Victim’s blood found in Harris’ car

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - A state crime lab expert testified Wednesday in Jefferson County Common Pleas Court in the Michael Harris murder trial that blood from Harris' deceased girlfriend was found in numerous locations in Harris' car.

Harris, 53, of Apartment 1, 1219 State St., Steubenville, was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated murder in connection with the stabbing death of his girlfriend Jill Howard, who was found stabbed 61 times in Webster Alley on Jan. 6, 1987.

Dale Laux, a blood expert with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, said Howard's blood was found in the car seat and other areas of the front of Harris' car. The defense is claiming that Harris and Howard were in a prior automobile accident and Howard hit her nose off the dashboard, causing it to bleed.

Laux said blood was found under a puncture wound in the vertical part of the passenger seat in Harris' car. Laux, during his testimony, held up the sweater Howard was wearing when she was stabbed and there were a couple dozen white arrows indicating holes caused by a knife. He said the sweater was saturated in blood.

Testimony in the trial was expected to end this morning, with the jury to begin deliberations after lunch.

A second suspect in Howard's stabbing denied Wednesday that she was involved.

Jill Howard and Juliette Harton of Steubenville, who police said was a second suspect, both had a relationship and children with Harris.

The best friend of Jill Howard testified Wednesday that Howard carried a knife and a handgun in her purse because of the ongoing feud with Harton. The handgun was found in the purse next to Howard's body in Webster Alley.

Harton testified that she was told by Harris that he and Howard were involved in an auto accident in which Howard hit her nose on the dashboard and bled.

No police report of the accident has been produced.

Janis Russell, Howard's oldest sister, said the relationship between Howard and Harris "was not a good relationship."

Russell said her sister, in December 1986, had a black eye and Howard said Harris had punched her.

After Russell was informed of the murder, she saw Harris' vehicle and it wasn't covered in frost. The prosecution and defense stipulated the temperature that morning was 18 degrees. Russell said the car looked like it had been washed.

Defense attorney Dennis McNamara pointed out that Harris, by that time, already had driven the car to the Steubenville Police station to be questioned by detectives about the murder of his girlfriend.

Russell said her sister never told her that Howard and Harris had been involved in an accident.

Vivian Ibrahim, who said she was best friends with Howard, testified she noticed Howard had a black eye in January 1987. Ibrahim said Howard told her that Harris had punched her and Howard was planning on leaving Harris.

"She was adamant about leaving because of the discussion I had with her that day," Ibrahim said.

She added she knew of the bad feelings between Howard and Harton and even offered to beat up Harton. She said Howard denied her offer.

When asked about Howard carrying a knife, Ibrahim said, "We all carried knives."

The jury also was read preliminary hearing testimony from Dr. Geary Eicher Jr., the county coroner at the time, and Steubenville Police Detective Mark Sweeney, both of whom were unable to testify in person at Harris' trial.

Eicher said Howard was stabbed a minimum of 61 times, with the majority of the stab wounds in the chest and middle back areas. Eicher testified at the preliminary hearing that he didn't believe the stabbing occurred in Webster Alley because of the lack of blood around the body. Eicher also believed Howard was in a sitting position because blood from the wounds didn't flow downward past her buttocks. Eicher also believed it took considerable strength to make the stab wounds because of the depth of some of the punctures.

Dr. Patrick Fardel, a retired Franklin County forensic pathologist, reviewed Eicher's autopsy report and agreed with Eicher's findings. Fardel said there should be substantial blood in Harris' car if Howard was stabbed inside the vehicle. But Fardel said the seats were vinyl and wouldn't absorb blood like cloth seats. He also said Howard's clothing would have absorbed blood.

Sweeney testified at the preliminary hearing that Harris' house at 316 N. Sixth St. was searched and several clothing items were seized, including a coat that tests showed may have contained blood. A state crime lab also believed there was blood on the interior of Harris' car and it was seized and taken to the state crime lab for further analysis.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com)