ORLANDO, Fla.,None — On Day 5 of her trial, Delores Laster, accused in the 1988 murder of her husband Clarence Laster, sat stoic as expert witnesses testified for the prosecution.
The former Orange County teacher sat as officials read back testimony from one of the people she reportedly forced to cover up the crime: her own adopted son, who's currently serving overseas.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab analyst who processed evidence in 1988 testified that blood found in the bedroom was the same type of blood as the victim, but it wasn't a conclusive match.
"In this case I did get a positive indicating that yes, it was human blood," the analyst said.
Prosecutors contend that Laster shot her husband in the bedroom, and had her young children help her drag his body into the garage, but was not arrested until 2009, after her now adult children told cold case investigators what happened.
On Monday, those investigators took the stand and testified that Laster's son spoke freely, but said that her daughter, stationed at a California military base, did not speak freely, and was forced by military officials to cooperate.
That daughter didn't testify, but prosecutors read grand jury testimony from Laster's son, Clyde.
He said that in 1988, Laster told them they couldn't afford an ambulance and took them to Gainesville, leaving their dad bleeding in the garage.
"We had blood on our pants. I had no idea what happened to him," Clyde Laster's testimony read.
Clyde Laster also testified that he spoke to his father in the garage, and his dad just said not to worry about him; he would be OK.
The Laster's daughter is expected to take the stand first thing Tuesday morning.
WFTV
