Testimony: Bloodstained Towels Found Near 'Pumping Party'

POSTED: Tuesday, May 13, 2003

UPDATED: 1:09 pm EDT May 13, 2003

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Jurors heard more testimony today in the trial of two men, one of whom lives as a woman, accused of killing a South Florida woman during a cut-rate cosmetic surgery procedure.

Video

Crime Scene Investigator Takes The Stand

Mark Hawkins and Donnie Hendrix (pictured) are charged with manslaughter and other crimes. The state says the two would buy a gallon of silicone for about $8, then tour the country hosting so-called pumping parties. They allegedly injected women and transgender people who wanted cut-rate "body sculpting" or cosmetic enhancements.

Today BSO crime scene investigator David Currie took the stand to talk about the bloodstained towels he said he found in a trash bin near where the alleged "pumping party" occurred.

Also on the stand was a salesperson from Silicone Inc. who talked about receipts showing Mark Hawkins made weekly silicone purchases.

Prosecutors say botched silicone injections killed Vera Lawrence, 52, suddenly during a March 20, 2001, party.

The defense says vanity slowly killed her, since she had been getting industrial-grade silicone illegally pumped into her hips and buttocks for years.

Previous Stories:

May 12, 2003: 'Pumping Party' Trial: 'Bizarre, Flamboyant, Unusual"
May 7, 2003: Jury Dismissed In 'Pumping Party' Trial After Allegations Of Leaks
May 1, 2003: Jury Selection Begins In 'Pumping Party' Death

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