Meehan Testimony

Dr. Meehan is now up.

Meehan has prepared a chart making clear that the entire sexual assault kit (vaginal swab, rectal swab, panties): all analysis was available on April 10, or before any indictments were made.

Meehan called Nifong to let him know that initial results were done the morning of April 10. Nifong, Gottlieb, and Himan arrived in Burlington that afternoon--for a 2-hour meeting.

Meehan: "We reviewed all of the data that we had to this point in the case." Also provided an interpretation of the tests.

"We went through--specifically went through all the results from this case with Mr. Nifong."

"They were not classic results--they were not the best results."

Nifong asked questions in that meeting--despite earlier suggestions he had not done so.

[Nifong, who said he didn't take any notes during his meetings with Meehan, is taking notes during Meehan's testimony today.]

Meehan says that he was "sure" he would have told Nifong that multiple unidentified DNA in the rape kit at the 4-10 meeting--or seven days before indictments.

Q: Is that exclusion 100%?
Meehan: Yes.

Meehan says he went over this information with Nifong on April 10: he knew that no DNA matches to Seligmann or Finnerty.

Meehan admits that between April 10 and April 21, his office did additional amplification on the rape kit in the hope of providing material that could be used to identify "additional suspects." who were not lacrosse players.

"My best guess is that there was a minimum of four males" in DNA--none were lacrosse players. This information was shared with Nifong on April 21.

Clear from Meehan testimony that conversations with Nifong were extensive and that Nifong was fully aware that multiple male, unidentified DNA was found.

Evans fingernail item--mixture and a match--not anywhere near as reliable as an exclusion. Made this clear to Nifong.

"Number of items" from public hair combings and sexual assault kit that had male DNA; none matched the lacrosse players.

"We spent a lot of time" discussing the Evans fingernail.

April 21: Nifong said he would need a report that showed all the matches they had for a "court proceeding."

Meehan: "Clear that for whatever the proceeding was, it was important that he receive a report that identified whatever match we had."

"Clear to me that there would be other suspects coming in."

"This was the first time we had been asked while a case was going that we were asked for such a written report."

'It was uncommon to be asked for a report while the case was ongoing."

The "first interim report that we had ever produced."

May 12 meeting was around an hour--long enough to make sure that Nifong understood what was in the report.

May 11 test--found that at least two sperm male DNA on panties. Went over this item with Nifong on May 12 meeting.