Co-worker, experts talk in Dawson trial

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -  

Two men who were at one time person of interest in the murder of Julia Dawson testified Monday, as Tim Dawson's trial entered its second week.

Bruce Sweers is alleged to have told a woman at the Sparta Pub in January 2005 that he killed Julia. Sweers denied tht, and said he didn't even know her.

The woman who made that allegation admitted she was drunk and could have heard him wrong.

A co-worker of Julia's at Kalfact Plastic, Jamie Bolthouse, testified that though he and Julia were friends, they were never romantically involved.

His parents testified about his whereabouts the night Julia went missing. A police investigation cleared both Bolthouse and Sweers.

The first four witnesses of the day were forensic scientists who evaluated the evidence collected in their investigation of the murder of Julia Dawson four years ago.

One focus was some paint found on Julia's foot, and one of the experts said the paint could be paint from a road.

Another expert tested a black stocking cap and water bottles found in her van, and compared them to the DNA of Julia and Tim Dawson, and Jamie Bolthouse, who was a co-worker and a one-time person of interest in the case. Those tests ruled out Bolthouse as a source.

There were two unidentified male donors, but the forensic expert said she never did any tests to compare the sources to the Dawson children.

24 Hour News 8 will continue to follow this trial and have updates as they happen.