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Understanding the Medical Evidence in the Marcelo Lucero Case

Posted April 1, 2010 by Patrick Young, Esq.
Categories: Hate Watch

This week medical evidence was introduced in the trial of Jeff Conroy for the killing of Marcelo Lucero. Several experts testified identifying the blood on Jeff Conroy’s knife as that of Marcelo Lucero as well as on the wounds to the victims body.

One of the most important pieces of information came yesterday from a former Suffolk medical examiner, Dr. Stuart Dawson. According to the New York Times, Dawson said:

The autopsy report and Dr. Dawson’s testimony showed that Mr. Lucero was not beaten or stabbed repeatedly. The only significant injuries were cuts on his upper and lower lips that probably came from a single punch, and a stab wound just below the collarbone that did not penetrate the chest cavity and ran parallel to the skin, said Dr. Dawson, a former deputy chief medical examiner who has since retired. No major organs were struck, but Mr. Lucero’s right axillary artery and an adjacent large vein were cut, according to the report and Dr. Dawson’s testimony.

This is crucial.

The defense was in a tough place already. The blood on Conroy’s knife is that of Marcelo Lucero. Conroy told police he stabbed Lucero and later signed a written confession admitting to the stabbing. He also told several of his fellow attackers that he stabbed Lucero. So, it is safe to assume that the jury believes he stabbed Lucero.

In pre-trial hearing, the defense was clearly trying to stake out a possible claim that even if he had stabbed Lucero, that stabbing had not killed the victim. Since a second knife was found near where the seven young men were arrested, the defense hoped to claim that a second teen also stabbed Lucero and that it was not possible to determine which wound had caused the death. Since there was only one wound, Conroy’s guilt will appear much more certain.

Tags : hate crimes, hate watch, jeffrey conroy, marcelo lucero

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