Testimony was heard by those who were collecting evidence after the fatal 2012 shooting in town.
In the hours and days after an attendant was shot at a Phillipsburg gas station, investigators scoured the scene and the surrounding neighborhood looking for clues that could lead them to the killer.
Tuesday was the second day of testimony in the trial of Andy Torres. The 26-year-old from Allentown is accused of fatally shooting 47-year-old attendant Kismathdas Kasam during a robbery about midnight on Jan. 5, 2012, at the BP gas station on Phillipsburg's South Main Street.
In the first two days, jurors heard from witnesses who either heard the gunshot or came across the scene and dialed 911.
MORE: Witnesses recall hearing fatal gunshot
Over the course of the second day, testimony began to delve into the crime scene itself and the ensuing investigation.
Detective Teddy Garcia and Lt. John Serafin from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office described how evidence was marked. Photographs of shotgun pellets and blood spatter were shown to the jury.
Jurors also saw a photograph of EMTs treating the wounded Kasam, who was on the ground in a pool of blood with bandages on his leg.
Phillipsburg police Lt. Michael Swick said the incident was quickly suspected to be a robbery attempt, and several patrolmen were sent to canvas the area to look for potential witnesses.
Swick said he went to what was then Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg to check on Kasam's condition. A doctor there told him Kasam had lost a lot of blood.
"They were doing everything they could for him at that point," he said. Kasam was pronounced dead two days later.
Phillipsburg police on Jan. 5, 2012, released this composite sketch of a shooting suspect. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)In officers' canvassing efforts, they found two people, Phillipsburg residents William Flanagan and Sandra Cresler, who told police they heard a gunshot and had seen two men running away. Swick said he arranged for a Pennsylvania State Police sketch artist to draw up Cresler's description.
The sketch, which does not resemble Torres, was brought up in earlier testimony. Defense attorney Michael Priarone has said he intends to show Torres was not at the scene, suggesting one of his co-defendants was the gunman.
MORE: Police sketch comes into play in homicide trial
Arrested at the same time as Torres were Zachary and Alexis Flowers, of Allentown, and David Beagell, of Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. All pleaded guilty to lesser charges in exchange for their testimony, but Zachary Flowers' plea was revoked this month when he refused.
Swick said his investigation continued by seeking video from the gas station and other nearby businesses. The gas station's video system had not worked for a month, he said, and other recordings were not informative.
When authorities returned to the gas station two days later, they found that phone lines in the rear of the building had been cut.
Swick's testimony will continue Wednesday morning.
With 30 to 40 potential witnesses to be called, the trial is expected to last about a month.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.