A forensic scientist has described finding an earring and three stains in the bathroom of a rented summer house in the Hamptons, New York, during the trial of a banker accused of raping an Irish J-1 student in 2013.
Jennifer Tripoli, of Suffolk County Crime Laboratory, said she also searched for the missing peach dress and underwear of the girl, but failed to find the clothes.
Jason Lee (38) a former Goldman Sachs banker, faces 25 years if convicted. Mr Lee has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree rape, sexual misconduct and third-degree assault. He claims they had consensual sex and has waived his right to a jury trial.
On the third day of his trial, the court heard how Ms Tripoli used what she described as an “alternate light source” to identify body fluids. She said she found three stains from an “unknown source” in one of the two bathrooms on the groundfloor of the holiday home at 1 Clover Leaf Lane in East Hampton.
She took swabs for further analysis and collected towels as evidence.
“Underneath the towels was a heart-shaped earring... and the backing,” she said, adding that she had also been asked to help search for the student’s missing clothes.
“In addition to any potential evidence we were also looking for a peach dress and grey panties that the victim was wearing,” she said.
Keriann Kelly, of Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, asked: “What was the result of the search?”
Miss Tripoli answered: “We did not find them.”
The court has already heard that the girl’s dress and underwear were not found until seven months later when they were provided by an investigator working for Mr Lee.
Prosecutors say Mr Lee assaulted and raped the 20-year-old woman after following her naked into a downstairs bathroom of the rented holiday home. He and a friend, Rene Duncan, had met the woman, her brother and friends at a nightclub in East Hampton, a holiday destination popular with wealthy New Yorkers.
Last week, the prosecution told Justice Barbara Kahn, who is sitting in Riverhead, Long Island, without a jury, that the Irish student had encountered “a man who wanted one thing and one thing only – and that was sex and he used her to get”.
The girl, who returned to Ireland after the alleged attack, is expected to give evidence this week.
Earlier on Monday the court heard from Raymond Rau, a police officer, who was called to the scene in August 2013 to relieve another officer.
At the time he said he believed only Mr Duncan, who had reported his car stolen, was present. However, he described being called from inside the house to assist a colleague.
“We went to the Range Rover and noticed there was a male inside lying down,” he said. “It was an Asian male lying down in the fetal position in the back seat.”
The man identified himself as Mr Lee, he added.
The prosecution alleges that he tried to flee the scene by telephoning for a taxi while hiding in the vehicle.
The case continues.