Dinkins trial: Blood, fingerprint evidence was scarce

That’s what three examiners from the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, concluded and testified to during testimony Thursday about the forensic evidence available in the 2020 murder of Breasia Terrell.

Henry Dinkins’ trial in the kidnapping and death of Breasia was in its sixth day in Scott County. The 10-year-old was reported missing on July 10, 2020 — the morning after spending the night at Dinkins’ Davenport apartment.

Her remains were discovered March 22, 2021, near a small pond in rural Clinton County.

Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham’s prosecution of Dinkins has focused largely on the evidence from Dinkins’ 2007 maroon Chevy Impala, an RV stored near Credit Island that he used, and the apartment where Breasia and her younger brother stayed with Dinkins and his girlfriend, Andrea Culberson. Breasia’s younger brother is Dinkins’ son.

‘Blood was not detected’

FBI forensic examiner Tiffany Smith testified that Breasia’s blood was not detected in the Impala Dinkins was driving after Breasia disappeared.

Her blood was not detected in the apartment Dinkins shared with Culberson. And her blood was not detected in the recreational vehicle that Dinkins sometimes used.

While being cross-examined by defense attorney Chad Frese, Smith made it clear that Breasia’s blood was not detected, which means that there was no detectable quantity of blood. Smith pointed out that Breasia’s blood could have been present at those locations and had been degraded in some way to make it unmeasurable.

In response to Frese, Smith said no detectable blood was found on the machete recovered from the RV.

Earlier, Frese’s cross-examination of FBI forensic examiner Linda Otterstatter established there was no trace evidence linked to Breasia found in the Impala.

“Is it fair to say we don’t know, from the testing you’ve done, if Breasia Terrell was ever in that Impala?” Frese asked.

“That’s correct,” Otterstatter replied.

One print, on a broom

No fingerprints were found on items found in Dinkins’ car and recreation vehicle, according to latent-prints expert Monique Brillhart, also of the FBI laboratory in Quantico, VA.. She testified that Dinkins’ prints were not found on a hatchet nor on a large-knife sheaths that were found in the trunk of the Impala.

Brillhart also told the court no prints were found on a machete located in Dinkins’ RV.

She then testified that no prints were identified on a bottle of bleach found in the Davenport apartment, but one print belonging to Dinkins was found on a broom.

During cross-examination, Frese asked Brillhart, “So you were brought from Quantico, Virginia to testify that one print (from Dinkins) was found on a broom?”

Brillhart said she wasn’t sure how to answer the question.

27 witnesses, one bombshell

Cunningham and O’Donnell have called 27 witnesses since the start of the trial on Thursday, Aug. 10.

The most surprising testimony came from the 11-year-old younger brother of Breasia, identified in court as D.L., when he said he saw his sister murdered. He made the statement while he was being cross-examined by Frese.

D.L. was 8 when he asked Breasia to spend the night with Dinkins and Culberson. He testified last Friday and was the first witness called when the trial resumed on Monday.

Defense attorney Chad Frese cross-examined D.L. and started to point out inconsistencies in his testimony, deposition, and statements he made to police after Breasia disappeared.

Frese asked if D.L. was telling the truth about seeing Breasia’s murder, saying that at one point the boy told investigators he saw Dinkins and Culberson take Breasia from the car before he heard two shots. He answered, “Everything I say is true.”

The boy appeared confused and frustrated by some of Frese’s questions.

D.L. repeated the claim under redirect questioning by Scott County Assistant Prosecutor Liz O’Donnell.

She asked D.L. if the last time he saw his sister was “at Andrea’s apartment?”

He responded yes.

O’Donnell then repeated, “Was that the last time you saw Breasia?”

D.L. answered, “When she got shot.”

O’Donnell then asked, “Were you afraid to tell people she got shot?” He answered, “Yes.”

O’Donnell asked “Was it hard to tell people?” He again answered, “Yes.”

The prosecutor asked the boy whether he was scared.

“No,” he answered.

“Were you afraid you’d get in trouble?” O’Donnell asked.

D.L. answered, “Something like that.”

During the boy’s testimony last Friday, he said Dinkins picked up him and Breasia on July 9, 2020. He told the court Breasia went missing sometime in the night. He testified that Dinkins returned to the apartment two times in the early morning hours of July 10, 2020, and Breasia was not present. On a third trip to the apartment, Dinkins picked him up, the boy testified.