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Photo courtesy of Alan Warren/Ann Arbor New
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Orange Amir Taylor III is escorted into an Ann Arbor courtroom Monday to faces charges in the death of Laura Dickinson. Taylor's first trial resulted in a hung jury.
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The prosecuting attorney said the case is about every woman's worst nightmare come true - being assaulted and murdered in your own home. The defense said the case is about every citizen's worst nightmare come true - being accused of a crime you didn't commit. Jury members chosen for the re-trial of Orange Amir Taylor III, will ultimately determine the outcome.
Opening statements from prosecuting attorney Blaine Longsworth and public defender Laura Graham were given Monday after a meticulous four-hour weeding through of potential jurors in the morning.
Eight women and six men were chosen out of a jury pool of more than 75 people called for jury duty Monday at the 14A District Court in Ann Arbor.
The jury in Taylor's first trial never reached a unanimous vote and after approximately 17 hours of deliberation it declared itself as "hopelessly deadlocked" Oct. 23, 2007.
Taylor, a former Eastern Michigan University student, is charged with crimes related to the death of fellow EMU student Laura Dickinson. Dickinson was discovered on the floor of her dorm room in Hill Hall Dec. 15, 2006 naked from the chest down with pillow covering her face.
Taylor, 21, was arrested more than two months after Dickinson's body was found. Evidence collected at the scene revealed a semen stain on Dickinson's right leg and fitted bed sheet matched Taylor's DNA profile.
Taylor is charged with open murder, assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, first-degree home invasion and larceny in a building.
Longsworth said Monday, the evidence he presents throughout the week "will show beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant committed the crimes he is charged with."
"This case is about a chilling disregard for life," Longsworth said during his opening remarks.
Graham, who took on Taylor's defense after his former lawyer Alvin Keel left the case, said she does not think the prosecution has a strong enough case to convict Taylor of anything.
"We believe after all the testimony is given, not guilty is the only conclusion you will be able to render," Graham said.
The trial has proceeded much as the last year's did. Testimony given Monday from Laura's friends and teammates on EMU's rowing team as well at her boyfriend Travis Scott presented the athlete as a fit, health-conscious college student studying dietetics.
Although they said she had reported feeling "tired" and "run-down" in the days leading up to her death, they all rationalized she felt that way due to final exam week.
However, much like Keel's arguments last October, Graham asserted Dickinson's health was less than satisfactory.
She said Dickinson was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia in 2005 and highlighted the fact that Washtenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Bader Cassin did not perform any test on Dickinson's heart tissue during the autopsy that might have shown she died of the arrhythmia.
Graham also questioned the defense's scenario that Taylor could enter Dickinson's room, strangle and sexually assault the student without anyone hearing or any signs of struggle.
"Laura had lengthy fingernails and they were all intact," she said. "Not one was broken, not one."
Dickinson was last seen Dec. 12, 2006 after a Secret Santa Christmas party with fellow novice rowers at EMU.
According to testimony given by Michael Arntz, formally with EMU's Public safety Department, the last image of Dickinson alive was taken while she was walking into Hill Hall at 11:01 p.m.
Arntz, who examined more than 150 hours of digital video collected throughout various locations at EMU after the student's death, said he noted what Dickinson wore that evening and what she had in her possession at the time she entered Hill.
Video footage shown to the jury, confirmed Dickinson entered the West stairwell of Hill Hall using her keys. It also showed her carrying a red and green gift bag, a white bag and a purse.
EMU Detective Justin Scott, who analyzed Dickinson's computer, said the student logged onto her laptop a little after midnight Dec. 13, 2006, checked her school email and looked at her online social networking profile. She logged off at 12:21 a.m. and that was the last her friends and family heard from her.
Dickinson's body was discovered two days later at approximately 1 p.m. Members of EMU's physical plant and custodians in Hill Hall discovered the decomposing body after residents in the dorm complained of a smell in the upper floors.
Dickinson's room was locked from the outside when her body was discovered; her keys were never found.
Serology specialist Jennifer Dohring, DNA specialist Heather Vitta and trace evidence specialist Guy Nutter were all called to the stand to testify to their involvement in the case Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dohring said she came to Hill Hall with other members of the Michigan State Police forensic science division, including Nutter, to process the scene the day Dickinson's body was found.
Dohring reported testing several items in Dickinson's room and areas of Dickinson's body for traces of semen.
She was also present for the Dec. 18, 2006 autopsy. She testified that a sexual assault evidence kit was obtained at the autopsy however no evidence of seminal fluid was found after oral, vaginal and rectal swabs of the victim were collected.
Dohring concluded, the only semen found was on Dickinson's leg and bed sheet.
Vitta testified Tuesday the semen found on Dickinson's leg and bed sheet matched Taylor's DNA without a doubt.
A statistical analysis showed the odds of having another person with the same DNA were one in 18.1 quadrillion in the African American community.
A DNA match was also made in relation to the pillow found covering Dickinson's head when she was found. However, due to the limited genetic information Vitta said the pillow results were limited and weak.
She testified the odds of finding another person with the same genetic profile are about one in 276.2 in the African American community.
"The significance of the match is much reduced and it should be weighted accordingly," Vitta said.
Late Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning Nutter focused on fiber evidence he collected from the scene and during the autopsy.
He pointed out the similarities between the black acrylic fibers found on Dickinson's body and fibers taken from a sweatshirt Taylor was observed to be wearing the night Dickinson was allegedly murdered.
He also pointed out similarities between blue fibers found on Taylor's sweatshirt and a blanket in Dickinson's dorm room.
Circuit Court Judge Archie Brown said he expects testimonies will be given until Friday. If guilty, Taylor could face life in prison for the open murder charge and the criminal sexual conduct charge.
Visit, the Ypsilanti Courier online for courtroom updates throughout the trial.
A jury profile
Approximately one hundred prospective jurors packed into Circuit Court Judge Archie Brown's courtroom Monday morning.
Nearly 25 were dismissed for cause or excused by the judge, the defense or the prosecution before 14, including two alternates, were chosen.
Prospective jurors were asked personal questions as well as questioned about the mistrial last October.
Although some said they had never heard of the case the majority of the jury pool said they had.
"It is entirely likely that many of you know something about the case," Brown said. "The fact that you know something about the case is not reason to be excused."
Several prospective jurors who followed the mistrial said they were "surprised" by the original outcome. Still, many said they would be able to reach a fair and reasonable verdict.
After a little more than four hours of jury selection the prosecution and the defense said they were happy with the jury make-up of eight women and six men.
Contact Staff Writer Christine Laughren at 697-8255 or at claughren@heritage.com
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