Day 7 of Winston Corbett's trial in murder of professor James Miller
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Linda Mahlie was the Indiana State Police laboratory analyst who took over this case after Nicole Stickle left for another job out of state.
Mahlie conducted tests on the evidence from 2012 to 2018.
She testified Winston Corbett’s DNA was consistent with the DNA identified as unknown male number two.
Corbett’s DNA was identified in a blood mixture on the roadway, on a cutting of James Miller’s shirt, the wall of the foyer and a swab of the door handle.
Most of the other samples she testified about were found to be James Miller’s DNA.
After the lunch break, Nick McCloughen of Goshen Police and the Elkhart County Homicide Unit returned to the stand.
He testified about interviewing Corbett the day they obtained a buccal swab from him.
McCloughen testified he told Corbett he was investigating the Miller case and asked Corbett if he had been inside the Miller home before. He was also asked if he knew James, Linda or their children.
Corbett told the detective he didn’t know the Millers, and had never been in their home. He said he didn’t know where they lived.
When asked about the murders, detectives said they knew everything about the case but why, but Corbett never gave a direct answer as to why, McCloughen testified.
The defense questioned McCloughen and he testified the initial interview with Corbett lasted about half an hour.
He also testified the first time he heard Winston Corbett’s name was on October 16.
The state then rested its case.
The defense called Dr. Carl Wright to the stand as its first witness.
He is a DNA analyst at a private lab.
Dr. Wright testified he received the ISP reports and focused on three items, a clipping of James Miller’s shirt, a swab from the roadway and a swab from the screen door handle.
He said in one of the pieces of evidence there were three profiles, not two as the ISP concluded, and two of the three profiles excluded Corbett, Dr. Wright testified.
Dr. Wright then alleged the ISP tech was biased and their work was “ethically untenable.”
In cross examination, Dr. Wright said it was improper for the ISP lab tech to go back and redo a sample several years later.
The next witness called by the defense was Elkhart Police Chief Chris Seymore. Up until four months ago, he worked with the Elkhart County Homicide Unit.
He testified on October 28, he and another officer, Sergeant Jeff Heaton, went to talk to Linda Miller. At the same time, Winston Corbett was talking with detectives.
Seymore showed Linda Miller a BMV photo of Corbett. She told him “That looks like him” when asked if she recognized the man.
Court then recessed until Thursday.