Prosecutor Says Forensic Evidence Links Suspect to Murder of Bail Bondswoman in Columbia

In opening statements in the murder trial of Dominique Davon McDonald of Columbia, prosecutors said they had scientific and forensic evidence that directly links the 23 year old to the slaying of a bail bondswoman on Hayshed Lane in September of 2011.

Prosecutor Ned Curry said investigators found a number of pieces of evidence linking McDonald, who is accused of shooting Nichole McNair, 42, as she attempted to collect a bond payment from him.

Wayne Kirwan, a spokesperson for the state's attorney's office, said the evidence referenced in opening statements included:

• A recipt to McDonald found near McNair's car.
• Spent shell casings at the scene that were forensically linked to a gun found in what is believed to be the location McDonald hid after the shooting.
• McDonald's DNA on the gun that was linked to the shell casings.
• McDonald's DNA on a broken cell phone, half of which was found at the scene, the other half found on McDonald when he was arrested.
• Clothes matching descriptions of the suspect by witnesses at the scene found where McDonald was reportedly staying.

According to police, McDonald was arrested near an apartment building in the 8800 block of Tamar Drive about 24 hours after the shooting. Inside a sprinkler room of that building police found a gun, which Curry said was later linked to McDonald, according to Kirwan.

Police said McNair was in the area attempting to collect bail from McDonald. McDonald had been released on $2,000 bail on Sept. 2, about two weeks before the Sept. 12 shooting, after being charged with gun violations for reportedly having a gun on him at a Howard County High School.

At the time of the shooting, police said McNair was looking for McDonald to collect $1,000, the total balance owed by McDonald.

When released on bail, McDonald was still on probation from a 2008 assault case in which he served a year and a half in jail, according to a CBS Baltimore report.

McDonald's defense attorney, in his opening statement, said his client did not kill McNair, questioned why the victim's son showed up at the scene shortly after the shooting and said that McDonald was not in possession of any money, which was allegedly the motive for the shooting, according to Kirwan.

The criminal jury trial is expected to take up to two weeks at Howard County Circuit Court. McDonald is charged with first-degree murder, felony handgun use in a violent crime and felony firearm posession.

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