Houbbadi Trial: Jury expected to deliberate Thursday after failed motion for acquittal
DNA evidence and a motion for acquittal were among the highlights Wednesday as jurors are expected to begin deliberations Thursday in the Hamid Houbbadi case.
Houbbadi has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration of a crime and especially aggravated burglary in connection with the Oct. 20th fatal stabbing of his estranged wife.
Leila Chanane, 41, was found dead in a neighbor's driveway on Bellamy Lane after suffering from "multiple lacerations and incisions throughout her body," according to prior reports.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Forensic Scientist Gregory Fort testified Thursday that there was blood evidence found throughout the Bellamy Lane home, but most of it was from Houbbadi.
Defense Attorney Chase Smith mentioned that a sofa cover and a tablecloth from the scene were not tested, so it wasn't clear whose blood was on those items.
Blood samples taken from the front porch were from Chanane and Houbbadi, Fort said.
At least two DNA profiles were collected from a razor blade and knife at the crime scene, Fort said, noting that Houbbadi was the major contributor while a limited, minor contributor was deemed inconclusive.
"DNA is not always transferred to something that somebody touches, correct," Smith asked Fort.
"Correct," Fort responded.
Motion for acquittal
After three days of testimony and 20 witnesses, Smith motioned for a judgement of acquittal. He argued prosecutors did not have enough proof to determine premeditation.
"I'm not sure if they have put on any proof that this attack even happened inside the house," Smith said.
And while he didn't deny that his client was trespassing, Smith noted that the state did not show proof of entry with intent to commit an assault or attack.
It had been mentioned in court that there were no signs of forced entry.
District Attorney General Robert Nash said Houbbadi left his vehicle at Walmart and took an Uber to the Bellamy Lane house while a order of protection was in place.
"Not 20 minutes or more (after Houbbadi's arrival), the power to the house is cut off," Nash said, arguing that the suspect's arrival in an Uber before Chanane's arrival is premeditation.
Regardless if the attack happened on the front porch or not, "he's coming from inside (the house) and commits an assault," Nash said.
"He is where he isn't supposed to be."
Judge Robert Bateman denied the motion for acquittal. He said the court believes there is sufficient proof for premediated murder and especially aggravated burglary.
Domestic violence a factor, testimony shows
On Tuesday, testimony revealed that Chanane stayed at a domestic violence shelter in Nashville for two weeks before her stabbing death in 2018.
Chanane had been stabbed twice in the chest seven times in the back, Nash told a Montgomery County jury during opening statements Monday.
Day 1: Clarksville estranged husband accused in wife's stabbing death pleads not guilty
Houbbadi was found inside their house face down with apparent self-inflicted wounds, including several slits to the wrist and neck, officials said.
YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee Domestic Violence Services Vice President Damien Talley testified Tuesday that Chanane lived at the shelter from Sept. 26-Oct. 11, 2018.
Power out for a day
On Monday, Nash mentioned that when police arrived, the power was off, suggesting that the act was premediated.
CDE Lightband Energy Services Manager John Jackson, who oversees meter data, testified Tuesday that the power was off for more than a day at the Bellamy Lane home address.
Jackson confirmed that the outage was not weather-related or due to power line issues.
“Nothing was notated on history for those occurrences," Jackson said.
CDE Lightband's data revealed that the power was off the morning of Oct. 19. It wasn't restored until 5 p.m. Oct. 20.
"There was a cut of power," Jackson said.
The Houbbadi trial is scheduled to resume Thursday morning at Montgomery County courthouse.
Alexis Clark can be reached at aclark@gannett.com or 931-217-8519.
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Houbbadi Trial: Jury expected to deliberate Thursday after failed motion for acquittal
