Pemberton’s fingerprints found on condom in crime scene

US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton mugshot (Photo courtesy of Olongapo City Police)

MANILA — The fingerprints of US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton were found on one of the three condoms recovered from the Olongapo City motel room where Filipina transwoman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude was found dead October last year.

“It was the first time that we heard about the condoms found in the motel room,” Atty. Virgie Suarez said.

Suarez, legal counsel of the Laude family, said Jessica LeCroy — a  latent print examiner from the US Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory — shared said discovery during the trial at the Olongapo City Trial Court.

According to Suarez, “Based on the report of US NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) and as proven by these forensic experts, Pemberton’s fingerprints were present on one of the condoms.”

“LeCroy testified that Pemberton’s fingerprints were present on one of the three condoms found near the bathroom door,” Suarez said, as quoted in a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Both LeCroy and [Derek] Dorrien (a second expert witness) tested the condoms and they [discovered] that Pemberton’s fingerprints matched those on the condom wrapper,” Suarez added.

The lubricant found in the condom wrapper matched the lube found in Pemberton’s genitals and Laude’s anal area. However, two other condoms were recovered from the Celzon Lodge room in Olongapo and the DNA samples from both condoms did not match Pemberton’s DNA.