Trial for Megan McDonald's murder underway in Orange County

During the trial of Edward Holley, prosecutors are addressing the murder of Megan McDonald, who was killed in March 2003. Holley, her former boyfriend, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. The jury has seen photos of McDonald’s car, a white Mercury Sable, found near Holley's home. The car had multiple blood stains, including on the driver's seatbelt. Investigators confirmed that no usable fingerprints were found on the vehicle. A cigar butt in the ashtray contained DNA from both McDonald and a previous boyfriend, Paul Simpson. Witnesses, including a local man walking his dog, found the parked car suspicious. Prosecutors believe McDonald was murdered in the early hours of March 14, 2003. However, her body was discovered the next day in a field. The trial also examined phone records from that time, but details about their relevance were not clear. During her statements, prosecutor Laura Murphy described the severe injuries found on McDonald’s body and argued that Holley had provided false alibis. In response, Holley's defense attorney, Paul Weber, asked the jury to be critical of the evidence presented and claimed that police focused on Holley too late, ignoring other suspects. The trial is expected to last for several weeks.