There were no bloody fingerprints tying a Bangor man accused of murder to multiple items recovered at the crime scene, a witness testified Wednesday during the second day of the trial.
Gary Brinson, 71, is accused of killing Lee Ruona, 64, on Dec. 4, 2024, at Brinson’s apartment on Union Street. His jury trial started Tuesday in Penobscot County Superior Court.
Brinson and Ruona lived in the same apartment building and were drinking buddies, Brinson had told police. The night of the killing they had split a gallon and a half of bourbon and several cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Four pieces of evidence from Brinson’s apartment were inspected for bloody fingerprints, Maine State Police Crime Lab forensic scientist Brian Juengst testified. There was human blood on the items.
There were no bloody fingerprints on the red cane Brinson used, Juengst said. There was evidence of handling and stains but no fingerprints, he said.
There were also no usable fingerprints on three knives, he said.
Ruona’s DNA was on multiple pieces of blood evidence inspected by senior forensic analyst Christine Waterhouse.
Also in the evidence was DNA that was consistent but not necessarily a match to Brinson, Waterhouse said. That means there was a connection to Brinson but not an overwhelming statistical match, she said.
Ruona’s DNA was under Brinson’s fingernails, Waterhouse said. Ruona’s DNA was also on a bloody washcloth, a knife and other items, she said.
Multiple interviews with Bangor police in the aftermath of Ruona’s death were played in court on Wednesday. In the recordings, Brinson maintains that he does not know what happened to Ruona, that he woke up and found his friend dead.
Ruona had tried to steal from Brinson that day and Brinson had slapped the man, but Brinson said he doesn’t remember doing anything else.
During an interview, Bangor police detective Thomas Valente asked Brinson if his recent cancer diagnosis had contributed to his stress. Brinson and Ruona are both military combat veterans with PTSD, Brinson had told police.
“I don’t remember anything about stabbing,” Brinson said during that interview.
He repeated variations of the statement numerous times during more than an hour and a half of interviews played in court.
Ruona’s cause of death was multiple sharp and blunt force injuries, according to testimony on Tuesday. There were more than 140 small puncture wounds that didn’t go past the skin level and at least five deeper wounds.
In one interview with Brinson, Valente said that there was audio and video recording that captured what happened in Brinson’s room. Brinson’s attorney, Kaylee Folster, questioned why Valente said that because that was not an accurate description of the footage.
There is audio of something happening, but it cannot be tied to Brinson’s room, Valente testified. He then clarified that while there is video of the hallway, there is nothing visual captured.
During that interview Valente told Brinson that they know he moved Ruona’s body. But during cross-examination, Valente testified that he had no proof that Brinson moved the body, instead just that the evidence showed the body moved at some point.
Folster asked Valente if he knew that misleading people was a tactic allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Valente testified that he did not know that.
“We do not mislead people at the Bangor Police Department,” Valente said.
All the evidence has been presented in the case. Closing arguments will happen Thursday morning.
