Robert Solis capital murder trial: Jurors hear testimony on DNA evidence

Thursday, October 13, 2022
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Jurors heard testimony Thursday linking DNA from the weapon used to kill beloved Harris County Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal to the man on trial for his murder, Robert Solis.

Solis has fired his attorneys and is representing himself in his own capital murder trial.

Thursday morning, he announced that his stomach hurt and he wanted to postpone the trial. The judge did not grant the postponement.

Prosecution witnesses on the fourth day of the trial mostly focused on forensics.

Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors say. The gun, they say, was stashed in a trash can at the same shopping center where Solis was arrested.

Thursday, an analyst from the Harris County Office of Forensic Sciences testified DNA found on the gun very likely came from Solis. She testified the DNA found on the slide of the gun was 28 quadrillion times more likely to be from Solis than from anybody else.

As for Solis, he has said during cross-examination that he should never have been tested for gunshot residue or DNA.

He asked a deputy who gathered evidence, "Did you know that I was the one who had shot the deputy?"

The deputy answered, "You matched the description."

Solis then asked, "Do you have any knowledge of my state of mind?"

The deputy simply answered, "No."

Throughout the trial, Solis has repeatedly brought up the possibility of fake evidence.

He has now asked multiple witnesses, "Do you know what a deep fake is?"

Prosecutors said in court they expect to rest very soon.

Solis will then have an opportunity to present his own case.

He has the right to subpoena witnesses and even put himself on the stand, if he chooses.
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