Testimony Begins in Pierce Murder Trial

According to The Times Herald, testimony in the trial of 20-year-old Brendan Pierce began on Wednesday, Nov. 7, and prosecutors outlined the case against Norristown man accused of . Pierce was 18 at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors allege that Pierce killed Devlin, with whom he reportedly had had a relationship at one time, in retaliation for her involvement in an .

"'You know that [expletive] Dom set me up. That [expletive] has got to pay,'" Assistant District Attorney Colleen McIntyre reportedly said in her opening arguments, quoting witnesses statements to police.

Assistant District Attorney Nathan Schadler presented the jury with a bleach-stained shirt and baseball hat allegedly belonging to the defendant and explained how Pierce had allegedly used a Deer Park water bottle filled with bleach to clean the crime scene after the act.

According to the Herald, other physical evidence presented at the trial included a semiautomatic handgun, an Adidas T-shirt and track pants, a pair of ladies brown sandals, a cell phone and a pack of cigarettes. Prosecutors reportedly also had DNA evidence recovered from the alley where witnesses say the pair met that July night and Pierce’s fingerprints that were found on a car parked across the street from the alley on the 300 block of East Wood Street.

Pierce's attorney reportedly argued that witnesses on the scene that night could not have positively identified the suspect due to the low light and the large hedge blocking the alley.

A friend of Devlin's reportedly testified that he was with her about an hour before her murder and Devlin told him she would be meeting with Pierce that night.

According to an affidavit in the case, police recovered a cellphone identified as Devlin's at the scene and retrieved the following text conversation occurring shortly before her death:

• 10:52 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Yooo
• 11:03 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: WYD?
• 11:03 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Shit chillin,.
• 11:07 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: lol I jus woke up we still on 4 night?
• 11:08 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: lol, yea...
• 11:14 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: ok bout 2 gt dressed giv me 15min
• 11:15 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: K,.
• 11:33 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: U ready
• 11:34 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Where we at?,.
• 11:37 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: Sam spt lol
• 11:38 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Smh,rd.now?
• 11:39 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Smh,rd.now?
• 11:39 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: Yea lol
• 11:40 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: Rd,.
• 11:41 p.m. – Pierce to Devlin: hw long u gonna b?
• 11:41 p.m. – Devlin to Pierce: I'm coming now,.

According to records, Devlin called Pierce's phone at 11:48 p.m. The call lasted for 37 seconds. It was the last outgoing call made from Devlin's phone.

The witness testified that he contacted Pierce after learning of Devlin's murder, but that Pierce seemed to be shocked and surprised.  

According to the Herald, the trial is scheduled to continue on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Read more about the first day of testimony here.

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