During the murder trial of constable Noel Maitland on Wednesday, a senior forensic officer faced challenges under cross-examination regarding the chain of custody for a toothbrush allegedly belonging to Donna-Lee Donaldson, the missing social media influencer and entrepreneur. Donaldson, who vanished on July 12, 2022, is presumed dead, and Maitland, her policeman boyfriend, is being tried for her murder and for preventing the lawful burial of her body. The trial is taking place in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston. Prosecutors are relying heavily on circumstantial evidence, including bloodstains found on three items in Maitland’s Chelsea Manor apartment in St Andrew, the last known location where Donaldson was seen. On Tuesday, the forensic officer confirmed that the blood found in the apartment matched Donaldson’s DNA, which was compared using samples from her parents and a toothbrush allegedly belonging to her. However, during cross-examination, Maitland’s attorney, Chadwick Berry, questioned the forensic officer about the handling of the toothbrush before it reached the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine for testing. The officer admitted she was unaware of who handled the toothbrush or when it was touched before delivery to the lab. The officer also discussed the complexities of DNA transfer, noting that factors such as surface type, contact duration, and individual skin cell shedding rates influence whether DNA transfer occurs. She emphasized caution when addressing hypothetical scenarios, such as DNA transfer via doorknobs, stating that without specific testing and analysis, she could not definitively confirm such events.
Forensic officer clueless who touched Donna-Lee’s toothbrush before it got to lab
