Frimpong's DNA Not on Victim, Criminalist Testifies

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There was no DNA of former UCSB soccer player Eric Frimpong—on trial for allegedly raping a 19-year-old UCSB student—found in or on the alleged victim in the case, a criminalist with the state Department of Justice testified Monday.

The victim’s DNA was found on a swab taken of Frimpong’s penis, as was DNA from another girl, although the victim’s DNA was more prevalent. On a scrotal swab taken of Frimpong, his DNA, along with two different women's DNA was found. Criminalist Lillian Tugado couldn’t rule out the alleged victim’s DNA as being one of the two. There are different sources of DNA Tugado said, including skin cells, hair, saliva, mucus, semen and vaginal fluids. She testified at the preliminary hearing that it was impossible to tell what sort of cells the DNA found on Frimpong came from.

It would also be impossible to tell when semen found in the alleged victim’s underwear after the alleged rape incident occurred could have been deposited, although Tugado verified Tuesday that that semen was indeed that of her “intimate partner,” Benjamin Randall. The young woman had earlier testified that the two had last had sex on February 13, and that Randall had worn a condom. Randall had testified the last intimate encounter had taken place about a week before the incident. The defense is alleging that Randall could be the culprit in the case—not Frimpong—and that, while they hung out the night in question, Frimpong was not present on the beach, where the victim was allegedly raped. None of Frimpong’s DNA was found on her face either, where she suffered some sort of trauma, either from a hit or a bite.

Coming out Tuesday in the testimony of lead investigator Detective Daniel Kies were Frimpong’s phone records. According to the records, he didn’t make any phone calls between 11:56 p.m. and 1:10 a.m., when he checked his voice mail. He did receive multiple phone calls within that time span, but it isn’t clear by the records whether or not the calls were answered. The alleged victim first contacted her friends around 1 a.m. telling them she had been raped.

Kies will take the stand tomorrow at 10 a.m., followed by a local dentist, who is expected to give testimony about whether the injury the victim suffered to her face could have been a bite and, if so, who could have bitten her. The prosecution is expected to rest Tuesday, with Frimpong’s fate expected to land in the hands of the jury by Friday.

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