1997-08-12

More graphic testimony about the death of Lucille West came out in court Monday afternoon in the murder trial of Wellington resident David Valles.

West, 85, died of "multiple sharp force and blunt force injuries," including a 'gang" cut in her neck and a fork stabbed in her left temple, said forensic pathologist Dr. Joseph A Prahlow of Dallas.

Valles, 20, is charged with first-degree murder, which could result in 5 to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine upon conviction

He found West's body on April 1, 1996 in her home.

The cut to West's throat ws inflicted before she died, Prahkow testified, and severed both jugular veins, her thyroid land, windpipe, esophagus and her left carotid artery.

Three cuts each about 2 1/2 inches deep were found on the front of her spinal column, Prahlow said.

"Approximately one-half to two-thirds of her neck was severed," he said. The Slash was seven inches long and three inches wide, he said.

When the fork was thrust into her temple, Prahlow said, it caused the bone between her eye and nasal cavity, as well as her left cheek bone, to feature.

It would take a "significant degree of strength" to embed the fork in her, he said. "It took me several attempts to remove it," he said.

Some jurors fought back tears as Prahlow testified. Members of West's family, who have been inc court since the trial opened, were absent as the pathologist testified, returning after he left the stand.

Earlier Monday afternoon, forensic serologist Katherine Long testified that blood was found on clothing Valles was wearing when he found the body.

A drop of blood was found on his left shoe, a black Nike Air sneaker, and traces were found on his right shoe, shorts, T-shirt and boxer shorts, Long said.

Some stains were found on a jacket Valles was wearing, she said.

Long testified that the blood she could see and test was human blood. Other traces were generally invisible to the naked eye and could not be similarly tested, she said.

Monday's full day of testimony was the first time the jury heard evidence since Thursday morning. The trial opened August 3 after two days of jury selection that began July 31.

Court appointed attorney Earl Griffin had sought to throw out the testimony of Collingsworth County Sheriff Dale Tarver, Chief Deputy Rusty Lee and former deputy Larry Lacy, but his motion was overruled on Thursday.

Griffin did secure a delay in the trial so he and his investigator could search the sheriff's office for handwritten notes related to the West investigation.