Emotional day in court as jury views crime scene photos

Feb. 16—EBENSBURG, Pa. — The second day of the 2022 New Year's homicide trial saw the jury reviewing crime scene photos from the incident Thursday and hearing testimony about the investigation.

Cambria County Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Green and Joel Polites called on several members of the Johnstown police force to take the witness stand as well as Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees to discuss the investigation into the shooting death of Jaydin Sanderson.

"It was an emotional day," Green said.

He noted that any time crime scene photos are shown, especially in a homicide, it brings up a lot of emotions.

These pictures were introduced as the prosecution's exhibits during the testimony of Johnstown Police Department Detective Sgt. Cory Adams in front of Cambria County Senior Judge Norman A. Krumenacker III.

Adams is a lead investigator in the case.

Photos ranged from showing the outside of Sanderson's vehicle and her bloodied body in the driver's seat slumped over the center console to her body in the Johnstown city garage, where it was inspected by authorities for privacy.

Some gallery members sobbed, others covered their faces or looked away, and at least one person left the courtroom when the images were displayed.

Another individual, a man in the balcony, walked to the edge across from defendant Qwante N. Rose, who was sitting in the well of the courtroom, and made aggravated statements and gestures toward Rose.

Krumenacker ordered the sheriff's deputies to cuff him and take him to the holding cell.

The judge called on the spectators to listen closely and told them that he recognized the proceedings are an emotional situation, especially the photos, but there is a level of decorum he expects in his courtroom and he would not tolerate any disruptions.

The individual taken into custody was later barred from the courtroom for the rest of the trial, which started on Wednesday and is scheduled to at least Friday.

Rose is accused in Sanderson's death after the pair attended a New Year's Eve party, left together after midnight and allegedly dropped off a third person before traveling through the Hornerstown section of Johnstown where Sanderson was found deceased on the 600 block of Wood Street.

Authorities allege Rose shot her in the head from the back seat of the vehicle and have charged him with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another individual.

Thursday's trial opened with Johnstown police Officer Nicholas Scribe recounting the crime scene upon arrival. Scribe was the first law enforcement officer to arrive and broke the driver's side window to access Sanderson.

He also called the suspected homicide into his officer in charge of the day, JPD Sgt. Daniel Price, who then relayed the information to Adams and JPD Detective Mark Britton.

Price also testified about what he saw when he arrived at the scene, which was Sanderson in the vehicle on the driver's side, a shoe that was later identified as being hers outside under the driver's side door area, a coin and earring — all of which he marked.

During Adams' time on the stand, he was asked about how the crime scene was investigated and preserved.

The detective spoke about how he found Sanderson, discussed a bullet casing located in the back seat and clarified that it was a bullet fragment laying on the front passenger-side floor of the vehicle.

For her privacy and to preserve her dignity due to a crowd forming, Adams and Lees moved the vehicle and Sanderson as one unit to the city garage under police escort for further inspection.

Adams said what he observed was Sanderson had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back of her head, left of her right ear; was missing a shoe; and was clutching what was later determined to be her own hair in her hand.

He also testified about how her body was transported to ForensicDx in Windber for an autopsy and how the "blood room" at the Johnstown Police Department is operated. He said it is a secure location where detectives lay saturated clothing to dry.

Adams told the jury that he interviewed Rose on four separate occasions in 2022 — two times of which the defendant's story allegedly conflicted about whether he was dropped off first or second after the party.

It was here Polites moved to a line of questioning about a separate incident Rose was involved in that required Adams to interview him in March 2022.

During that time, Rose allegedly stated he was in possession of a firearm that he then threw into one of the city's rivers after the incident.

A subsequent search warrant turned up a 9mm pistol under the front seat of a Rose family member's vehicle the defendant operated. That gun was shown to the jury.

Adams testified that the firearm found in Rose's vehicle was ballistically tested by the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab and matched the weapon used to kill Sanderson.

Ralph Karsh, Rose's attorney, disagreed with the idea that his client can be claimed to be in possession of the firearm and began questioning Adams about how he knew for sure Rose was the sole owner of that gun.

Karsh asked Adams about a series of other persons of interest in the investigation and why some individuals the detective looked into or spoke with were not documented in reports.

Adams explained that as he determined those people had no evidentiary value to the case, he moved on from them but did not document it.

Karsh also blitzed the detective with questions about what time Sanderson was shot — that's unclear — his decision- making skills in regard to what is and isn't evidence, and who should or shouldn't be investigated.

"Whatever your theory is, you'll just adapt your investigation technique," Karsh said.

Adams strongly refuted that statement.

Following a break, Karsh began asking about the informants who say Rose confessed to Sanderson's killing to them.

The attorney confirmed with Adams that the pair have criminal histories.

Karsh asked if they may have motives to cooperate with authorities.

Adams would not speculate on their motives.

Lees was brought to the witness stand to testify on his background as well as the cause and manner he determined for Sanderson's death — homicide.

Karsh asked if there was anything about the girl's death to indicate the gun may have gone off in a drunk person's hand, to which Lees said anything was possible.

The day's proceedings ended with Britton testifying about the evidence procedures at JPD and the process in which Sanderson's bloodstained pants were sent to the crime lab for the lower left leg to be tested for DNA — authorities suspect her leg was moved back in the vehicle by the killer.

On Wednesday, Ferlan testified that there was moderate support Rose's DNA signature is on that area of the pants.

"I think today leaves a lot of unanswered questions," Karsh said outside the courtroom. "A lot for the jury to think about."

He added that thus far he's pleased with the proceedings and thinks the prosecutors are far from proving the guilt of his client.