he claimed to not remember what the defense considered a vital piece of the puzzle. The trial on Friday adjourned for the weekend as witness Chester Taplette was in the midst of giving his testimony, and Judge Zoe Bush ultimately decided any questions to do with a prior witness,Donnell Howard, could be addressed to Taplette.

As Taplette continued his testimony, he claimed that Howard confided in him days following Bryant’s death. During this alleged conversation, Howard saidthat Darlene Bryant had been killed because she took someone’s car. Howard was arrested for separate charges shortly after this conversation, and Taplette proceeded to call the police with Howard’s claim.

An MPD officer, familiar with the 4300 block, provided the jury with a variety of evidence, including a map of the blood trail from the Geraldine Apartments, where Bryant was allegedly stabbed, to the porch where she collapsed. The witness also provided photos of a wash cloth that Bryant pressed to her neck to absorb the blood until it could no longer hold. Expert medical examiners reviewed close-up photos of the victim’s autopsy, which showed the gaping almost 3 inch-deep stab wound cutting through the back of Bryant’s neck. While not in the report, an examiner speculated that since Bryant’s blood showed recent use of cocaine, the pace at which the victim’s heart was pumping may have contributed to how quickly she lost blood.

Wynn’s role in the alleged murder has been continuously indeterminate when considering DNA evidence. A juice bottle found next to a pool of Bryant’s blood was used to collect fingerprints and DNA samples, and after a series of forensic scientists approached the stand, no one could confirm through the different analyses whether or not Wynn was present at the scene of the crime. According to the witnesses, neither the DNA nor the prints matched that of the defendant.

During what was supposed to be a 15-minute recess, attorneys hotly debated a series of texts to be used between Wynn, his girlfriend, and Bryant. The defense became concerned with certain text messages that might suggest an angry Wynn, or manipulate what could be perceived as motive. Judge Bush found most of the text thread to be relevant and, thus, permissible.

The trial will continue Tuesday morning with an expert criminal investigator and his analysis of Wynn’s cell phone records leading up to the event of Bryant’s fatal stabbing.