Authorities allege that Chanel Lewis (pictured) raped and murdered Karina Vetrano
A somber air fell over Queens Criminal Court on Thursday as the parents of Karina Vetrano attended a hearing for an upcoming trial that seeks justice for their daughter.
Authorities allege that Chanel Lewis raped and murdered 30-year-old Vetrano last year as she jogged near her Howard Beach home, according to The Daily News.
Lewis, 21, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder, and four counts of first degree sex abuse over the incident last August.
The suspect faces life in jail without the possibility of parole if convicted.
Vetrano’s mother, Cathy, did not hide her anger at the defendant during proceedings Thursday. gritting her teeth and scowling at Lewis as he entered the court (picture taken August 2)
Karina Vetrano (pictured), 30, was raped and strangled as she jogged near her Howard Beach home last August
Vetrano’s mother, Cathy, stayed silent throughout the proceedings on Thursday, but the Daily News claimed that she grit her teeth and scowled at Lewis when he was brought into court.
She failed to offer comment outside the courthouse, but showed a tattooed portrait of her daughter’s face on her left forearm to reporters.
Lewis’ family also attended the hearing, and insisted he was innocent of all charges.
‘I know the truth,’ his sister, Tracey Greene, said. ‘He didn’t do it, he’s been falsely accused.’
In court, Lewis’ lawyer pressed the prosecution to turn over crucial DNA evidence in the case, noting they have yet to conduct their own analysis.
‘They say it’s him, let’s see what our expert says — but they need that raw data to make that determination as to how the test was done,’ Chanel Lewis’ lawyer, Bob Moeller, said during proceedings.
Lewis, 21, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder, and four counts of first degree sex abuse
In court, Lewis’ lawyer pressed the prosecution to turn over crucial DNA evidence in the case (Vetrano pictured with her father, Philip)
The data requested by the defense is ‘the baseline that they use when [investigators] decide whether or not the DNA that they’ve tested is somebody,’ Moeller added.
NYPD detectives say Lewis made ‘detailed’ descriptions of how he attacked Karina during her evening jog after being arrested at his family home in Brooklyn.
Once in custody, he told them that he ‘lost it’ and choked her after venturing to the park while angry about how many people were in his crowded home.
While Lewis admitted to killing the jogger, sources told the network he denied raping her in interviews that were captured on film.
Lewis’ attorney is skeptical of the alleged confession to police.
‘Eighteen hours in custody, parts videotaped, parts not,’ he said. ‘I have some questions about the testimony.’
Lewis is expected to go through a psychiatric evaluation on September 15, according to the Daily News, with a final report coming in early October.