Charles Severance on trial

Read WTOP's coverage of Charles Severance's trial for the slayings of prominent Alexandria residents Nancy Dunning, Ron Kirby and Ruthanne Lodato.

Charles Severance appears at his trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Monday November 02, 2015. Severance was found guilty of three murders in Alexandria. (Pool Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post)

3rd & 7 37yd

The clerk at the hotel where Severance stayed in Wheeling will testify that they talked about historical sites. King tells the jury that Severance was arrested at a library. Not the actions of a man on the run.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 4:15:30 PM
Defense ends with fact Severance never searched online for victims or for news about them. Never wrote about them. bit.ly/1LdRsxX

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 4:17:26 PM
Prosecutions 1st witness walked her dog in Lodato neighborhood daily. Saw Severance 3x before murder, recalls his vacant stare

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 4:39:07 PM
We're back from a lunch break. Before lunch, the defense questioned a witness about the bushiness of Severance's beard and the when she had seen a man who appeared similar to him before Lodato was fatally shot.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 6:02:55 PM
Dorcas Franco, who cared for Lodato's mother is called to testify,

by WTOP 10/8/2015 6:06:49 PM
Witness to Ruthanne Lodato's killing on stand. Describing hearing doorbell ring. 'And then I heard a noise and a scream.'

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 6:10:19 PM
Witness Dorcas 'Janet' Franco was very emotional & required a break recounting the Lodato murder pretrial. She's shaky but strong today

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 6:15:06 PM
Dorcas Franco is describing the man who shot she and Lodato including his hair, facial hair, and dress

by WTOP 10/8/2015 6:16:48 PM
She was shot in the arm and hospitalized after the attack.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 6:26:24 PM
Franco says Severance's eyes looked familiar in photo lineup but he had too much facial hair.

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 6:31:00 PM
Jury removed. Prosecution wants to ask Franco to ID shooter. Defense arguing against. Judge will rule after a few questions to Franco

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 6:43:21 PM
Franco becomes very emotional during her testimony. Crying, saying she doesn't want to think about what happened.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 6:48:55 PM
Franco gets emotional when defense asks if she's seen Severance's photo since. Says she doesn't want to see anything related. 'It's so sad.'

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 6:50:02 PM
Severance agrees to look at Dorcas Franco so she can ID him as the man who shot her.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 7:00:41 PM
Judge rules ID can be made. Instead of ordering Severance to look at witness, Severance complied to do so before jury returned

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:00:45 PM
Family & friends of Ruthanne Lodato are wearing pale blue pins with a music note on it. Lodato was a music teacher.

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:15:19 PM
Franco heard no conversation before shooting & ran into man in kitchen, moving fast. Defense trying to discredit ID - quick & under stress

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:30:55 PM
Defense pulls up another photo from the lineup which Franco had told detective was similar. Franco says she used hair length to guide sketch

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:50:25 PM
Dorcas Franco is answering questions about describing her shooter so a sketch artist could draw the sketch that was later released publicly. The artist used other photos to help determine the length of the hair and other features of her attacker. She felt the sketch was accurate.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 7:53:51 PM
Franco has trouble remembering which descriptive details she told which officer. Defense seemingly trying to show slightly different reports

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:56:20 PM
Defense 'You cant say thats the man who shot you?' 'Yes it is.' Says Severances eyes tell her something.

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 7:58:44 PM
Next witness: Susana Marquez takes stand. IDs Severance as man who ran stop sign in red car w rusty hood

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 8:05:38 PM
Susana Marquez says the driver of the speeding car had a long beard, hair

by WTOP 10/8/2015 8:06:42 PM
Marquez says after seeing suspect sketch on news she recognized man as driver who blew stop sign. Remembered car, called police

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 8:16:06 PM
Not sketch MT Marquez says after seeing Severance on TV she recognized man as driver who blew stop sign. Remembered car, called police

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 8:28:37 PM
Next witness: Lodato's neighbor Stephen Roberts testifies, Franco came to him for help. He called 911.

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 8:58:24 PM
Lodato family neighbor Stephen Roberts called police the day of the shooting, helped Ruthanne's 89-year-old mother walk away to his house

by WTOP 10/8/2015 8:58:34 PM
Ofcr Jonattan Lopez w @AlexandriaVAPD 1st respond Went jnto home w 3 officers. Found Lodato bleeding, moaning. Said she didnt know shooter

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 9:13:52 PM
Alexandria Officer Lopez didn't mention anything about the shooter having a beard in his written report.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 9:15:07 PM
Lopez describes a chaotic scene. He was called to the Lodato home for a report of a burglary. Saw Dorcas Franco run out the back of the house. She wouldn't stop moving, hard to get much information out of her in her panic.

by WTOP 10/8/2015 9:23:43 PM
First day of testimony ends in Fairfax court. Read our synopsis here bit.ly/1LdRsxX

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/8/2015 9:24:19 PM
Severance trial begins with emotional testimony from survivor
WTOPFAIRFAX, Va. – Prosecutors and defense attorneys for accused killer Charles Severance painted a picture of two very different men in their initial statements to a Fairfax County jury Thursday morning: one fueled by anger…

by WTOP 10/8/2015 10:50:17 PM
Day 2 of testimony in the Charles Severance #Alexandria triple murder trial underway. bit.ly/1LdRsxX

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 2:06:54 PM
First witness is Sgt Wilbur Salas w @AlexandriaVAPD who accompanied Ruthanne Lodato to Medstar Washington hospital in helicopter

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 2:10:56 PM
Prosecution asks upcoming graphic exhibits not be broadcast in gallery. Lodato family leaves courtroom, as they prepared to do

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 2:13:22 PM
Dr. Nikki Mourtzinos, dep medical examiner, says Lodato shot 2x. 'My radar went off immediately bc wound was quite small.' Shot elbow, chest

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 2:21:00 PM
The fatal shot's path injured Lodato's heart, aorta & Superior vena cava then injured her lung. Doctor: 'Injury was just too severe.'

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 2:45:56 PM
Forensic scientists found no DNA from Severance at Lodato or Kirby home. Explained how 'touch DNA' is hard to test for, get ID from

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 4:18:25 PM
Crime scene investigator saw an intact bullet on the kitchen floor of Lodato home & other bullet fragments @nbcwashington

by Julie Carey via twitter retweeted by ClohertyWTOP 10/9/2015 4:27:18 PM
Crime scene investigator Ofcr Patrick Lennon explains the evidence he found in the living room where Ruthanne Lodato collapsed from injuries

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 4:58:05 PM
Lennon: Lodato's front door was 'packaged & removed from the home.' Tested door frame for fingerprints on day of shooting. (Lunch break now)

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 5:00:58 PM
Lead detective in Lodato's murder Will Oakley w @AlexandriaVAPD takes stand. Bullet from her autopsy submitted as evidence

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 6:15:42 PM
Det.Oakley: 14 fingerprints pulled from home/door. 12 didnt match Severance. 2 couldnt be compared.
DNA under Lodatos nails matched husband

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 6:20:45 PM
Experts testify about evidence found in Ruthanne Lodato's home - Megan Cloherty, WTOP

by WTOP 10/9/2015 6:26:08 PM
Questions for Det Oakley now focusing on how he prepared photo spread including Severance presented to witness, Franco.

by Megan Cloherty via twitter 10/9/2015 6:36:41 PM

LiveBlog

Charles Severance on trial

Read WTOP's coverage of Charles Severance's trial for the slayings of prominent Alexandria residents Nancy Dunning, Ron Kirby and Ruthanne Lodato.

Severance trial begins with emotional testimony from survivor