Witnesses in murder trial delve into DNA

Jury hears results from Crime Lab

HOT SPRINGS — A Garland County Circuit Court jury listened to lengthy testimony from state Crime Laboratory experts Thursday as the capital-murder trial of a man accused in a 2017 triple homicide entered its fourth day.

Nicholas Matthew Lewondowski, 35, of Hot Springs is charged with three counts of capital murder in the deaths of Paul D. Power, 40, Dory Ann Power, 46, and Brenda Sue Lawson, 60, all of Hot Springs. Their bodies were found in a residence at 208 Nevada St. the day before Lewondowski’s arrest.

Earlier testimony revealed that James Coble, a friend of Lewondowski’s, had told Hot Springs police that he suspected Lewondowski had killed some people at the residence because Lewondowski believed they had stolen from him.

Coble told police that Lewondowski had told him “a dude pulled a gun on me, and it went bad,” and “you never leave witnesses behind.” He said Lewondowski had tried to recruit him to help cover it up.

Coble also said Lewondowski had given him clothing, boots and other items to dispose of. Police later collected clothing and other items from Coble’s residence and property, some of which were sent to the state Crime Laboratory for testing.

“This is a very complicated case with several known [samples] and unknowns,” Gisele Hardy, a forensic DNA analyst from the Crime Lab, told the jury of six men and six women during her testimony.

She detailed her testing process of numerous items that were provided to her by police investigators and prosecutors and confirmed when asked by Lewondowski’s attorney, Mark Fraiser, that she had worked on aspects of the case for more than a year, right up until last week.

Two black Hi-Tec boots were tested. One tested positive for DNA from Dory Power and Paul Power, and the other had DNA from Paul Power and James Coble, she said. It was uncertain whether the swab containing Power’s and Coble’s DNA was from blood or some other source, she said.

Fingernail clippings from the victims were tested, and DNA from Paul Power was reportedly found on the nails of one of Lawson’s hands. DNA from Lewondowski was found on the nails of the left hand of Dory Power. There was no foreign DNA found on Paul Power’s hands.

When questioned by Fraiser, Hardy said there was no way to know how the DNA got there or how long it had been there.

“It doesn’t necessarily indicate a violent contact, does it? It could be insignificant,” Fraiser said.

“We can’t tell how it was transferred,” Hardy replied.

A pair of Levi pants collected as evidence were found to have DNA from Dory and Paul Power and an unknown woman. The same unknown DNA also was found on a pair of khaki pants that also had Lewondowski’s DNA.

Swabs taken from the floor mats of a Chevrolet Suburban were a match for Dory Power, Hardy said. There was earlier testimony that Lewondowski had been driving the Suburban at one point.

Angela Evans, a criminalist at the state Crime Lab, testified that a black hooded jacket had traces of gunshot residue. She acknowledged when questioned by Lewondowski’s other attorney, Tim Beckham, that it was unknown if it was the result of firing a gun, being in the vicinity of a gun that was fired or coming in contact with gunshot residue on another item.

The trial is scheduled to resume today.