Jurors return to a chilly courtroom

After a 15-minute break, the prosecution has called its fourth witness of the day: Citrus Detective James Holder, who will once again testify about his investigation of the crime scene.

Jessica's grandmother, Ruth Lunsford, who is in the courtroom with her husband, Archie, has a pink bedspread draped over her legs to keep warm. The courtroom is chilly, just like Circuit Judge Ric Howard likes it.

Most jurors are wearing jackets or sweaters. Outside it's hot and humid.

-Eddy Ramirez

A stained mattress and a coloring book

John Couey is coloring on a book as a forensic specialist testifies that she helped analyze a yellowed mattress that was removed from his home after Jessica's murder.

The mattress, which the prosecution has argued had Couey's semen and Jessica's blood, is standing upright in the courtroom, just feet from the jury box.

Couey's attorney Daniel Lewan has been objecting vigorously to the prosecutor's line of questioning.

Howard has overruled most of the objections, but the prosecutor seems ticked off. His face is red and he sounds irritated.

-Eddy Ramirez

Biohazard evidence

A prosecutor just cut opened a bulky brown bag, donned on latex gloves and pulled out two green pillows with blood stains that a detective on the stand said he removed from Couey's bedroom after Jessica's murder.

Now the prosecutor is opening a second bag with another stained pillow, this one a light blue.

The bags were marked with orange tags that said "Biohazard."

Some jurors batted their eyes.

-Eddy Ramirez

Lost in translation

Juror No. 871 told the judge that a hotel worker approached her Thursday night at the hotel and told her in Spanish: "If he did it, he did it," though she couldn't recall the worker's exact words.

The hotel worker was presumably referring to John Couey and his role in Jessica's murder.

"Oh my God, I actually feel bad," the juror said when Circuit Judge Ric Howard pressed her on the witness stand to recount the incident.

Howard tried to reassure the woman that she had done nothing wrong. After all, she had reported the incident to a Citrus bailiff, he said.

But Couey's attorney Daniel Lewan called for a mistrial, arguing that the statement by the hotel worker would influence the juror's decision of the case down the road. "It's totally inappropriate to move on," Lewan said.

Howard denied the motion, after the juror, a Hispanic woman, said that she could continue to be a fair and impartial member of the jury. No other jurors said they heard the hotel worker's remarks.

-Eddy Ramirez

Here we go

It's the second day of testimony in the murder trial of John Couey.

In a few minutes, the prosecution is expected to present physical evidence to jurors linking Couey to the rape and murder of Jessica Lunsford. Jessica's blood and Couey's semen found on his mattress will be the highlight.

The Lunsford family is seated in the front rows.

Couey, wearing a dark suit and looking tired, is also in the courtroom.

Check out today's stories to learn about the first day of the murder trial. John Frank wrote about the testimony and evidence presented in the case and Michael Kruse had an analysis of he opening statements from the defense and the prosecution.

-Eddy Ramirez