Kendu Petties murder trial: Criminalist says shell casings, bullets came from one gun

CEDAR RAPIDS - A criminalist testified Wednesday the 11 shell casings and bullets found at a southeast Cedar Rapids home after two people were fatally shot in 2014 came from the same gun and are consistent with those that would come from a .40 caliber Glock pistol.

Victor Murillo, a criminalist with the Iowa Division of Investigation, took the stand during Day 4 of testimony in the Kendu Petties murder trial in Linn County District Court. He said since law enforcement didn't recover the weapon that killed Sierrah Simmons, 20, and Quintrell Perkins, 22, on April 2, 2014, he could only determine the markings were consistent with being fired from a Glock.

Petties, 33, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. He is accused of fatally shooting Perkins and Simmons while they were baby-sitting in the home of Perkins' father at 1708 Fourth Ave. SE.

According to testimony, which started last Thursday, Petties allegedly fired 11 times at the house. Perkins and Simmons were not the targets. They happened to be at the house with two other people and two children. None of the others in the house were harmed.

The defense claims Petties wasn't the shooter that night. Petties' defense attorney says it's another man, who testified against Petties and is not charged in the case.

The prosecution continues its case at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Murillo said most Glocks can hold 10 rounds of ammunition and one bullet could also be in the chamber to allow someone to fire 11 times. Bigger Glocks carry 15 rounds, so either type of gun could have been used in this case.

Murillo demonstrated for the jury how cartridges are ejected from a Glock after it's fired.

The jury saw photos and a video taken by police investigators to show where they found cartridges on the east side of the house.

Murillo used dummy cartridges, not live rounds, in the magazine in the demonstration. He explained that a .40 caliber Glock is a semi-automatic weapon, so the shooter has to pull the trigger and fire, release it, and then pull it again each time the gun is fired.

He said the casings are usually ejected out on the right side and how far they land on the ground from the shooter varies with how the gun is held - in a side position or upright. Some are ejected a few inches or more and some he has seen are ejected up to 12-15 feet.

Sara Smith, Petties' lawyer, on cross examination showed Murillo a photo of Bruce Williams, a witness who testified Petties was the shooter, with a gun on social media and asked if he was holding a Glock pistol.

Murillo said he couldn't determine what type of gun it was. He could only say the muzzle looks similar to a Glock.

In earlier testimony, John McDaniel, Cedar Rapids police crime scene investigator, explained how investigators used trajectory laser rods to track direction and path of the two bullets that struck Simmons and Perkins, and also the other nine that went through a sofa and the west wall of the home.

McDaniel said there were five bullets that went through a window, one through a window frame and five through siding. Only one bullet wasn't recovered.

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