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Physical Evidence
Passenger-Side Tail Light Housing from Karen Read's Lexus (Item 3-1)
Passenger-side Lexus taillight housing, item 3-1, used for mechanical comparison with scene fragments and exterior DNA swabs. The housing is all plastic, with no glass components.
About
The housing was the prosecution's central physical link between Read's vehicle and the scene at 34 Fairview Road. The prosecution presented Vallier's qualified testimony that the item-7 pieces previously discussed in her examination mechanically fit one another and housing 3-1; she expressly excluded items 7-8 and 7-14 from that answer and separately reported no physical match between the glass pieces from 7-12 and 7-14. The defense challenged the completeness of the reconstruction, the presence of multiple DNA contributors, chain of custody, and argued that observed damage was inconsistent with a higher-speed impact.
The passenger-side tail light housing removed from Karen Read's Lexus SUV (MA plate 3GC684), designated Item 3-1. It served as the known reference object against which road-recovered debris fragments were mechanically compared, and its exterior surfaces were swabbed for DNA analysis. The housing is composed entirely of plastic with no glass components.