Verrill double murder trial: Defense points to DNA and text messages and rests its case

DOVER — Closing arguments are scheduled to be heard Wednesday morning in the the double murder trial of Timothy Verrill.

Verrill is charged with killing Christine Sullivan, who was 48, and Jenna Pellegrini, 32, on Jan. 27, 2017, at a 969 Meaderboro Road home in Farmington owned by Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivan’s boyfriend.

The state rested its case last Friday, and on Tuesday afternoon the defense rested after calling three witnesses they hope raise doubt about whether Verrill was the killer.

DNA expert says samples she analyzed didn't match Verrill

Testimony Tuesday came from Jennifer Sears, a DNA analysist expert, who was flown in from Florida.

Sears currently works as a senior DNA analyst for DNA International in Florida. At the time of the murders, she was employed by NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, an independent lab contracted by police to look at evidence from the case.

Sears said she analyzed four sets of fingernail clippings, five fingernails from each hand, for both women, Sullivan and Pellegrini. She also looked at two rings all for the purpose of DNA analysis, comparing the evidence against a sample provided by police of Timothy Verrill.

Sears said no other samples were given to her from persons other than Verrill, and the two women. She said Verrill did not match material provided from the women.

"A swab technique was used to compare against reference samples, Q-Tips from Timothy Verrill," said Sears. "I did the review for the sample data."

Sears said comparisons were made of the fingernails. and confirmed the comparisons did not reveal DNA from Verrill. The two rings were swabbed to see if they had come in contact with anything external, (touch DNA) and the resulting profile was for male specific DNA (Y chromosome) and a partial profile was established but still could not be tied to Verrill.

"We concluded he was excluded as a contributor for material on the rings," said Sears.

Sears testified no other profiles were tested, other than Verrill. They were retested because of an issue with the extraction kits used the first time. Still no profile could be built for Verrill.

Assistant Attorney General Brian Greklek-McKeon asked Sears if she could positively say when the DNA was established or of she could say that it identified who killed the women. She said she could not.

Dean Smoronk sent threatening text messages to one of the murder victims, investigator says

Erin Saxon, an investigator for the New Hampshire public defender's office, analyzed text messages from Dean Smoronk's two cell phones to Sullivan.

The messages dated from December 2016 through January 2017. They were demeaning, insulting and often threatening.

Smoronk said Sullivan needed to respond to him, or her day would turn to (expletive). He said he hated her, wanted her out of his house and his life.

"I wish you were dead already," read a message on Christmas Eve.

He called her a greedy, selfish (expletive) and said her days were numbered.

According to the prosecution, at the time the women were murdered, Smoronk's phone was in the Miami, Florida area.

Previous story: Verrill double-murder trial takeaways after dead witness testifies

Sgt. Steven McAuley of the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit was assigned to take photographs of the crime scene, meaning the inside and outside of the Meaderboro Road home.

Public defender Julia Nye focused on a blood stain on the ceiling in the kitchen of the Meaderboro Road home and other blood mapping locations. After seven years, McAuley often needed to refer to notes and photos for a recollection of events of the crime scene.

Jury deliberations could begin Wednesday after closing arguments

The first Verrill trial was declared a mistrial in 2019 after it was determined state police did not provide certain discovery material to the defense.

On Wednesday, closing arguments will be given by the state and by the defense. Then Judge Mark Howard will give instructions to the jury so it can begin deliberations.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Verrill double murder trial: Defense points to DNA and text messages