BATAVIA, NY -- The prosecution rested its case -- meaning District Attorney Lawrence Friedman has presented all of his evidence -- on Thursday, and Monday morning opened with defense attorney Paul Cambria calling his first witnesses on behalf of Scott F. Doll.
Doll is accused of killing Joseph Benaquist on Feb. 16, 2009, in Pembroke.
During last week's testimony, Friedman presented evidence that showed the blood of Benaquist was found spattered on Doll's coveralls and the Ford Windstar he was reportedly driving that night.
The defense does not dispute that it was Benaquist's blood at the crime scene and on Doll, but Cambria does dispute how the blood got there.
In his opening remarks, Cambria said Doll arrived at the murder scene after Benaquist was attacked and heard his dying words, "The boy. The boy." Those final words haunted Doll, Cambria said, who wondered if his son Josh might have beaten Benaquist to death.
In his opening remarks, Friedman said he would ask the jurors to "connect the dots."
Those dots include a flat tire on a Pontiac G6 that Friedman says was at the heart of a dispute between Benaquist and Doll, and a broke jack next to a Nissan Altima that had a blood smear on the undercarriage.
In cross examination of a blood-pattern expert last week, Cambria suggested that maybe that blood got there as Benaquist fought for his life, not as a stain transfer from a bloody glove of Scott Doll.
Doll was found that night walking on North Lake Road toward the murder scene carrying a jack, a lug wrench and a screwdriver.
Included in the prosecution's case were records of phone calls made to and from Doll's mobile phone, including one to the Adesa auto auction and five incoming calls from Josh Doll.
Cambria said it will take "a couple of days" to present his case.
