VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) - Several witnesses for the Commonwealth's Attorney Office testified in the Joseph Merlino trial on Thursday.
In the morning, two forensic specialists testified as well as a Virginia Beach business owner.
The business owner said Merlino visited her pizza shop off Newtown Road every day in January. In the middle of the month, she said Merlino took a package that was delivered to her businesses. the business owner said she didn't know what was inside, but she never gave Merlino permission to use her businesses address to pick up packages.
On Thursday morning after her testimony was completed, a woman from New Hampshire took the stand. The woman said she has an Etsy account, selling items for profit.
In late January, the woman said she sold a Vintage Hypodermic Needle. She told the court she shipped it to the pizza restaurant off Newtown Road.
Prosecutors believe Merlino picked up the needle from the pizza shop.
Later in the day, a Computer Forensic Examiner testified that he reviewed the hard drive on what's believed to be Merlino's computer. The examiner said he found several google searches asking, "What if cyanid gets in the bloodstream," and "How many milligrams of cyanide will kill you."
Another key witness was Jeanne Anderson with the FBI. Her job is to code break encrypted messages.
During Merlino's jail stay, he wrote unreadable notes to his mom and girlfriend. Virginia Beach Sheriff Office deputies testified that the letters were intercepted by jail staff, and were given to Anderson.
Anderson read some of the letters out loud to the jurors after she broke the codes. Anderson said the messages showed Merlino wanted to create fake evidence, an alibi and persuade witnesses.
Another member of the FBI cellular analysis team testified that Merlino's phone was in the Victoria, Virginia area from February 13th to the 15th. He said someone used the phone on the 13th, but it wasn't used again for 22 hours after that.
The last person to testify Thursday was the chief medical examiner. She said Ellie Tran died from a well above the lethal limit of cyanide.
The Commonwealths Attorney's Office has one more whiteness testifying Friday.
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