Michael Nealon

Michael Nealon testified for the prosecution on Day 34 about evidence recovered from the boat at 67 Franklin Street in Watertown. An FBI special agent who served as the seizing agent and helped with the photo log and evidence recovery, he identified two carved wooden slats using photographs and the physical items. Government Exhibit 829, containing the slats, was admitted without objection.

On direct examination by Nadine Pellegrini, Nealon read the inscription as "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop" and explained the arrows directing its reading order. He did not identify its author. He described white powder highlighting the carvings, which he thought might be fire-extinguisher discharge. He did not recall witnessing removal of the slats but remembered their packaging. Although he affirmed their condition, he acknowledged that some powder may have been lost during transport.

On cross-examination by Timothy G. Watkins, Nealon described a search lasting about a week and evidence recovery from several neighboring properties. He qualified his knowledge of particular stains, confirmed swabbing elsewhere on the boat, and said he did not know the blood-test results or whose blood was involved. He recalled a bullet fragment embedded at least partially in the engine block but did not confirm full penetration. The court permitted questioning about Total Station location documentation and allowed his lack-of-knowledge answer about blood results to stand. It sustained objections to questions about finding a gun or ammunition; Nealon gave no answers to those excluded questions.