Jurors were back in their seats today for Day 19 of the sprawling trial over the 2015 killing of Allison Feldman, with the spotlight once again on the DNA trail that led investigators to a suspect. The defendant, 42-year-old Ian Mitcham, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree burglary and sexual assault in the Scottsdale case. Much of the legal back-and-forth keeps zeroing in on a familiar question: whether police lawfully analyzed DNA from a 2015 DUI blood vial, and what that means for everything that followed.
Supreme Court Ruling Still Looms Over DNA Battle
In December, Arizona’s highest court concluded that police carried out a warrantless search when they sequenced DNA from a second vial of Mitcham’s 2015 DUI blood draw. The justices nevertheless allowed the evidence in, ruling that the “inevitable discovery” doctrine applied and reversing a lower court’s decision to suppress it. According to the Arizona Supreme Court, investigators had already launched a familial-DNA investigation that linked a prison inmate to the crime-scene profile, setting off the chain of events that ultimately pointed to Mitcham.
Prosecutors Lay Out Their Forensic Timeline
Prosecutors told jurors this week that detectives conducted a familial-DNA search and eventually matched the crime-scene profile to genetic material they say traces back to Mitcham. He was later arrested after officers tested preserved blood from his 2015 DUI case. As ABC15 has reported, jury selection started in late October 2025 and opening statements followed in November, setting the stage for the lengthy trial now unfolding.
Day 19: Focus Back on the DUI Blood Vial
Tuesday’s testimony zeroed in on the step prosecutors say moved the investigation from stalled to active: police used a 2015 blood vial to generate a DNA profile without first seeking a new warrant, a decision that witnesses walked jurors through in detail. According to 12News, courtroom video and documents shown to the panel outlined how a familial match to an incarcerated relative prompted detectives to revisit and test the preserved evidence.
Jurors Rehear Bleach Odor, Violent Scene Details
Witnesses again described the grim scene officers encountered in February 2015, including strong bleach smells and the injuries Feldman suffered, as firefighters and neighbors took the stand. Local coverage has closely tracked that testimony and the forensic exhibits prosecutors argue support the DNA narrative; earlier recaps are detailed by AZFamily.
Legal Stakes and What Jurors Are Allowed to Consider
The central legal dispute at this phase is not whether police analyzed stored blood without a warrant. The Arizona Supreme Court has already labeled that a search and still allowed the results under inevitable discovery. Instead, jurors are being asked to decide how much weight to give that DNA in light of the high court’s conclusion that the evidence would have been obtained through lawful means anyway. The Arizona Supreme Court opinion remains the anchor for both sides as the defense keeps probing the investigation’s every step…