Bailey Boswell trial: Boswell cries as pathologist explains Loofe’s cause of death

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Twelve jurors could be making their decision in the Bailey Boswell trial as early as Tuesday.

Judge Vicky Johnson said she expects closing statements on Tuesday morning, after the prosecution calls its final witnesses.

At this time, its unknown if the defense plans to call any witnesses of its own.

Friday morning, prosecutor Mike Guinan called one of those last witnesses, pathologist Michelle Elieff. Dr. Elieff performed Sydney Loofe’s autopsy on Dec. 7, 2017. She said she received Loofe’s body in 13 pieces, in six different body bags.

Elieff walked the jury through how the autopsy was performed, showing photos of each body part as Boswell looked at the ground, wiping tears away. Elieff said there were several key findings during the autopsy that lead her to the cause of death of homicidal violence and strangulation.

“We had congestion of blood in the head, the petechial hemorrhage in the eyes and face and the bruising in all the layers of the neck,” Elieff said.

Elieff said she couldn’t tell if Loofe was strangled manually or with some kind of ligature.

Defense attorney Todd Lancaster asked Elieff how much strength it would take to do either.

“It requires about 11 pounds of pressure which isn’t a tremendous amount of strength,” Elieff said.

Elieff also noted injuries to Loofe’s body that she likely sustained around the time of death, including a torn earlobe and bruising on her head, back and thigh. Loofe also had bruises on her wrists.

“These are pattern injuries that are commonly seen in a restraint of some sort,” Elieff said.

Elieff also described the various tools that could have been used to dismember Loofe’s body. She saw signs of the use of a non-serrated knife as well as signs of a fine-toothed saw.

Earlier testimony showed Boswell and Aubrey Trail bought a hack saw and utility knife at Home Depot on Nov. 15, the same day the prosecution believes Loofe was killed.

Those tools were never found.