Jury Deliberations Underway In Trial Of Elco Man
November 16, 2023 2:49 am
Jury deliberations are underway in the trial of 40 year old Jerome Stewart of Elco. He is accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile beginning at age 8 and continuing the assaults for more than a decade. Testimony began Wednesday as it ended on day one. The other half sister of the victim testified to the relationship that the victim had with Jerome Stewart. Both relatives described sexual acts between Stewart and his underage victim. They described their experiences when the victim miscarried in her first pregnancy at age 13. Much of the day’s testimony came from hospital professionals and nurses that tended to the victim when she miscarried and several years later delivering a son via c-section at age 15. The chief Washington County Detective detailed the chain of evidence possession that verified DNA and paternity results of the victim’s pregnancy. The most revealing testimony came from Mark Lind. He is a friend of Jerome Stewart who came across the jar in which Stewart sealed the fetus from the victim’s first pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. Lind stated that when asked by Stewart if he found the jar he stated that he did and threw it in the trash. Lind stated During the conversation that Stewart told him it was a fetus of the victim and he was the father. The jury received the case and began deliberations late Thursday morning.