The bullet that killed Sophie Sergie in 1993 could have been fired by a pistol owned by Steven Downs â and possibly a million other guns â according to testimony heard Tuesday.
Two firearms experts testified via videoconference in the rape and murder trial against Downs, 46, who had been a student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the time of the brutal crime.
On Tuesday, Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Thomas Temple heard testimony from witnesses presented by prosecutors and the defense who reached the same conclusion, that the .22-caliber bullet removed from 20-year-old Sergie, of Pitkas Point, was so misshapen and damaged that it was unsuitable for making an accurate comparison to any bullet fired by a specific gun.
Gillis said she tested three guns taken from Downs’ Auburn home during a February 2019 police search.
She ruled out a rifle as being the possible murder weapon. She said she couldn’t eliminate a Ruger and an H & R pistol owned by Downs as the gun that fired the lethal bullet, but said the Ruger was less likely.
Asked by Assistant Attorney General Chris Darnall whether the H & R pistol could have fired the bullet, Gillis said, “Yes, the individual characteristics and class characteristics that I see all correspond.” But, she added, “it’s not enough for an identification” due to the extensive damage sustained by the bullet.
Experts say Alaska woman murdered in 1993 could have been killed by one of millions of guns pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A man was arrested Wednesday after his ex-wife’s parents were shot and killed the day before, sparking an overnight manhunt in downstate Sheridan.
Police responded about 9:50 a.m. Tuesday to the call of a woman who said her ex-husband was shooting out her house’s windows, LaSalle County Sheriff Thomas Templeton said Wednesday in a televised news conference.
The 37-year-old woman’s home, in the 800 block of Church Street in Sheridan, is located about 30 miles southwest of Aurora.
As officers arrived, the 37-year-old suspect ran away, Templeton said.
Soon after, the woman called her parents who lived nearby and, receiving no answer, asked their neighbor to check on them, Templeton said. The neighbor peered through the windows and found the woman’s parents bleeding.
Sheridan, Illinois manhunt: Suspect in custody, accused of fatally shooting in-laws, threatening ex-wife, LaSalle County Sheriff's Office says abc7chicago.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc7chicago.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.