PITTSBURGH,None — An Allegheny County prosecutor trying a Braddock man for the death of his 23-month-old daughter brought jurors to tears Friday by showing them photographs of tiny footprints and handprints the child left in the snow just before she died.
Prosecutors claim Nyia Page's father, William Page, 26, left his daughter outside to die in freezing weather in February 2007. The girl's body was found in a wooded area about four blocks from the family's home.
The photos showed Nyia's handprints on a slope which, prosecutor Mark Tranquilli said, showed the child was trying to find her way out the woods.
"She was trying to get up to civilization," he said.
The photos were too much for Nyia's mother and family to handle. They hurried out of the courtroom when Tranquilli showed the photos to jurors.
Police said the child was wearing only a sweater and a diaper and that tiny footprints in the snow suggest the girl walked around before she died.
Police on Thursday testified they also found blood-stained underwear, a Terrible Towel and a blood-stained child's shirt in the home's basement, an area which, police said, Page referred to as his dungeon.
Earlier Friday, FBI agents testified that Page implicated other family members in the girl's disappearance. He also told them he believed the bloody clothing was related to Nyia's disappearance.
The agents testified that when they interviewed Page, Nyia was only considered missing and that Page remained calm and didn't cry.
Page's attorney objected to the agents' testimony, insisting they did not include everything Page said and that Page was, in fact, concerned about Nyia's disappearance.
According to police, Page confessed to killing his daughter early on in the investigation. However, Page's attorney said the confession was coerced. The defense argued that Page had been isolated and repeatedly interrogated and was worried about the girl.
Police also have testified they found no evidence that Nyia had wandered out of her home. Police said they, instead, found a claw hammer and a man's boot prints in the snow outside the home.
Police said Page told them he used the hammer to explore abandoned homes. Police also said Page became nervous and agitated when questioned.
Page is charged with criminal homicide, kidnapping, aggravated indecent assault, making false reports, and corruption of minors. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
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On Wednesday, the first day of testimony, jurors heard the frantic 911 call. Nyia Page's mother can be heard sobbing as she tells a 911 operator that her daughter is missing.
Page's grandmother collapsed in the courthouse Wednesday, suffering from some sort of seizure, Channel 11 News reporter Renee Kaminski said. She was taken out of the courthouse on a stretcher. There is no word on her condition.
The trial began after a judge rejected claims by Page's attorneys that he's mentally disabled.
Previous Stories: March 10, 2010: Jurors Hear Mother's Frantic 911 Call In Braddock Toddler Death Trial February 12, 2010: Judge Ruling On Death Penalty In Death Of Braddock Girl May 5, 2008: Trial Delayed For Dad Accused In 2-Year-Old's Death February 9, 2007: Family, Friends Gather To Remember Braddock Toddler February 8, 2007: Father Charged With Braddock Toddler's Death February 6, 2007: Braddock Girl's Death Ruled Homicide February 4, 2007: Missing Braddock Toddler's Body Found
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