The knife used in a stabbing that killed Osana Futi is believed to have belonged to the grandfather of a minor arrested in connection to the slain Newark student’s death.
That was one detail that surfaced during the start of Frank Gutierrez’s testimony at a preliminary examination held at the Fremont Hall of Justice Friday.
Abraham Ibrahim Hade, 18, of Fremont is in connection to Futi’s killing. He – along with three minors – . The minors were originally arrested on suspicion of being accessories to the homicide.
Hade in late May.
Gutierrez took the stand after defense attorney Thomas Knutsen continued to question Alexandra Reed, Futi’s friend who was the first witness to provide details about the night Futi was fatally stabbed.
Futi died around 1:20 a.m. on April 29 – about two hours after he was close to a home where a house party had been held near Hyde Park and Yellow Stone Park drives in Fremont.
On Friday, Reed reiterated details about before the stabbing and told Knutsen that she did not see any weapons or the actual stabbing. She also agreed with the defense attorney that Futi appeared to have been drinking and was intoxicated – a state she said she had seen Futi in before.
While being questioned about the identity of the person who stabbed Futi, Reed re-emphasized the suspect had soft facial features.
A person named “Abraham” was inside of Gutierrez’s home the morning after the fatal stabbing, according to statements made by Gutierrez’s statements in court while Deputy District Attorney Elgin Lowe questioned him.
Gutierrez said the person named Abraham came into his home with his grandson, another male and one female. They were friends of his grandson, he said, but Gutierrez said he wouldn’t be able to recognize their faces from their visits.
After looking at a photo, Gutierrez identified the knife authorities seized as evidence as the one he owned.
The morning after Futi was killed, Gutierrez said he noticed his knife was missing from where he normally stores it. When his grandson came into the home, Gutierrez said he noticed the knife was in his possession and immediately took it back.
When Lowe asked Gutierrez if he noticed anything different about the knife, Gutierrez replied that he believed he saw blood on it.
“It appeared to be blood. … It was very dark – a teardrop,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said he proceeded to call police because he assumed the mark on the knife was blood.
“And I was concerned that the knife was used to hurt someone,” Gutierrez said.
Authorities responded to the home, but Gutierrez said his grandson and his three friends had already left the house.
Before the evening recess was called, Lowe asked Gutierrez if he was worried about testifying and whether he was worried about retaliation because he had cooperated with law enforcement.
Gutierrez replied, “Somewhat.”
The preliminary examination will continue 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the Fremont Hall of Justice.
