Police officers testify about crime scene details in Jonathan Taylor trial

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

As the trial against Jonathan Taylor continued, evidence and testimony from the crime scene was introduced in court.

Taylor is charged with the murder of Dexter Motley.

The prosecution submitted several photos that were found at 427 Burbank Street which at the time, was where Taylor and some friends were living.  While the defense objected, only one of the photos was deemed prejudicial by the judge.

On October 16, 2014 the D.C. police obtained a search warrant for 427 Burbank Street and police searched the apartment. A homicide detective who executed that search warrant testified one of Taylor’s friends was inside the apartment when police executed the search warrant. The detective testified that once he entered the apartment he saw several photos that were taped up to a wall. These photos showed Taylor with known members of the Oxford Manor association as well as pictures of Taylor with several different women.

One of the experts who testified was a K9 unit officer who said that he and his dog, along with two other officers patrolled the area of a crime scene. They begin by using a shotspotter which assists in locating where a firearm has been discharged and then began searching near that area. The role of the K9 is to go off lead and attempt to track the scent of a firearm or any things associated with the firearm. Once the dog locates the scent, they follow it to the location from which it came and sit down. The officer testified that they used the shotspotter in this case and searched near the area of the crime but his K9 never picked up a scent and sat down.