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June 21, 2006

Carpio trial: Defense rests its case

PROVIDENCE -- The defense rested and the prosecution began its rebuttal this afternoon in the murder trial of Esteban Carpio.

But the main event of today's court session was a debate between the two sides as the prosecution challenged the defense's contention that Carpio was not guilty of fatally shooting a Providence police detective because he was insane at the time.

Assistant Attorney General Paul Daly Jr. questioned whether Carpio was hallucinating and hearing voices or simply repeating the lyrics of a well-known rap song, whether he was psychotic when he shot police Detective Sgt. James L. Allen at police headquarters last year or just had a troubled love life.

Daly raised the questions in his cross-examination of clinical and forensic neuropsychologist Paul A . Spiers, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine.

He also argued that Carpio had a history of using the drug Ecstasy, noting it was the impression of the emergency personnel who transported Carpio to Faulkner Hospital in Boston on April 2, 2005, two weeks before Allen was killed, that Carpio was exhibiting bizarre behavior and they suspected drug use.

Daly's cross-examination came after testimony yesterday that featured the playing of tapes from police interviews with Carpio at Rhode Island Hospital and at police headquarters after he was arrested for Allen's murder.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Ed Fitzpatrick

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 5:49 PM | Permalink

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