Jessica Lunsford Murder Case

The morning of February 24, 2005, the grandmother of 9yr. old Jessica Lunsford called the police in Citrus County, Fla., to report her granddaughter had disappeared from her room the night before. She had tucked her into bed. The only thing that was missing was a stuffed animal that her father won for her at the county fair. Immediately police began to search for Jessica. Jessica dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer, or a fashion designer when she grew up. According to the grandmother Ruth Lunsford Jessica lived with her father, Mark Lunsford, and his parents, Ruth and Archie in a mobile home near Homosassa, Fla. The search ended nearly a month later for Jessica. Convicted sex offender John Couey confessed to abducting Jessica and told police where he buried her. (In his sisters backyard) about 60 yards from the Lunsford home. John Couey was living with his sister in her mobile home across from the Lunsford’s residence. Couey told police he had

I observed passive bloodstain patterns- from the wire put on Jessica’s wrist, and blood due to the sexual assault. First I photographed the bloodstains and bodily fluid stains (semen) on the mattress in Couey’s room. I took photos with measurements as well. The width and length of pattern was documented along with the time. Photography, measurements, and reconstruction of bloodstain all complete. I then took samples of the blood for DNA analysis. It was determined later that the blood was Jessica’s bloodstains and the semen belonged to sex offender Couey due to the sexual assault he committed to 9yr.old Jessica.
Trace evidence: Jessica’s left thumb and Couey’s two index fingers were stamped on an old pizza box discovered in Couey’s bedroom closet. A glass table in the bedroom produced more matches. One spot near a corner of the yellowed mattress tested positive for a mixture of Jessica’s blood and Coury’s semen. Trace evidence- DNA samples from the pillows were never