DNA tests on hairs
show no matches

Dana Ireland, her mother and
suspects are ruled out as sources
of samples

By Dana Williams
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Hairs on a T-shirt, socks and underwear left at the scene where Dana Ireland was abandoned did not come from any of the suspects or the victim in the case, an FBI agent said yesterday.

Special agent Joseph Dizinno, testifying in the murder trial of Frank Pauline Jr., said he performed mitochondrial DNA tests on hairs collected from the items. The results were compared with blood samples from Albert Ian and Shawn Schweitzer and a hair sample from Frank Pauline Jr.

Since mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child, a blood sample also was drawn from Louise Ireland, Dana's mother. Both Dana and Louise Ireland would have the same mitochondrial DNA, Dizinno said.

The hairs found on the T-shirt, socks and underwear were different from one another, and the DNA didn't match that of the people who were tested, Dizinno said.

"Therefore," he said, "Albert Schweitzer, Shawn Schweitzer, Louise Ireland, including maternal relatives of Louise Ireland -- Dana Ireland -- and Frank Pauline Jr. can be eliminated as the source of the hairs," Dizinno said.

A hair also was found on the trunk of a Volkswagen Beetle owned by Albert Ian Schweitzer, but it wasn't long enough to collect a DNA sample, Dizinno said.

Associated Press
FBI Special Agent Richard Buechele is sworn in before
testifying yesterday about the bicycle Dana Ireland
was riding the day she was killed.

Dizinno testified as a defense witness in Pauline's trial. Although the prosecution has not yet rested its case, three FBI witnesses were taken out of order yesterday. Two, Dizinno and Robert Fram, testified about hair evidence for the defense. One, agent Richard Buechele, testified for the prosecution about his examination of the bicycle Dana Ireland was riding when she was struck by a vehicle.

Prosecutors expect to wrap up their case Monday, after Hawaii County police Detective Steven Guillermo finishes his testimony.

Guillermo returned to the witness stand yesterday for cross-examination by defense attorney Clifford Hunt.

Hunt asked Guillermo about differences between earlier testimony and police reports, and asked why investigators focused on certain suspects.

He also asked about discrepancies in Pauline's various confessions to police.

Pauline has since recanted his confessions.

Over the past few days, Hunt has raised questions about the quality of the police investigation in the case.

Some of the points brought forward were:

Pauline said Dana Ireland was placed in the trunk of a Volkswagen Beetle, but police never tested if it was possible to put someone Ireland's size in a Beetle trunk. Guillermo said he does not know if Ireland would have fit in the trunk with the lid closed.

Police found a large blood-soaked T-shirt at the scene, and several witnesses linked the T-shirt to Pauline. Yet police did not contact area retailers to see how common the shirt was. However, they did an extensive investigation on the origins of a shoe found at the scene, contacting the manufacturer, retailers and interviewing store clerks. The shoe did not lead to Pauline.

Police did not videotape or audio record Pauline's confessions, although they had equipment to do so.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Monday.

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