No Blood is on a Murder Weapon, DNA Analyst Says

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 14, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

An analyst confirmed that there was no blood on the suspected murder weapon during a trial on Nov. 14.

Leonard Smith is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Leonte Butler, 26, on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE in 2017.

The analyst said that tests could not detect blood on a knife from the crime scene.

She also said a small amount of DNA was recovered from handle of the knife, however, it was not enough to make a match to any person.

She added that environmental factors, such as extreme heat, or rain, could have also compromised the DNA.

Smith’s defense attorney, Anthony Matthews, inquired if the analyst had any reason to believe the knife had been exposed to such factors. The analyst said that she had not.

During the proceeding, the prosecution called another witness, whom the defense believes is an alternative suspect.

The witness testified that he met Butler a few months earlier and thought they were friends. The witness said that he and Butler were not very close friends. He said that Butler spoke with a stutter, and the witness also had one when he was a child, which helped them bond.

The witness testified that he, Butler, and Smith, who is now 33, had been drinking and using drugs that night. Camera footage showed the men walking between a local liquor store and the houses of two other friends.

Apparently, Smith had been mocking Butler’s stutter for much of the night. The witness said he mocked Butler as well.

According to the witness, the mocking led to a confrontation between Smith and Butler.

Smith grabbed Butler’s coat, then Butler tried to pulled away from Smith, the witness said. Butler apparently smacked Smith in the face while he was pulling away from Smith. Smith then stabbed Butler “multiple times” in the body.

The witness said he walked away, instead of trying to help Butler. He then returned with Smith to their friend’s house where the witness says he got sick.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Nov. 18.