Luis Toledo: Testimony continues in triple murder trial

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Testimony continued Tuesday for a fifth day in the murder trial of a 35-year-old Deltona man who is accused of killing his wife and her two children.

Luis Toledo is accused of killing Yessenia Suarez, 28, and her children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, who disappeared from their Deltona home in October 2013 and were never found.

Investigators said Toledo confessed to killing Suarez, but he denied killing her children. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the deaths of the children.

Prosecutors plan to show the video recordings of Toledo's confession in court Wednesday.

An investigator on Tuesday showed jurors items -- including a vacuum cleaner, a barber's apron and stuffed animals -- that were found in a dumpster behind a Seminole County Petco.

Anthony Gorgone, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement DNA expert, testified Tuesday that blood found in a closet and in the master bathroom of Toledo's home matched the DNA profile of Thalia.

"Those gave a complete DNA profile," Gorgone said. "It did match the DNA profile of Thalia Otto as well. I would expect it to have a frequency of 1 in 410 quintillion."

Gorgone said he also found blood on boots found in the dumpster and on the trunk liner for Suarez's car, blood that also matched Thalia's DNA profile.

When questioned by defense, DNA experts said no tests couldshow how long blood or any DNA had been on any of the items.

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Toledo's neighbor and friend, Tyshawn Jackson, testified Monday that Toledo showed up at his home seeking help to drive Suarez's car to a Seminole County Publix.

Toledo said he had "snapped," Jackson said.

Volusia County Sheriff's Office Detective Eugene Mefford testified Monday that he recovered evidence form a dumpster at an apartment complex, including a wash cloth, cleaning products and a trunk liner from Suarez's car.

The trial is being held in St. Augustine because of publicity.

Cox Media Group