The defense team of Steven H. Downs led by Attorney James Howaniec, filed 11 motions in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie. I previously wrote nine motions so this is a correction.
All the hearings did start on Feb 1, 2021, a delay from April 2020 due to the pandemic.
Two things dominated this day: someone else might have killed Sophie Sergie and the gun found at Downs’ house has not been proven to be the murder weapon.
Alternative suspects
It is indeed crucial for the defense to establish that not all alternative suspects were eliminated by police and that some people might never have been investigated as should. I wrote about that in yesterday’s post.
I’d like to draw your attention to an earlier post I wrote about Sophie when her case was Case of the Month. In it, I mentioned an interesting part found online.
This website mentions Sophie Sergie’s case. I took a screen shot just in case the link disappears. It is still there as of the day of writing this post.
The author claims to know more about the case. This person supposedly worked for the Mat-Su (Matanuska-Susitna Region) Narcotic Task Force during the time that many people were found dead in the UAF dorms.
This person also states that Sophie was on the 6th floor whereas newspapers refer to the 2nd floor bath room/restroom.
The Murder Weapon
The fact that Downs’ gun has the same caliber does not mean that it is the murder weapon. Is it possible? Yes, he said he bought it privately so it is possible. However, without further forensic investigation we cannot be sure. Whether any such tests have taken place is unclear.
Trial
Steven H. Downs faces two first degree charges: murder in the first degree and sexual assault in the first degree.
If his case does not get dismissed, trial is scheduled for March 8, 2021 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Steven H. Downs has plead not guilty at an earlier arraignment in Anchorage in 2019.