By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — The first-degree murder trial of Robert Douglas Earnhardt continued this morning with Rowan County Sheriff’s Detective David Earnhardt explaining crime scene photos taken the night of the shooting.
Earnhardt, 31, is on trial for the shooting death of his stepfather, Billy Tommy Elmore, which occurred Sept. 17, 2009, at 165 Leisure Lane.
Earnhardt is also on trial for assault with a deadly weapon for inflicting serious injury for the shooting of a second victim, Tiffany Marie Barbee, authorities said.
Barbee is the girlfriend of Billy Elmore’s son. She drove Elmore to the house that day.
Robert Earnhardt’s mother, Patty Kesler Earnhardt Elmore, was estranged from Billy Elmore.
In his testimony, Detective David Earnhardt told the court he took photos of what he believed to be blood, bone fragments and brain tissue at the scene. Jay White, a Concord attorney representing Robert Earnhardt, objected throughout the detective’s testimony because of what he cited as the detective’s lack of expertise.
Rowan District Attorney Brandy Cook asked the detective how many cases he has handled that involved blood, bone and tissue matter. David Earnhardt told the court he’d responded to at least 30 to 40 cases where he’d identified brain tissue and a couple of hundred where blood was involved.
See more details in Friday’s Post
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.