Alleged Colorado killer Mark Redwine, 59, is on trial for the 2012 murder of his son Dylan Redwine, 13. Closing arguments begin Thursday.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Redwine was arrested in Washington in 2017 and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse, years after Dylan’s death. He has maintained his innocence but prosecutors say Redwine killed his son in a fit of rage over embarrassing photos.
In 2012, volunteer search teams and authorities began scouring the area around Redwine’s Durango, Colorado, home for months, in hopes of finding Dylan. The search proved to be difficult since Durango is at an elevation of 6,512 feet with steep canyons and mountains.
In June 2013, searchers found a few of Dylan’s bones, a part of his shirt, a sock, and his shoestring, in Vallecito, which is around five miles away from Durango. Searchers found his remains in an area difficult to get to, especially for a young boy or for someone who doesn’t know the area well.
Investigators also found Dylan’s blood inside Redwine’s residence, in several different locations. Cadaver dogs picked up death scents in the laundry room, living room, and kitchen.
The defense argued this week that the blood found was “infinitesimally small” and could have happened to anyone who lives in a house. Defense attorney John Moran added that dog-sniffing death scent techniques are “junk science.”
Moran argued that Dylan ran away from Redwine’s home and was likely killed by a mountain lion or bear. Prosecutor Fred Johnson said Dylan was found without his backpack or wallet, two things he would have taken if he ran away.
“An animal would have no interest in taking that,” Johnson said, referring to the boy’s belongings. “A stranger would have no interest.”
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[Feature Photo: Dylan Redwine/Handout; Mark Redwine/Police Handout]
