hPrint found on magazine

hPrint found on magazine
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A sheriff's technician testified Thursday in Michael Jackson's molestation trial that she found a fingerprint from the brother of Jackson's accuser in an adult magazine seized from the singer's home.
The prosecution began presenting testimony on fingerprint evidence to support the boys' accounts that the pop star showed them sexually explicit magazines at his Neverland ranch.
The testimony followed an effort by defense attorney Robert Sanger to undermine the reliability of the results. He elicited testimony that the magazines were not tested for fingerprints until months after they were seized -- and then only after some of them were used in grand jury hearings in which the accuser could have handled them.
Technician Lisa Hemman said the brother's fingerprint was found on a page of a magazine called Finally Legal.
She said she and another examiner initially ruled the print inconclusive in September and October of 2004, but that it was re-examined and found conclusive in a report filed in January.
15 dead in blast
TEXAS CITY, Texas -- The death toll in a thunderous explosion at a BP refinery climbed to 15 Thursday as investigators tried to determine the cause of the worst accident in the nation's gas and chemical industry in nearly 15 years.
A worker who was thought to have checked out and left the refinery was instead found dead near the site of the fiery blast, BP spokesman Bill Stephens said.
More than 100 people were injured Wednesday in the explosion, which plant manager Don Parus said happened during maintenance work in an area of the refinery that boosts the octane level of gasoline.
Hostage rewarded
ATLANTA -- The woman who led authorities to suspected courthouse gunman Brian Nichols was presented with $70,000 in reward money Thursday.
Ashley Smith, a 26-year-old widowed mother of one, was held hostage for seven hours by Nichols at her suburban Atlanta home March 12 before he let her go. She then made the 911 call that led to his arrest.
"My life is testimony that God can use us even in the midst of tragedy and miracles do happen," she said.
She was lauded at a ceremony during which she received a fistful of reward checks from Gov. Sonny Perdue and law enforcement agencies.
Thomas Smith, head of the state sheriffs association, saluted her for "your courage, your strength and your perseverance."
The woman has said she spoke with Nichols for hours about her daughter, her husband's stabbing deaths years ago and her faith in God. She said she told Nichols that he might be destined to be caught so he could spread the word of God to fellow prisoners.
In all, she received $25,000 from the U.S. Marshals Office, $20,000 from the FBI, $10,000 from Perdue's office, $5,000 from the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, $5,000 from the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and $5,000 from the city of Atlanta. She previously received $2,500 from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Soldier denied asylum
TORONTO -- A U.S. Army paratrooper was denied political asylum Thursday, dealing a blow to Americans who are seeking refuge in Canada to avoid serving in an Iraq conflict that they argue would force them to commit atrocities against civilians.
An immigration board ruled that Jeremy Hinzman had not convinced its members he would face persecution or cruel and unusual punishment if returned to the United States.
Seven other American military personnel have applied for refugee status, and Hinzman's lawyer estimated dozens of others are in hiding in Canada waiting to see how the government ruled. The attorney, Jeffrey House, said Hinzman would appeal the ruling and expected to win.
Associated Press