YOUNGSTOWN — One of the murder cases involving Lavontae Knight took another turn this week, as his lawyer told a judge he wants a cellphone expert to testify about whether a phone seized by police belonged to the defendant on the day of the murder.

Knight, 24, of Ferndale Avenue, is charged with murder, aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, attempted cocaine possession and a weapons charge in the Oct. 25, 2018, killing of Josh Donatelli, 26, at Donatelli’s home on Imperial Street.

At a brief evidence suppression hearing Thursday afternoon, defense attorney David Betras said he intends to file a motion today asking Common Pleas Judge John Durkin to allow an expert to study one of three phones seized by police at a Leo Avenue home on Jan. 14, 2019.

Dawn Cantalamessa, Mahoning County assistant prosecutor, said the phone is one of three seized from Knight. Betras, however, claims the phone at the time of the Donatelli murder belonged to his half-brother Edward Morris Jr.

Cantalamessa, though, said the number of the phone in question came up identified as “Slim” on the phone of Knight’s co-defendant George Guiterres, 29. “Slim” is Knight’s nickname, Cantalamessa said.

Betras claims prosecutors will try to link the phone to calls made to Gutierres, who pleaded guilty in December to reduced charges in the murder case. Gutierres is expected to testify when Knight goes on trial Feb. 10 in Durkin’s courtroom.

Durkin said he will make all decisions regarding evidence in one week.

Police say Knight, who was indicted in the Donatelli murder last April, is the half brother of Morris, 21, who was shot to death in an ambush-style killing Nov. 11, 2018, along with his girlfriend and their baby son.

Betras was successful in December in convincing Durkin to allow him to hire another expert witness for the Donatelli case.

Betras argued that because witness identification may play a key role in the case, he wanted an expert witness to possibly testify on cross-racial identification.

A 2012 study revealed “eyewitness identifications are particularly unreliable when the eyewitness is identifying a person of another race.” Psychology professor Margaret Bull Kovera was hired as the expert witness for the Feb. 10 trial. According to a website, Kovera regularly provides attorneys help about eyewitness identification.

Knight is also charged with the killing of Trevice Harris, 37, whose body was found Dec. 30, 2018, at Shell Gas Station, 3700 Market St.

gvogrin@tribtoday.com