Opinion ID: 1149229
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Fireplace Poker and Shovel

Text: ¶ 38. Duplantis contends that he would have been able to prove that the bolt cutters were not in fact the murder weapon in this case had the requested fireplace poker and shovel been produced to him. We disagree. ¶ 39. Dr. Stephen Hayne performed forensic testing on the bolt cutters recovered from Gary Thrash's abandoned truck. The tests recovered human hair, blood and tissue. The tests also revealed that Thrash's fatal wounds were inflicted by an object similar to these bolt cutters. If another object had been used to facilitate this heinous crime, the testing would have revealed such. It did not. Duplantis did not suffer any material prejudice to his defense due to the absence of this evidence.