Crime lab technician testifies about drugged drinks

PALMER -- A crime lab technician testified Thursday at Suzette Welton's murder trial that more than twice the recommended dosage of sleeping medication was found in drinks Welton allegedly gave her teen sons the night before the fatal fire that killed 14-year-old Samuel Welton.

Criminologist Jane Booth tested Pepsi, Voo Doo Rain Brain Broo and Sobe drinks recovered from the Welton home after the fire, and found they contained diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Sleepinal.

Alaska State Trooper investigator Leonard Wallner had collected the Pepsi bottle Sam drank, from a kitchen garbage can, and bottles from the other two drinks consumed by his brother from the living room.

Booth was able to measure the amount of diphenhydramine in the Pepsi, but not in the other drinks, she testified. She found 128 milligrams of that drug in the Pepsi. The recommended dosage on the back of a box of Sleepinal is 50 milligrams.

Assistant Public Defender George Davenport asked Booth if she found any proof that Welton had given the medication to her sons, and she said no.

Welton's surviving son, Jeremiah, had testified earlier in the week that his mother had purchased the drinks for them earlier that night.

Welton is on trial for murder, attempted murder and arson charges in connection with a Sept. 15, 2000, fire that consumed the upper portion of her Mulchatna Drive apartment, and resulted in the death of her son, Samuel. Jeremiah, then 16, escaped the fire by jumping out the upstairs window. Welton and her 6-year-old daughter were able to leave from the bottom level because they reportedly had been sleeping on the couch.

District Attorney Roman Kalytiak continued to present prosecution witnesses this week, and is expected to call up to 50 people to testify before the trial is over. By the close of Thursday's proceedings, he had presented about 14 of those. The trial is scheduled Mondays through Thursdays in Palmer Superior Court, with Fridays off.

Booth said she conducted an experiment to discover how much Sleepinal it would take to achieve 128 milligrams of concentration. She found between two and three gel capsules had to be emptied into the Pepsi, she testified.

Carrs store investigator Scott Rand testified about purchases recorded into a store computerized tracking system. A printout of Welton's purchases during the days preceding the fire revealed Sleepinal and a gas can among the hamburger and vermicelli.

The items are recorded by their bar code, and were placed on a projector so the jury could view the dates and items. A 2.5-gallon gas can bought for $4.59 on Sept. 12 was shown to the jury, though it was not the one allegedly used the night of the fire. The drinks purchased on the day before the fire, Voo Doo Rain Brain Broo, Pepsi and Sobe, were also among the items.

Public Defender Greg Heath asked Rand if Carrs asks for additional identification with the club card in order to prove who makes the purchases. Rand said the store does not, and anyone can use a club card even if it is not their own.

Defense and prosecution attorneys increasingly are using computerized devices and technologies to reveal details in court. The Welton trial is one of the first in the state to introduce ICQ chat conversations as evidence, though store purchase tracking has been used in recent years, defense attorneys said.

The trial continues today before Anchorage Superior Court Judge Milton Souter.