By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A forensic expert testified that the death of a woman allegedly strangled by her date at his Chinatown apartment could have been caused by several factors, reinforcing the accused killer's claim that the death was not intentional.
Dr. Charles Wetli, a former medical examiner, said Monday that asphyxiation was "not the main mechanism" that killed Lorna Santiago, the 24-year-old date of Michael Lenahan, 28, who is accused of killing her after taking her to dinner and to Rick's Cabaret for lap dances.
Her death could have been caused by a variety of issues related to the choking, includinga cut-off air supply and a condition called Vagus nerve stimulation, Wetli testified.
He also said Santiago could have died in a matter of 30 seconds.
Lenahan's attorney has argued that the now 28-year-old aspiring artist did not mean to kill her when he put her in a choke hold, only to briefly restrain her as she fought with him.
The trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, with testimony from two detectives.
