The Lost Knife

The client stated that the man’s erratic and aggressive behavior concerned him, particularly in regards to his young niece having to be at home alone with the man after school while her mother was at work. He made it a point to go to his sister’s house in the afternoons as often as possible to watch over his niece. On this particular day, he stated that the roommate was intoxicated, violent, and had advanced on him with a knife, however, responding officers found no weapon near the body. The State’s theory was that the "knife" was a fabrication designed to justify the execution of an unarmed man. He stated that he panicked after the incident and grabbed the knife as he fled the home, leaving it in the car, and even telling law enforcement exactly where it was, but they never recovered it.

Our investigation found that the evidence at the crime scene supported the client’s version of a crime scene that moved as the male advanced towards him. The missing knife was problematic though, so our investigators searched for the vehicle, which had changed hands three times in the last three years. Once we located it, we searched the car and found a wicked-looking knife right where the client said it was. We promptly sent it to the DNA lab to test for the deceased man’s DNA, which was present and firmly established that he had handled the knife extensively.

We presented our findings at trial, to include revealing the discovery of the knife and the test results. Our client was subsequently acquitted of all charges based on self-defense.