LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The prosecution has rested their case against triple-murder suspect Brice Rhodes, but not before calling three final experts to the stand on Friday.
Rhodes is accused of stabbing and then burning the bodies of two teenage brothers, 14-year-old Larry Ordway and 16-year-old Maurice Gordon after they allegedly witnessed him shoot and kill Christopher Jones, 40, back in 2016.
Louisville Metro Police Detective Aaron Tinelli fought back emotions as he took the stand, recalling the moments after police found the two boys' charred bodies in west Louisville.
He said at the time, the boys were unidentified, prompting LMPD to release a sketch of the teens. Days later, Tinelli said police received a tip from Olmsted Academy which led police to contacting the teens' mother.
"She was able to positively identify her children," Tinelli said. "I'm a dad. That would be devastating."
Elizabeth Wren helped detectives create a list of suspects, which she said included Brice Rhodes. In court, prosecutors showed the jury video of the moment Rhodes first spoke with Tinelli.
Rhodes: "I haven't spoken to [Gordon or Ordway] in about a week."
Tinelli: "You haven't seen them in a week? Try the best you can, because we're trying to figure this out. When was the last time you ever seen them and where was it?"
Rhodes: "Uh, probably at the Circle K or riding down Taylor. Like, I see them through the neighborhood."
In the video, detectives go on to tell Rhodes they have a recording of him outside the victims' home on May 21, 2016.
From there, police were able to collect evident from Rhodes apartment. According to forensic specialist Steven Barrett, Rhodes' blood-stained carpet tested positive for Ordway's DNA. And a blanket found in a public dumpster matched Gordon's. But the defense pushed back against the prosecution's claims.
"You have no personal knowledge of how the DNA or blood gets on the items you are testing?" defense attorneys asked Barrett, to which he responded, "that's correct."
The defense continued to put pressure on LMPD's handling of evidence with Tinelli as well, arguing that detectives "lied" several times throughout the investigation, particularly about the back seat of Rhodes' car.
Defense attorneys attempted to ask the judge to dismiss the case, but Judge Julie Kaelin denied the motion.
The trial will continue in court on Monday.
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