Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 17, 1990 TAG: 9003172214
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
Attorneys Rick Neaton and William Cleaveland filed a motion Friday to exclude from Soering's trial any testimony or evidence related to the sock-print comparisons conducted by Robert Hallett of the state's laboratory.
"The opinion of Mr. Hallett is based upon an inherently unreliable method of comparison; i.e. anthropological measurements," the defense motion stated. The motion also alleges that the type of comparison used is "not generally accepted in the field of law enforcement."
Hallett, who has been subpoenaed to testify at Soering's June 1 trial, compared a right sock print found in blood on the wooden floor of Nancy and Derek Haysom's living room to samples taken of Soering's footprints. Hallett measured distances between different parts of the footprints and concluded that it was "highly probable" the bloody print belonged to Soering.
The test appears to be the most damaging piece of physical evidence so far against Soering, the 23-year-old former University of Virginia student charged with killing the Haysoms, his girlfriend's parents. Stains of Type O blood - which is Soering's blood type - were found inside the Haysoms' Boonsboro cottage, but no fingerprints or hair strands have been linked to Soering.
It is not clear when Circuit Court Judge William Sweeney will rule on the latest defense motion. Sweeney still has to rule on a previous defense motion that Soering's incriminating statements to London police be thrown out of the trial.
The defense lawyers and Commonwealth's Attorney James Updike have until Monday to file legal briefs on that issue. Sweeney has said he would make a ruling sometime after that.
by CNB