Ezra McCandless trial latest

UPDATE:

Tuesday, the trial for Ezra McCandless, the woman accused of stabbing a man to death in Dunn County continued with witnesses taking the stand.

The state called in three witnesses; DNA analyst Kevin Scott, fingerprint analyst Corissa Wobler and Dunn County Sheriff Deputy Sgt. Rich Day.

“I obtained a male DNA profile from the swabbing of the blade. I concluded Alexander Woodworth was the source of the DNA,” Scott said.

That was one of the many parts of testimony the jury heard during the trial. Tuesday’s testimony centered on evidence collected at the scene.

Scott explained his findings of the DNA evidence on the clothing worn by McCandless on March 22, 2018, along with the vehicle she and Woodworth were in and the knife used in his killing.

Scott personally examined the quote ‘EMT-style” folding knife used in Woodworth’s killing. He says at first, it did not look like it had blood on it.

“When I received the knife, there was nothing obvious on it,” he said.

He said his findings showed DNA from both McCandless and Woodworth was found on the knife.

“I then performed our DNA analysis in the O-2 swabbing and obtained a mixture of DNA from two individuals,” Scott said. “I was able to determine the major male contributor and I concluded that Alex Woodworth as the source of the major male contributor DNA. I found the minor contributor profile was consistent with the profile of Ezra McCandless and I concluded Ezra McCandless was the contributor of that minor source of DNA.”

Scott also says blood from both McCandless and Woodworth was found in the vehicle.

“I performed our presumptive test for blood and that test came back positive,” he said. “I did obtain a mixture of DNA from 2 individuals. I concluded that Alexander Woodworth and Ezra McCandless were included as possible contributors to that mixture profile.”

Attorneys for McCandless say she is expected to take the stand at some point, but that date has yet to be released.

UPDATE: Day six of the Ezra McCandless trial wrapped up on Monday.

It focused more on the wounds found on her in March 2018 than those of the victim, 24-year-old Alexander Woodworth of Eau Claire.

An emergency room doctor testified he thought the wounds on McCandless were consistent with those self-inflicted.

This included the scrawling of the word “boy” on McCandless’s arm.

Also, portions of an interview authorities conducted with McCandless were played. In it, she says she didn’t cause those wounds.

Testimony is continuing.

Day 5 of the Ezra McCandless trial ended on Friday Oct. 18. The Trial is expected to last through Nov. 1.

Day four of the Ezra McCandless trial wrapped up Thursday.

Dashcam videos were shown from an Eau Claire Police Department squad car, before the March 22, 2018 death of Alex Woodworth.

One shows officers responding to a “check person” case at Woodworth’s home the day before his death.

In that video, Woodworth is seen getting into a car on the passenger side with McCandless sitting in the driver’s seat.

In another Eau Claire police officer’s dashcam, a witness is heard telling the officer Woodworth assaulted the defendant before and was concerned when he saw McCandless earlier in the day at Racy’s Coffee Shop.

A state witness who worked at Racy’s says McCandless showed up on the day of Woodworth’s death after not being around for “about a month or so.”

Testimony is continuing in this case. We will update you with any new information we receive.

Ezra McCandless was back in a Dunn County courtroom Tuesday as the state and her defense team gave opening statements in her murder trial.

McCandless is charged with first degree intentional homicide in the death of 24-year-old Alexander Woodworth last March.

She was silent as both sides tried to describe what happened on March 22nd, 2018.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this was not a knife right like the defendant would like you to believe,” Dunn County District Attorney, Andrea Nodolf said.

“She tells him, ‘I was attacked,’” said McCandless’s Defense Attorney, Aaron Nelson.

McCandless faces one charge of first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbing death of 24-year-old Alex Woodworth. The prosecution described Woodworth as a man with dreams of becoming a philosophy professor.

“If you read the whole journals, you’ll realize these are philosophical musings of a young man who wanted to be a philosophy professor,” Nodolf said.

McCandless’s defense team described him as a disturbed.

“He tells her right away about his journals, his fascination with violence, his captivation with cannibalism,” Nelson said.

The case centers on, in part, what happened in the back seat of a car on that March day. McCandless and Woodworth were there.

The defense claims Woodworth attacked McCandless, while voicing his desire to keep their relationship going. Nelson said Woodworth told McCandless, “I want one last time. I deserve one last time.”

But the State claims McCandless attacked Woodworth, stabbing him 16 times.

“She took this knife and brutally and forcefully used the knife to stab Alex in the back of the head: through the scalp, through the right temporal bone, into the brain, piercing the brain. She used this knife to slit him across the throat three times on the right side,” Nodolf said.

The defense said McCandless was attacked by Woodworth and acted in self-defense.

“Her obsessive boyfriend attacked her, cut her, strangled her. She wanted to live and she fought to survive,” Nelson said.

According to the defense, McCandless was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with aspects derealization and depersonalization.

Nelson ended his opening statement by saying the prosecution does not have any other evidence as to what happened.

“They will not bring you any other evidence because it does not exist,” he said.