Damning evidence on suspect's phone KARINA'S PHOTO ON HIS CELL
The cellphone of Queens jogger Karina Vetrano’s accused killer contained Web searches featuring her photo, the crime scene — and information on the Sacrament of Penance, jurors heard Tuesday.
The phone, a black ZTE model, was recovered from the dresser in the bedroom of 20year-old Chanel Lewis, who has admitted to randomly killing the 30-year-old woman on Aug. 2, 2016.
NYPD Detective Josue Rivera of the department’s Computer Crimes Squad analyzed the phone and detailed the searches he found on it while testifying at Lewis’ murder trial in Queens Supreme Court.
Rivera said 137 case-related report histories were pulled from the phone after it was recovered on Feb. 5, 2017 — one day before Lewis was busted in the killing.
Among the cached images related to the Web searches were two photos of Vetrano and a snapshot of the crime scene in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach, where Vetrano’s beaten body was found by her father.
The phone also showed two searches for the Roman Catholic sacrament of forgiveness — as well as others related to the legal process and constitutional rights.
The user of the phone also Googled the word “arraignment” and looked up news articles about familial DNA testing, which uses genetic material from relatives to nail a suspect, a forensic process that was championed by Vetrano’s parents.
In addition, the cellphone included a photograph of a hand injury.
The accused murderer admitted that when he punched Ve- trano, he hurt his hand on her teeth, authorities have said.
But Rivera acknowledged on the stand that he can’t say for certain that the hand in the photo is Lewis’.
“You don’t know whose hand is pictured?” Lewis’ Legal Aid lawyer, Julia Burke, asked Rivera. Rivera replied, “Correct.” Meanwhile, prosecutors said three phone calls were made from Lewis’ cellphone the day of her murder — and they placed the caller in Howard Beach.
The calls, which were made at 5:06 p.m., 5:07 p.m. and 5:09 p.m., were placed in a span of several blocks.
Last week, jurors watched a chilling videotaped confession from Lewis admitting to the crime.
In the footage, the suspect said he got “mad’’ at Vetrano when she fought him off and then beat her to death.
Jurors watched Vetrano’s father break down on the stand as he recalled finding his beloved daughter’s body.
Lewis faces life in prison if convicted on charges of murder and sexual abuse.