The last witness, during Wednesday’s testimony in the Furnas County sex trafficking trial of William “Billy” Quinn, was Edward Sexton, an Investigator with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. His focus is on computer crimes, cellphones and forensic analysis of such items. He reviewed with the Jury the evidentiary data of interest that was recovered from laptop and desktop computers along with a cell phone from Quinn and a cellphone from the girl in the case. He noted that there were more than 15,000 text messages exchanged between Quinn and the alleged victim. He also spoke of videos and images that were transferred or stored between the computers, cell phones and social media. More than a dozen sexually explicit videos and a number of nude photos were displayed for jurors.
There were several items of bedding and a sexual assault evidence kit, in connection with the Quinn case, that was studied at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory last year in Lincoln. Jurors learned about the results of the study through Danielle Oshlo, a Forensic Scientist at the laboratory. Special Prosecutor Corey O’Brien walked Oshlo through their general procedures, protocols and terminology. Some stains were analyzed on a blanket found on the 2nd floor of the Green Acres Cafe building in downtown Oxford. One stain contained DNA from both the alleged victim in the case and Billy Quinn. Oshlo acknowledged that it could not be determined if their DNA were left there at the same time or separately.
Defense Attorney Mallory Hughes raised several questions on her cross examination including that only 5 reference samples of male suspects were used to compare DNA when there was a larger list of possible suspects in the investigation. Hughes noted that laptop and desktop computers seized from Quinn were not submitted to Oshlo’s laboratory and therefore not tested for DNA or fingerprints
Donald Pulliam testified for the State. He is charged with two counts of Felony Child Abuse and being a Habitual Criminal in connection with the case. He is currently incarcerated on other charges and appeared in a jail uniform. Pulliam said he worked for Quinn “off and on” for about 9 years doing remodeling in Quinn’s construction company. Became acquainted with the girl while working on a construction job on a house in Beaver City. Pulliam said he was told the girl was 19-years-of-age. He had two sexual encounters with the girl at her Oxford residence. Pulliam said Quinn told him it was his job “to take care of her” or he wouldn’t be paid for his construction work. Pulliam said he never paid the girl for sex.
On cross-examination by Defense Attorney Joe Howard, Pulliam testified that he was asked to come to the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office to talk to Sgt. Huntley about rumors circulating in the community of a purported “list” of men who had sex with the girl. Pulliam said Huntley did not tell him he was a suspect in the case and did not “Mirandize” or inform him of his legal rights. He asserted Huntley told him that Quinn had pushed him into having sex with the girl. Pulliam did not think he would get charged following the interview but was subsequently charged.
Anna Brewer, an Investigator of Human Trafficking with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office testified about her background in human trafficking investigations and some characteristics of human trafficking. She said she was asked to conduct a forensic interview with a girl at the Family Advocacy Network in Kearney. She led the interview with the alleged victim in the Furnas County investigation with assistance from Furnas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Alex Huntley. It lasted about 4 hours. She said she then assisted with suggestions in the direction of the investigation and was the lead interviewer in more than 75 interviews that have been conducted in the case. Brewer said she conducted another interview with the girl in the Family Advocacy Center to confirm identities of nude female images collected in the investigation.
Quinn is charged with 14 felony counts and his jury trial continues Thursday in Furnas County District Court in Beaver City.
