By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

WAKEENEY — During Monday’s testimony in the first-degree murder trial of Scott Bollig, who stands accused of causing the death of an unborn child, jurors heard evidence from a Kansas Bureau of Investigation toxicology supervisor who testified Naomi Abbott, Bollig’s ex-girlfriend, had the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone in samples taken after the loss of her unborn child.

The defense objected to the admission of the testimony, saying there are time lapses from when the samples were taken until they reached the KBI lab.

After dismissing the jury, Judge Glenn Braun heard the defense argue that a clear chain of custody could not be determined, so the testimony should not admissible. However, Braun ruled the evidence was admissible, but could be argued to be less credible by the defense as the lack of a clean chain of custody speaks to the validity of the evidence, not the admissibility, according to state law.

After the initial objections, Larry Mann of the KBI testified at least some of the samples brought to the KBI lab in Topeka did contain the drug mifepristone.

Traces of the drug were found in blood and serum samples obtained from Abbott, from two different sample times.

Despite finding traces of the drug in Abbott’s blood, it was not present in the placenta, something Mann testified he was not qualified to explain.

Detailed analysis of the samples were consistent with a 200-mg pill being ingested, Mann said, finding the time amount of drug left in Abbott’s system would also be consistent with the time Bollig allegedly altered Abbott’s breakfast with the drug.

The trial is set to continue at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.