The brutal stabbing of a San Diego-based Navy doctor likely continued even after the victim was dead a police investigator testified Thursday.
Jennifer Trayers, 42, is accused of murder in the December 2010 death of her husband, Lt. Commander Fred Trayers.
Prosecutors claim the defendant planned the attack after discovering her husband’s extra-marital affair.
Defense attorneys say their client never planned to kill her husband and was trying to kill herself.
On Thursday, jurors saw a number of grisly crime scene photos showing cuts on the victim’s hand, a blood-saturated mattress and pillow, blood stains on furniture and walls and blood stains in the couple’s bathroom.
Testimony focused on the evidence collected inside the North Park condo including blood spatter, hair samples and stab wounds found on the defendant.
SDPD criminalist Eugene LaChimia testified six of Fred Trayers’ stab wounds were likely made after death.
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Later Thursday Jennifer Trayers’ mother testified an odd message on her son-in-law’s Facebook page raised her suspicions that something may have happened to him.
Deborah Smith spoke with her daughter on Saturday, Dec. 4 and said Jennifer Trayers seemed to have just woken up but “seemed very normal” when they spoke briefly. Jennifer told her mother she and her husband had decided to sleep in on that day.
Mother and daughter did not talk on Sunday, Dec. 5.
Smith testified she grew concerned Monday morning when she noticed messages posted to her son-in-law’s Facebook page indicating that he hadn’t shown up to work. She told her husband Craig to start calling around to find out if something was going on.
Lt. Cmdr Trayers was later found dead inside the condo that Monday. Jennifer Trayers was found injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Deborah Smith testified she didn't know of any difficulties in the marriage prior to the stabbing.
On Wednesday, jurors heard about an extra-marital affair between Fred Trayers and another Navy doctor.
Danielle Robins testified about their relationship that began when they first met aboard a U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy in August 2010.
On the day Fred Trayers was stabbed to death, Robins said she got an eight-page email from Jennifer Trayers.
The email talked about how much Jennifer Trayers loved her husband and how she was there for him for 19 years, even when she claims he had cheated on her with other women before.
Defense attorneys have told jurors the evidence will show their client is guilty of involuntary manslaughter, not of murder.
If convicted, Jennifer Trayers faces 26 years to life in prison.
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