The jury at the second degree murder trial of Dennis Oland will be hearing from the accused.
That word given to the jury by defense lawyer Gary Miller in a brief opening statement. Miller says the decision by Oland to testify was his alone. Miller says that Dennis Oland will describe in considerable detail what he did and who he communicated with on July 6 and 7, 2011.
Miller says the prosecution claims there are two motives for Dennis killing his father with one being Richard’s affair. Miller telling the court there’s no evidence to believe this was a reason for Dennis to kill his father and the second was financial but Miller argues Dennis’ financial issues were nothing new.
The jury also hearing that Dennis Oland’s wife Lisa Oland, his mother Connie Oland, his sister Jacqueline Walsh, his uncle Jack Connell, and family friend Mary Beth Watt will also be testifying as defence witnesses.
Miller telling the jury “at the end of the day the only verdict you can bring back in is not guilty.”
The defence’s first witness is Patrick Laturnus, a self-employed forensic consultant who was declared an expert in bloodstain pattern analysis at the trial.
CHSJ News reporter Laura Lyall is covering the Dennis Oland trial and is live-tweeting the proceedings from the courtroom. You can follow along on the CHSJ News Twitter page or the Wave News Twitter page.
