Day five of the Timicca Nauta murder trial centered around the evidence and DNA samples collected in the case.
Testimony also showed that authorities had suspected Brandon Michael Acosta for months before his arrest in the case.
There were at least a dozen persons of interest from which the Guam Police Department collected DNA samples from relative to the 15-year-old’s rape and murder in June 2018.
Based on the testimony of two GPD officers in court this morning, it appears that Brandon Michael Acosta was on GPD’s radar early on in the case.
While Acosta was not arrested and charged for Nauta’s murder until October 2018, GPD Crime Scene Investigator Lucas Perez was called to Acosta’s home days before Acosta was arrested in a string of burglaries that occurred around the same time Nauta was discovered.
“I collected a swabbing from Brandon Acosta, June 20th, on 268 Chalan Koda, it’s the same street, at I believe his residence,” Perez said.
GPD officer Carl Lizama also took to the stand, testifying that he confiscated Acosta’s white checkered shorts, swabs of his shirt mouth, and a black cell phone.
Officer Perez testified that he collected the cheek swab DNA sample from Acosta that was used to compare to DNA samples taken from the crime scene and Timicca Nauta’s body.
The FBI confirmed last week that Acosta’s DNA matched samples of semen collected from Nauta’s genitals.
Trial continues tomorrow.
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