US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton. (AFP photo/Jay Directo/File)
The camp of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton believes that he will be acquitted of the crime of murder over the death of Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in October 2014.
Pemberton’s lawyers insist that they have strong evidence to support their claim that Laude was killed, not by Pemberton, but by another person. Included in the evidence was the angle that Laude lost some P20,000 when he was found dead in the bathroom of the Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City.
The Olongapo Regional Trial Court on Thursday announced that it might hand down a decision in the murder case earlier than December.
Laude’s lawyers said the allegations of the defense were not sufficient.
Harry Roque, counsel for the victim’s family, said the defense’s claims were theories which were not proven in court.
“Meron mga DNA ng pangatlong tao sa leeg ni Jeffrey. ‘Yon pong DNA na ‘yon ang nakakuha ay NCIS mismo. Mismong witnesses ng prosecution [There were traces of the DNA of a third person found on the neck of Jeffrey. That DNA was taken by the men of NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) which are witnesses for the prosecution],” Rowena Garcia-Flores, one of Pemberton’s counsels, said.
Here’s a News5 video report:
[Video report]
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