The Hammer Killer
Marissa Devault Case
What happened?
The accused, Marissa Devault, assaulted her husband with a hammer incapacitating him and leading to him being admitted to a hospital, where he died later. She states that she acted out of self-defense.
Dale Harrell was the husband and victim
Crime was committed in January of 2009Testimonies
Marissa Devault's Testimony
- Originally testified that an assailant murdered her husband; once investigators were confident that the blood splatter evidenceBoyfriend's Testimony
- He stated that Marissa had planned to murder her husband and intended to hire a hitman to get the job done.Evidence
Weapon used: Claw Hammer
Blood Splatter: Passive, Medium Velocity and Cast off
The blood splatter was used to determine her location and position during the attack. It was confirmed that she was on top of the man, bludgeoning him with the hammer.
In the video, the forensic experts explain how they recreated the scene and classified the types of blood splatter found at the crime scene. They show how they used the passive, cast off and medium velocity splatter to identify the location of the accused.