Houston, Tx
‘My son is already dead’ | Mother of Josue Flores testifies at murder trial
Josue’s father cried within the courtroom as Maria held her composure recalling her ultimate moments along with her son.
Prosecutors known as Flores’ mom, Maria Flores, as their ultimate witness. Via a Spanish translator, Maria talked about how Josue needed to be a health care provider and would have turned 18 this summer time.
Josue’s father, Juan, cried within the courtroom as Maria held her composure recalling her ultimate moments along with her son.
Maria stated she acquired a name the afternoon of Might 17, 2016, concerning the assault simply two blocks from her house.
‘Hopefully the Flores household can quickly discover closure’ | Houston Metropolis Council, mayor react to arrest in Josue Flores homicide
“Solely that my son was bleeding,” Flores stated. “I requested, and I used to be advised that he had been stabbed.”
Flores stated she wasn’t allowed behind the ambulance, so she rode within the entrance.
As soon as the ambulance arrived on the hospital, Flores testified she noticed Josue by means of the open doorways with a tube in his mouth.
“His eyes had been open, and I assumed, ‘My son is already lifeless,’” she stated.
Maria stated that when her husband and brother-in-law arrived on the hospital, she broke the information to them.
“When (my husband) entered, I advised him that my son was lifeless,” Maria stated.
Earlier Monday, a senior DNA analyst testified that her personal Florida lab discovered a few of Flores’ DNA on the cuff of Jackson’s inexperienced jacket.
DNA expertise might be key as trial begins for man accused of stabbing 11-year-old Josue Flores 22 instances
Rachel Oefelein, of DNA Labs Worldwide, stated 85% of the DNA belonged to Jackson, 10% to Flores, and 5% from an unknown individual.
That’s proof a grand jury noticed in 2019 after they indicted Jackson on the present homicide cost.
In 2017, Jackson’s preliminary homicide cost was dropped as a result of DNA testing by Texas DPS got here again inconclusive.
The Florida lab makes use of a more moderen expertise known as M-Vac, which collects DNA from porous and tough objects or surfaces.
Sgt. Richard Rodriguez of the Houston Police Division’s chilly case unit advised the courtroom Monday, “The expertise is all the time altering from 2016 to 2019, and we needed to see what else we may do to unravel this case.”
Stella Mireles-Walters, who based the neighborhood watch group Secure Stroll House after Flores’ homicide, was within the courtroom Monday.
“How do you catch DNA in your garments?” Mireles-Walters stated whereas reacting to the proof proven. “Will we simply catch it by the air? No. There needs to be that very shut contact.”
Dr. Robert Benjamin, a forensic analyst and the primary witness known as by the protection, testified due to the small quantity of DNA on the cuff, “the DNA may have come to be (on the cuff) in quite a lot of methods.”
Benjamin additionally stated Josue Flores’ shirt had an excessive amount of mildew development to gather proof.
“I might suspect, fairly frankly, that it wasn’t correctly dried earlier than it was sealed,” Benjamin advised the courtroom.
Testimony continued later than normal Monday afternoon after Decide Denise Collins advised Jackson’s attorneys she needed them to get by means of all of their witnesses so the protection can relaxation its case.
Closing arguments are anticipated to start Tuesday morning.