Second weapon revealed in deaths
The discovery of a possible second murder weapon, a Humvee knife found at the scene where four members of a Kirkland family were killed last year, figured in a pretrial hearing Friday in the case against Conner M. Schierman.
The trial, at one time scheduled for this month, is now set for mid-May.
The case involves the stabbing deaths of four members of the Leonid Milkin family - his wife, his two children, and his sister-in-law - on July 17, 2006. It is believed the killer then set fire to their Rose Hill-area home.
Schierman lived in a duplex across the street and is accused in the slayings and the fire.
In court on Friday, the knife was never mentioned specifically, but was referred to as “the item of evidence” - even by King County Superior Court Judge Gregory Canova.
Court filings show Milkin found the knife about six weeks after the deaths.
“On Sept. 6, 2006, after the crime scene had been completely processed by the state and released to Leonid Milkin, a folding knife with apparent fire damage was allegedly found by Mr. Milkin in the fire debris,” Schierman’s attorneys said in a court filing this month.
The knife was turned over to Kirkland police.
On Nov. 1, Canova granted access to the knife to an expert representing the defense.
The issue before Canova on Friday concerned who else should have access, and whether the identities of such experts should be given to prosecutors. The defense worries that if prosecutors know who examines the knife, they’ll be able to figure out defense strategy.
Canova ruled on Friday that an edited log of such examinations should be provided.
The discovery of the knife has raised several questions, including how it was discovered, what relevance it might have in the trial and even whether it would be admitted as evidence. None of these questions has been addressed in court.
When Schierman was charged with four counts of aggravated first-degree murder in the summer of 2006, court filings referred to a hunting knife found at the scene; the Humvee-brand knife is a different item.
This week, prosecutors said they couldn’t discuss the knife or any evidence in the case. Kirkland police referred questions to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Milkin also declined to comment about the knife.
The defense was less reticent. James Conroy, an attorney representing Schierman, said discovery of the knife was “relatively astounding, as you might imagine” and “particularly troubling” because of when it was found - about two hours after the murder scene was released to the Milkin family.
Before the site was released by police, dozens of investigators went over it for weeks, Conroy said, but the knife apparently wasn’t found.
Conroy said the knife is about 9 inches, with a handle and a folding blade; it was unfolded when found.
Canova on Friday granted a defense motion for a new trial date. In doing so, he cited the “incredible complexity” of the case and noted that the state already has produced some 6,927 pages of documents and other materials.
Pretrial hearings are scheduled for May 5, followed by jury selection May 16. The trial itself is to start May 19.
Much of Friday’s court session concerned DNA analysis being done by a California lab. Canova concluded the analysis could take as long as four months.
The judge said he had little choice but to continue the case to allow Schierman’s attorneys “full opportunity” to prepare for trial.
Canova denied a defense motion to dismiss the charges on the basis of delays in obtaining information.
Milkin, who attended the hearing with family members, wasn’t pleased with the continuance or with the defense’s efforts to win a dismissal.
“It’s shameful that they wanted to dismiss the case,” Milkin said.
Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com