JUNEAU, Alaska- The defense attorney for a man charged in the 1996 shooting death of his girlfriend has told jurors Alaska State Troopers destroyed evidence in the case.
The Juneau Empire reports Assistant Public Defender Eric Hedland made the announcement during the trial of 53 year-old Robert Kowalski.
Kowalski is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sandra Perry.
Hedland asked the judge to exclude any testimony and evidence about the destroyed items, saying Kowalski does not have the ability to confront that evidence.
Prosecutor James Fayette accused Hedland of “gamesmanship and tactics.” He confirmed that troopers destroyed much of the evidence in 1998 for purposes of case management, storage and archiving, but said some transcripts still exist.
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