In a Boston courtroom, analysts have confirmed they could not identify the DNA of Terence Crosbie, a Dublin firefighter, in samples collected from the complainant, who alleges he raped her during St. Patrick’s Day weekend last year.
The complainant, a 29-year-old attorney, asserts she was assaulted by Mr. Crosbie while his colleague, Liam O’Brien, was asleep in a separate bed in their shared hotel room.
She maintains that she had consensual relations with Mr. O’Brien after they met at the Black Rose bar in Boston.
However, the situation escalated when she later fell asleep in another bed and awoke to find Mr. Crosbie allegedly attacking her.
Mr. Crosbie has pleaded not guilty and denies all charges against him.
On Thursday, Alexis Decesaris, a DNA analyst, testified about the results of tests conducted on the samples taken from the complainant.
Ms. Decesaris explained that a process was undertaken to eliminate female DNA and isolate male DNA from the samples, revealing the presence of two distinct male profiles separate from the complainant.
Earlier that day, a crime lab analyst from the Boston police stated there was a significant likelihood that one of those male profiles belonged to Mr. O’Brien.
However, Ms. Decesaris indicated uncertainty regarding whether the second set of male DNA, found in a sample from the complainant’s genitals, was contributed by Mr. Crosbie.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Patrick Garrity pointed out that Ms. Decesaris’s testing did not find Mr. Crosbie’s DNA on the genital swab, to which she confirmed, “That is correct.”
When questioned by Suffolk assistant district attorney Erin Murphy, Ms. Decesaris reconfirmed that the samples contained “two distinct male contributors”.
The jury previously heard testimony from a Boston police detective who mentioned that the complainant failed to recall Mr. O’Brien’s name or remember meeting Mr. Crosbie before the alleged incident.
The detective detailed how he identified Mr. Crosbie with assistance from hotel security footage and images provided by a federal agent.
On March 16, 2024, the day after the complainant reported the alleged rape, the detective approached Mr. Crosbie in the hotel lift.
Detectives initially inquired about Mr. Crosbie’s activities on March 14 and 15, to which he responded that he was participating in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade with fellow Dublin Fire Brigade members.
Mr. Crosbie acknowledged he interacted with the complainant at the bar and briefly when she entered the hotel room with Mr. O’Brien.
He claimed he waited in a chair outside room 610 while the two were inside and later knocked on the door, using his phone for light. He said he did not notice anyone in the bed.
According to Mr. Crosbie, after entering the bed, he heard the complainant moving and saw her gather her belongings before leaving the room.
He insisted to detectives that he did not have any physical contact with the complainant prior to her departure.
Later the same evening, he was arrested after booking an early flight back to Ireland.
The complainant emotionally recounted in court how she woke up to find someone on top of her raping her.
She testified that she repeatedly told him to stop and managed to escape by maneuvering her legs off the bed.
She stated in her testimony that Mr. Crosbie continued to follow her around the hotel room, and when she attempted to use the bathroom, he tried to force entry by jiggling the handle after she locked the door.
The case continues to unfold in the Boston court as both sides present their evidence and testimonies.
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