Jurors view two knives and autopsy photos as Worcester restaurant murder trial continues

WORCESTER, Mass. — It was day 2 of the trial for the man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in the middle of a crowded Worcester restaurant. A clean-shaven Carlos Asencio was back in the courtroom Tuesday as jurors saw evidence of what he allegedly brought with him to the restaurant that night.

Jurors began their day visiting key locations in this case, including O’Connors Restaurant in Worcester, where the murder happened in July 2019, and the home of the victim, Amanda Dabrowski’s family in Webster. By late morning everyone was back in court and saw a lot of evidence from that night and heard from some of the medical professionals who treated her.

“She was unwell. There was a lot of blood,” said Worcester paramedic, Evan Gurska.

Gurska recalled how he found Amanda Dabrowski when he responded to the call at O’Connor’s.

“I noted that she had some puncture wounds, mainly a large one in front of her neck and shoulder,” Gurska said.

As we learned on day one of the trial, prosecutors say Amanda suffered 58 stab wounds in an attack that lasted 55 seconds.

The prosecution then laid out several pieces of evidence, sneakers they found at the scene, a cap they say Asencio was wearing as well as contents of a white bag Asencio allegedly brought to the restaurant, including four cell phones, notes to his parents, and ID’s including a U.S. passport bearing his name.

Then jurors saw two knives found near Amanda’s body after the attack, along with a pair of scissors.

The prosecution says Asencio murdered Amanda, his ex-girlfriend out of revenge. They dated for three months before Amanda broke it off.

His defense is arguing Asencio suffered from mental illness and has only questioned witnesses that could speak to his alleged mental state. One witness, a woman who was homeless around the time of the murder in 2019, testified Asencio told her he was schizophrenic just days before Amanda was murdered. That woman had only met Asencio days earlier when he too claimed to be homeless in the Worcester area.

In the afternoon, a state medical examiner who performed Amanda’s autopsy walked the jury through autopsy photos. Photos of the wounds were not shown in open court, only to the jury.

“She had 58 sharp force injuries that were big enough that I gave them a label,” said Dr. Christina Stanley of the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

But her testimony was interrupted. One of the jurors said, for personal reasons, said he could no longer continue with the trial.

He was excused and the judge will replace him with an alternate. So, Stanley’s testimony will resume Wednesday morning.

Amanda’s father, Ed Dabrowski, is likely to take the stand tomorrow as well.

Previous coverage:

25 Investigates: man accused of murdering woman at Worcester restaurant seeking insanity defense

25 Investigates: Trial date set for the murder of Amanda Dabrowski

25 Investigates: Family of woman murdered in Worcester settles suit against her former employer

Justice and answers on hold for parents of woman murdered at popular Worcester restaurant a year ago

Woman stabbed inside Worcester restaurant has died; N.H. man charged with murder

Man accused of killing woman at restaurant allegedly attacked her at home in April

Man accused of murdering ex-girlfriend may have been tracking her location

Man accused of killing ex-girlfriend fled, re-entered US before alleged murder