Evidence reveals details in child abuse trial

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Jurors in Union County watched video and listened to an audio recording that investigators took from inside Joshua Houser's home.
 
In them you see and hear Houser tell police what happened before Kilah Davenport was taken to the hospital. At the end of the audio recording you hear those investigators say they don't believe him.
 
One of the investigators, a lieutenant from the Union County Sheriff's Office, showed the jurors pictures he took inside Houser's home. Some of the pictures showed rooms in the house, some showed a hole in a wall and others showed Houser's hands.
 
The lieutenant testified that Houser said he punched the wall because he was frustrated with a 911 operator who had a hard time understanding his location. The investigator told jurors they found two pieces of blonde hair in the sheetrock in the wall.
 
During cross examination Houser's attorney focused on how cooperative his client was with investigators and asked the lieutenant if blood or tissue were found in the sheetrock. The investigator testified, "No."
 
The defense attorney also focused on the fact that investigators can't know for sure when the hair ended up in the wall.
 
Thursday afternoon, jurors watched a video recording of Houser showing investigators what he said happened that night.
 
He said Kilah went to the bathroom but fell over and went limp.
 
The jurors also heard an audio recording as investigators walked through the home with Houser.
 
At the end, investigators told Houser they don't believe his story and that they think he lost his temper and hurt her.
 
In the recording, Houser denies that several times and said the conversation is done.
 
Before the two investigators leave you hear one say, "You're not man enough to step up and say you are sorry."
 
Before things wrapped up Thursday, the defense attorney once again tried to establish doubt.
 
He suggested that the blonde hair in the wall came from a pillow that brushed against the wall.

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