Det: flesh found in Corasanti's garage

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - An Amherst Police Detective says a small piece of what looked like human flesh was discovered in Dr. James Corasanti's garage hours after a crash that killed 18-year-old Alexandria Rice.

Det. Sgt. Michael Sliwa says the substance was found two feet from the front of the damaged car.

During cross examination, Sliwa agreed that some sizable component of Alix Rice hit the vehicle down low. Defense attorneys say biological material was found on the lower right front of the car, and they suggest that Rice may have been crouched down while riding her longboard along Heim Road last July.

Another Amherst Detective testified that he smelled human decomposition when asked to examine a rag that was picked from garbage in front of Corasanti's Getzville home.

Peter Crofut also says he discovered Corasanti's palm print on the hood of the doctor's damaged BMW. He says the print was found on top of biological material, indicating that it was done after Rice was hit.

Crofut told jurors that he noticed smearing and swirling in different directions on the right front bumper.

But during cross examination, defense attorney Tom Burton suggested that the biggest arch of the swirl was 45 degrees and not close to a full circle motion.

The defense pointed out that DNA test results of the rag fished out of the garbage came back with no correlation to anyone - not Corasanti, not Rice - and that further lab results found nothing that connects the front of the car to the rag.

The 56-year-old Corasanti faces manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with physical evidence charges. His attorneys insist that he was not drunk and did not realize he struck Rice while driving home from the Transit Valley Country Club last summer.

Prosecutors said Friday that they plan top rest their case early next week.