Witness: Gunshot residue 'inconclusive' for Frazer woman charged in husband's death

Closing arguments are scheduled Thursday morning in Allegheny County Court for a Frazer woman accused of killing her husband two years ago after they argued about money and her having burned a casserole.

Teresa Drum, 40, is charged with the Feb. 27, 2017, homicide of her husband, Dennis Drum Sr., and tampering with evidence. The non-jury trial started Monday morning before Judge Jill Rangos. The judge will render a verdict after hearing closing arguments by the defense and prosecution.

Drum did not testify in her defense, and her attorney called no other witnesses.

On Wednesday, Allegheny County firearms expert Jason Very testified Dennis Drum, then 42, was killed by a single shot from his own 9mm Ruger semiautomatic. Drum died in the couple’s Crawford Run Road house.

Prosecutors allege Teresa Drum took a photo of her dead husband, sent it to a friend on Facebook, showered and called 911 about 11 minutes after the shot was fired.

Gunshot residue testing on Dennis Drum showed tiny particles, mostly on the back of Drum’s left hand, but the same test was “inconclusive” for Teresa Drum, according to Dan Wolfe, a scientist with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Assistant District Attorneys Kevin Chernosky and Bill Petulla then rested their case.

Defense attorney Lisa Middleman cross-examined the prosecution’s witnesses but presented no witnesses.

Teresa Drum told Rangos that she decided not to testify.

“The commonwealth has the burden of proof. The defendant doesn’t have to testify,” Rangos said in a courtroom filled with attorneys, staff and Dennis Drum’s relatives.

Closing arguments are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Thursday in Rangos’ third-floor courtroom.