First week of Jose Morales trial wraps with 6 witnesses on the stand

On the fifth day in the Jose Morales trial, the jury was presented testimony from six witnesses.

The first witness was Jacqueline Troesser with the Ansonia Police Department.

She testified that she worked the 911 dispatch line on Dec. 1, 2019 and during the early morning, she received a call. 

Troesser said when she picked up, she heard a slurred-male voice saying, “Myrtle, Myrtle, Myrtle,” and heard a female voice in the background saying “stop, hang up, who are you talking to,” before the caller hangs up.

Troesser said she called the number back three times, but they never responded. 

She said she then dispatched Ansonia police officer Mark Clifford for a “911 hang up.”

Clifford testified to going out to the area of Myrtle Avenue, and upon arrival, he drove up and down the street before clearing the call just two minutes later.

The third witness was Patrick Rawley of Ansonia.

Rawley testified that he and his wife went to 6 Myrtle Ave. on Dec. 1, 2019 to help his aunt with house work. 

At the time Rawley left his aunt’s house, he said he noticed a man standing next to the garage wearing a hoodie and talking on a cellphone.

He said it appeared odd to him that the man was outside because it was a cold winter day.

Rawley added on average, he visited his aunt once a month and he had never seen that man before.

Rawley then said it was on Dec 4, 2019 that Ansonia police went to his house to complete a witness identifying procedure.

Rawley said he was shown a series of photos and identified Morales’ photo as the man he had saw that previous Sunday.

The fourth witness was Christoper Picariello, homeowner of 6 ½  Myrtle Ave., and his mother was the fifth witness.

They testified to working on a wood sign in the garage of the house during the day on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019.

They both said they heard loud noises as if someone was moving furniture in the upstairs apartment.

They both said they did not go upstairs to check out the noises, but it was enough to call their attention.

The last witness of the day was Ansonia Police Detective Jonathan Troesser.

Jonathan Troesser said he worked with the Ansonia Police Department as part of the DEA Task Force in New Haven at the time.

He testified to being assigned to the case and he was initially told it was a homicide and missing child case.

The detective said he was assigned with reviewing video surveillance of the target cars between Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, 2019.

Troesser said he reviewed surveillance video from at least five different locations in Ansonia around Myrtle Ave.

Senior Assistant State's Attorney Marc Durso introduced to the jury a 15-minute montage video showing the areas where Morales' Nissan Altima appear and Holloway's black Ford Focus.

During Friday's proceedings, Judge Murphy dismissed one of the regular jurors after they realized they were related to one of the witnesses.

The court clerk swore in an alternate juror as a regular, leaving only one alternate juror in the trial.