Uncle on Trial Lab Analyst Finds Blood Signs on Boxers and Bedding but Can't Say When | Pt 27

The State's first lab analyst found signs of blood on a pair of men's boxer shorts, two sheets and a pillowcase, and cut three stains out of the boxers for DNA. On cross, she says she can't tell when any of it got there. Every kit swab and smear came back negative, and she did no DNA analysis herself. Paitin Fields was five in November 2017, when she was rushed to the emergency room in Burgaw, North Carolina. Her uncle, David Prevatte, was named a suspect in 2018 and not charged until 2022. He is charged in her death, among other charges, and is presumed innocent. The State gave notice on Feb. 9 that it will not seek the death penalty, StarNews reported. Mehnaz Chowdhury of the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory says her screening tests are presumptive: a possibility, not proof. Her December 2017 report covers the kit; nothing came back positive. Her March 2018 report covers the clothes, the bedding and red earbuds. The boxers screened positive for blood, and three cuttings went for DNA. Both sheets and the pillowcase did too. Sent on for more testing? "In this case it was not." In its Day 1 opening, the State told jurors to pay attention to the red earbuds and the kit. She ran no fluid tests on the earbuds, swabbed the cord and sent the swab on, and says she never swabbed the earbuds themselves. Is that what the opening promised, or does it rest on the DNA analysts still to come? --- WATCH WITH JUSTICE 0:00:00 What this video is, and a preview 0:00:21 Intro 0:01:21 to 0:10:45 - Video starts: Day 6 opens. Mehnaz Chowdhury of the State Crime Laboratory is qualified as an expert in forensic biology. 0:10:45 to 0:16:35 - Her first report: the kit. The screening test is presumptive: "It is not a confirmatory test." 0:16:35 to 0:20:02 - Every kit swab and smear comes back negative. Her December 2017 report, State's 97, comes in. 0:20:02 to 0:22:44 - Were there other reports? She doesn't know, and has only case records two and four. 0:22:44 to 0:29:54 - Her second report: a child's pants, men's boxer shorts, red earbuds, a pink blanket, two sheets and a pillowcase. 0:29:54 to 0:32:38 - The Castle-Meyer blood test. "It does not confirm blood." The sample is saved for DNA. 0:32:38 to 0:38:20 - The child's pants and the pink blanket screen negative. 0:38:20 to 0:43:59 - The boxer shorts screen positive for blood. Three cuttings go for DNA: State's 99, 100 and 101. 0:43:59 to 0:47:30 - The red earbuds: no body-fluid tests. She swabs the cord, State's 102, and sends it on. 0:47:30 to 0:54:47 - Both sheets and the pillowcase show signs of blood. Sent on for more testing? "In this case it was not." 0:54:47 to 1:02:59 - "Did you do any DNA analysis in this case?" "No, I did not." Her March 2018 report comes in. 1:02:59 to 1:06:33 - Cross by Luther Johnson Britt III: the kit swabs "were not tested for blood." 1:06:33 to 1:09:49 - The boxer shorts: can she say when that blood got there? "No, I cannot." 1:09:49 to 1:12:41 - The earbud swab: "No, I did not test that." The bedding: no way to say when. "No, I can't." 1:12:41 to 1:19:14 - Redirect: DNA on the swab could come from any cell. Recross: the cord, not the earbuds. She is released. CASE BACKGROUND REPORT: https://justiceisaprocess.com/nc-v-da... Complete case overview including the charges, the timeline, the key players, and the legal questions this trial raises. State of North Carolina v. David Wesley Prevatte. Pender County Superior Court in Burgaw, North Carolina. Prevatte is charged with first-degree murder in the 2017 death of his five-year-old niece, along with other charges. Jury selection began on September 28, 2026. He is presumed innocent unless and until the State proves each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. LATEST ARTICLE: https://justiceisaprocess.com/desk-20... PLAYLISTS AND RESOURCES Website: https://justiceisaprocess.com/coverag... Full Trial Live Broadcasts:    • NC v. David Prevatte: Full Trial Live Broa...   No Breaks Edition:    • NC v. David Prevatte: No Breaks Edition   Trial Analysis Podcast:    • NC v. David Prevatte: Case Story Trial Pod...   Key Moments and Testimony:    • NC v. David Prevatte: Key Moments & Testimony   Commentary:    • NC v. David Prevatte: Commentary   Subscribe for Daily Coverage:    / @justiceisaprocess   FAIR USE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE This content is produced under Fair Use (17 U.S.C. 107) for news reporting, criticism, and educational purposes. We provide transformative commentary on public court proceedings, advancing public understanding of the judicial process through timestamps, analysis, and educational context. #JusticeIsAProcess #DavidPrevatte #PrevatteTrial