Police sought a DNA sample from the fiancee of a Yale lab tech accused of killing Yale grad student Annie Le. They were trying to determine if she played any role in the murder.
That information surfaced in a redacted search warrant affidavit released Monday.
Judge Roland Fasano ordered it released. Fasano is presiding over the trial of Raymond Clark, the 24-year-old lab technician charged with strangling Le and hiding her body in a basement wall of a Yale lab building where they both worked. Clark has pleaded not guilty.
The warrant released to the public Monday morning concerns Clark’s fiancee, a fellow Yale lab tech. The warrant sought to have saliva samples taken from the fiancee.
The fiancee has not been accused of participating in the crime.
The warrant does not allege that [she] had a role in the murder. Nor have authorities since issued any statements suggesting she had a role. There is no evidence that authorities have or had any plans to pursue an arrest.
The fiancee’s lawyer, Bridgeport criminal lawyer Robert Berke, confirmed Monday morning that his client gave the police saliva samples after the warrant was issued.
“Any time someone’s DNA is sought, it’s kind of crazy to think they’re not in some respects being looked at,” Berke said in a phone conversation. But since that time, he has not heard any further word from either the police or the state’s attorney’s office, he said.
Click here to read the warrant.
According to the Nov. 25, 2009 warrant, written by New Haven Detectives Scott Branfuhr and Al Vazquez, police had obtained a lanyard attached to the fiancee’s identification card during a previous raid of a Middletown apartment she shared with Clark. DNA collected from that lanyard matched fiancee’s DNA. So did part of a DNA “mixture” found on a pen and a bloody sock discovered along with Annie Le’s body in a basement wall cavity of a Yale animal lab testing facility at 10 Amistad St.
“Obtaining buccal swabs from [the fiancee] will either prove or disprove whether or not [she] is the single source of said DNA profile obtained from the lanyard, the sock, and the pen,” the detectives wrote. “Obtaining a confirmatory DNA sample from the source of the DNA found in these items will help investigators prove or disprove any involvement [she] may have had in the murder of Annie Le.”
But they were at least making sure to cover their bases.
The fiancee generally worked in buildings other than 10 Amistad St., though her work sometimes brought her to that building, according to the warrant affidavit. However, computer records do not show her assigned key card being used to gain access to 10 Amistad St., where Le’s body was found, between Sept. 8 and Sept. 13, the period during which Le was killed.
“However, during the course of this investigation these Affiants have learned that it is not uncommon for an individual employed and assigned to work in 10 Amistad Street to access the facility by following behind others accessing and using their respective electronic key-card,” the detectives wrote. “We have also learned that the rooms which require key-card access do not require or have a means of swiping the key-card as an individual exits the particular room they entered.” In other words, a person could exit key-card rooms without swiping his or her key-card being recorded.
Previous coverage of the Annie Le case:
March 9, 2010
Final Annie Le Warrant To Be Unsealed On Monday
March 3, 2010
Judge Plans To Unseal Final Annie Le Warrant
Tuesday, Jan. 26
• Annie Le’s Alleged Killer Pleads Not Guilty
Wednesday, Dec. 2
• Annie Le Warrants: Blood Found In Kitchen, Car
Tuesday, Nov. 17
• Seal Extended On Annie Le Warrants
Friday, Nov. 13
• Annie Le Warrant: Bloody Boots Read “Ray‑C”
Friday, Nov. 6
• Annie Le Documents To Be Unsealed
Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Hearing Continued For Annie Le Suspect; Judge Will Rule By Week’s End On Warrants: Live Blog
Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Annie Le Suspect Enters No Plea; Warrants Remain Sealed
Tuesday, Oct. 6
• Live Blog: Lawyer For Annie Le Murder Suspect Wants To See The Evidence
Friday, Sept. 25
• Warrant In Annie Le Murder To Stay Sealed
Thursday, Sept. 24
• Cops Back At Annie Le’s Lab Building
Monday, Sept. 21
• What Annie Le Story?
• Public Defender: I Don’t Want Annie Le Reporters Investigated
Thursday, Sept. 17
• After Annie Le Murder, Union Chief Sends Rallying Call
• Annie Le Suspect Knew Cops Were On His Tail
• Cops Arrest Lab Tech In Annie Le Murder
• Suspect Arraigned (live blog)
Wednesday, Sept. 16:
• Ex-Girlfriend “Shocked” About Annie Le Target
• Cops Stake Out Annie Le Target’s Motel
• Annie Le Case: It’s Coming Down To The DNA
• Annie Le Was Strangled
Tuesday, Sept. 15:
• City, Yale Learned From Jovin In Annie Le Case
• Suspect In Annie Le Case Has Fiancee
• NBC Producer Trampled At Annie Le “Briefing”
• Cops Take DNA From Annie Le Target
• Was That Annie Le’s Killer?
Monday, Sept. 14:
• Body Identified As Annie Le
• “Serious” Suspect In Annie Le Case
• You Can Get In The Wall With A “Butter Knife”
• Lab Building Shuts Down
Sunday, Sept. 13:
• Remains Of Annie Le Believed Found; “A Time For Compassion,” Levin Says
• Annie Le Hunt Extends To Hartford
Saturday, Sept. 12
• Focus In Annie Le Probe Less On “State Lines”
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009
• City Cops Join Search For Annie Le; $10,000 Reward Posted
I know Detective Scott Branfuhr, he is an excellent cop and a fine detective. When he is on the case there is no stopping him. We LOVE-U Scotty. He is my hero, when I grow up I want to be just like him.