Defence attorneys put the integrity of the police forensic investigation under the microscope Thursday during the ongoing murder trial stemming from the 2020 killing of senior Customs official Nigel Christian. According to Antigua News Room, a forensic officer attached to the Forensic Evidence Recovery Unit faced pointed cross-examination during proceedings against the three accused: Saleim Harrigan, Wayne Thomas and Lasean Bully.
The men are charged with abducting Christian from his McKinnons home on July 10, 2020, and fatally shooting him later that day on a dirt road in Thibou's.
The forensic officer acknowledged under cross-examination that investigators processed the crime scene at night using only vehicle headlights and flashlights. He further confirmed that the team did not return the following day to conduct a more thorough examination in daylight — a concession that drew attention from defence lawyers pressing on the quality of evidence collection.
Additional gaps emerged as questioning continued. The officer said he had never seen photographs of tyre tracks or a soda can at the scene, and confirmed that neither tyre impressions nor shoe prints were examined during the investigation.
Defence attorneys also scrutinised the handling of Christian's pickup truck, which prosecutors allege was used to transport him from his home to the location where his body was later found. The vehicle underwent three separate forensic examinations in July 2020, but the officer confirmed it had been left unsecured in an open area between two of those inspections. He acknowledged that allowing access to the vehicle's keys during that period would have compromised the investigation's integrity.
Further questioning revealed that several potential leads went unpursued. These included documents found at Cassada Gardens, a vehicle connected to a driver linked to the case, and a casino area where the accused are alleged to have changed clothing — none of which were examined by investigators.
A digital video recorder recovered from inside Christian's truck was handed to investigators, but the officer said he could not recall whether the device was ever forwarded to the FBI for analysis. No gunshot residue testing was carried out inside the vehicle, and a can of Lysol found in the truck was not examined for fingerprints.
The court has previously heard that several items recovered during the investigation — including a black hoodie, gloves and a hat — were submitted as exhibits. The officer also confirmed he transported a number of evidence items to the FBI for forensic testing in March 2021.
Cross-examination of the witness is expected to continue when the trial resumes Friday.
