The North Carolina crime lab is making news again, but this time it is for identifying matching strands of tinsel. Specifically, the tinsel appears to tie a murder suspect to the location at which the body of his stepmother was found.
The State Bureau of Investigation conducted examinations of the tinsel in 2007 and 2009, according to an SBI agent. The testing included measuring the chemicals and the elements in the tinsel. In cross-examination, however, the agent said she had not been able to identify the age or the source of the tinsel.
The defendant faces charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, in addition to first-degree burglary. Everything is at stake for him, as he may be sentenced to death if he is found guilty.
Source: The Times-News, “SBI: Tinsel found at murder scene matches defendant’s tree,” Michael D. Abernethy, Sept. 23, 2013