The murder trial of Ian Mitcham for the 2015 killing of Allison Feldman in her Scottsdale home has entered another intensive week, as detailed by sources including FOX 10 Phoenix and 12News. With proceedings now extending into a third day, the courtroom saw testimony indicating Feldman may have had concerns for her safety in the days leading up to her tragic death. According to her supervisor who took the stand, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, Feldman had expressed interest in obtaining a firearm and had inquired about handguns.
Feldman's father, Harley, also offered his account on Day 3 of the trial, key in prompting detectives to test for familial DNA, which Fox 10 Phoenix noted led to Mitcham's identification as a suspect. Banking on familial DNA technology, Arizona authorities found a close match to Mitcham through his brother, who was incarcerated at the time. This method, while novel and under scrutiny, was eventually sanctioned by the state Supreme Court. As 12News highlighted, the prosecution had mentioned bank records and texts during opening statements to frame the scope of their investigation.
Meanwhile, the defense argued, during last week's proceedings, that detectives took shortcuts after years of investigation, charging the wrong individual with the crime. As stated by Jeff Kirchler, Mitcham's attorney, "the state charged the wrong person." The match was made after the unauthorized testing of Mitcham's blood from a past DUI arrest, a move that sparked a fierce legal debate focusing on privacy over the handling and testing of DNA evidence. Ultimately, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the use of Mitcham's DNA profile, as per FOX 10 Phoenix.
A Scottsdale Police Department officer and sergeant were among those who testified following Feldman's father, who confirmed his daughter was in good spirits during their final conversation, and saw no inhibitory red flags between Allison and her boyfriend, according to 12News.
