Nash to Stand Trial in Spencer Slaying

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Nash to Stand Trial in Spencer Slaying

By KSPR News

More than 100 people packed Dent County's largest courthouse Monday to hear evidence against Donald "Doc" Nash, the man charged in an Ozarks cold-case slaying.

Police say Nash strangled, and then shot Judy Spencer 26 years ago.

Monday, an assistant attorney general called four witnesses, including Janet (Jones) Edwards, Spencer's high-school friend who was with her the day she died; the Highway Patrol officer who clipped Spencer's fingernails, 26 years ago; the arresting officer; and a DNA expert.

Edwards said she witnessed Spencer washing her hair because Nash did not like her new haircut on the day of her death. Prosecutors are inferring that means Spencer's fingernails were clean close to the time of her death.

The defense countered by noting that Spencer's friend was relying on memories from 26 years ago.

The Highway Patrol officer who clipped Spencer's nails was called to highlight the chain of evidence. He said even though he did not know what DNA was at the time; he placed the fingernails into evidence envelopes and logged them properly.

The defense says because DNA wasn't used in criminal cases in 1982, steps were not taken to properly preserve the fingernails, to prevent degradation over time.

The DNA expert testified that the DNA found under Spencer's nails matched Nash. The odds of the DNA not being Nash's was 1 in 16.13 million among white men, the DNA expert testified.

Jeanne Paris, Spencer's sister, said DNA doesn't lie.

"I guarantee a not guilty verdict," said Nash's attorney, Frank Carlson from Union, Mo. Carlson says there are a million reasons Nash's DNA would be under Spencer's fingernails because the two were a couple.

At the close of Monday's hearing, a judge ruled there was enough evidence to find a felony had happened, and that there was probable cause to believe Nash killed Spencer.

Nash will be arraigned May 5 in Dent County Circuit Court

Paris said, "We were prepared for what we were going to hear today. We realize this case could take years."

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