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Juror's hear autopsy details in mauling trial

Posted at 6:36 PM, Jun 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-07 18:36:28-04

The trial continues for the owner of several dogs who attacked, dragged, and mauled a little boy last December.

Geneke Lyons is on trial for a list of crimes - including Second Degree Murder - for the death of 4-year-old Xavier Strickland.

Tuesday, jurors heard horrific testimony about the boy’s autopsy.

Dr. Leigh Hlavaty, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for Wayne County, took the stand to discuss the autopsy findings. She told the court about all of the gruesome injuries the boy suffered when he was brutally mauled by the pack of dogs.

“External examination indicate Xavier had extensive injuries - specifically there were 90 puncture wounds and at least 378 abrasions that were on the head, neck, torso, that were on the extremities,” said Dr Hlavaty.  “There were also a number of puncture abrasions, that are pinprick sized abrasions. There were too many of those for me to count.”

Dr. Hlavtay was one of the last witnesses called for the prosecution. Tuesday afternoon, jurors heard from more investigators and friends of Lyons, called by the defense.

Xavier was walking with his mother along Bayliss on Detroit’s west side one day in December, when he was torn away from his mom by the dogs, owned by Lyons.

Xavier was then dragged to Lyons' home and mauled by the dogs. Jurors watched surveillance video of the attack.

A boy who knew Lyons, also took the stand. He said other unidentified neighborhood boys would often throw rocks at the animals months before Xavier's death.

Lyons' trial resumes Wednesday morning.