Trial continues for man accused in 1995 slaying of Mary Catherine Edwards

Day six of the 1995 murder trial of Mary Catherine Edwards began Tuesday morning with the defense's cross-examination of Tanya Dean, a DNA supervisor at the Houston DPS Crime Lab, regarding her processing of the buccal swabs from Clayton Foreman in 2023 compared to the DNA extract of the anal swab box (including the sticks and box, not the actual swabs) and fingernail scrapings. Dean stated that the defendant, Clayton Foreman, was excluded as a match to these samples.

Prosecutor Sonny Eckhart addressed Dean, expressing the need to clarify matters following cross-examination by the defense. "One question that was asked of you was about the anal swab box...we talked yesterday about this, and I asked you if you thought when you found that there was no sample remaining in that box if you thought this was kind of a long shot," said Eckhart. "You did," replied Dean. "So the portions of these swabs remaining were just the sticks, right, and are broken off on the swab end?" asked Eckhart, "and this is the part someone has to touch when they are handling the swab?" Dean agreed. Dean also agreed that the practices to avoid contamination were not as strict as they are now. She acknowledged that there were various ways the sticks could have been contaminated and that for the specific test, that was all she had to go on. "This was a long shot," said Dean.

"If when Catherine Edwards was raped and murdered by Clayton Foreman, her hands were bound by handcuffs, would that be an explanation why you did not find any DNA attributable to Clayton Foreman underneath either of her fingernails?" asked Eckhart of Dean, to which she replied, "Yes."

"Where, in your experience, is most DNA found under the victim's fingernails...what is the situation in which that DNA gets there?" "There must be some sort of physical contact," said Dean. "Would a victim who has been handcuffed and bound be able to take any defensive measures...at least with their hands?" asked Eckhart, to which Dean replied, "No."

"Would you agree that from the comforter cutting and the vaginal swabs, there is scientific evidence to support that Clayton Foreman is a possible contributor to those items?" asked Eckhart.

"There is scientific evidence that the profile can be explained as having come from Clayton Foreman and Mary Catherine Edwards versus Mary Catherine Edwards and an unknown individual," said Dean.

Judge Stevens advised the jury that they would recess until 9 a.m. Wednesday morning while the court takes care of legal matters through the afternoon. “What I’ve been told is that we are on the last 2 or 3 witnesses for the presentation of the state’s case, and coming to a conclusion of this phase of the trial,” concluded Stevens before excusing the jury.