Father defends daughter on trial

Amid testimony from witnesses ranging from DNA experts to police investigators to the defendant’s own father, the trial of teenage murder suspect Rachael Scarlett Mullenix continued throughout the week.

Prosecutors were still calling witnesses in their attempt to convince jurors that Mullenix was a lying manipulator who persuaded boyfriend Ian Allen to help her kill her mother, Barbara Mullenix.

Not all the prosecution’s witnesses cooperated in that aim. Bruce Mullenix, who was divorced from Barbara but let them both live in his Huntington Beach condo, told jurors last week that his slain ex-wife made threats and acted abusive when she’d had too much to drink.

“When she was drunk she would say things [to Rachael] like, ‘I’m going to go up to school and go to class and embarrass you,’” he said. “‘I’ll call up your friends and say things that humiliate and embarrass you.’ … You have to understand she was a completely different person when she was drunk.”

One of those threats, he said, was to get Rachael Mullenix’s 21-year-old boyfriend, Ian Allen, in trouble for having sex with a then-17-year-old.

“Barbara made threats to Rachael she was going to either try to charge Ian with having sex with a minor or get him in trouble because of the age difference,” he said.

That contrasts with what prosecutors said last Wednesday in opening statements. Deputy Dist. Atty. Sonia Balleste said the killing was hatched by Rachael Mullenix, who became furious when her mother grounded her for staying past curfew at Allen’s home and said the two could no longer date.

Balleste painted her as a scheming manipulator who got Allen to help her ferociously stab her mother to death and dump the body in Newport Bay.

In early testimony, Newport Beach police officers described their discovery of the body at the yacht club, covered in stab and slash wounds, as well as bags full of items linked to the victim in a nearby trash bin.

Prosecution and defense sparred over forensic evidence presented that afternoon by Orange County Sheriff’s crime lab scientist Mary Hong that showed Rachael Mullenix’s DNA on a sponge and pillow slips found in one of those bags, as well as a gun carried by Allen when the pair were arrested.

Cohn focused on where the DNA wasn’t: the knife.

“There was no match or contribution on the knife in the victim by Miss Rachael Mullenix, right?”

Correct, Hong replied.

But neither was anyone else’s DNA, except that of the victim, Balleste said.

“Would you be surprised if traces of the victim’s blood were in the handle, not visible to the naked eye?” she asked

“I would not be surprised,” Hong said.

At the same time, Bruce Mullenix, who was away on a business trip when his ex-wife was killed, maintained that his daughter was close to her mother and loved her.

“They had a very, very good relationship,” he said. “When Barbara was drunk and crazy and mean, then they didn’t. I didn’t have a good relationship with her either when she was like that. When Barbara wasn’t drinking, they were very, very close.”

But Balleste, apparently mindful that Bruce Mullenix had far worse things to say about his ex-wife than his daughter, pressed him on that emotional connection.

“It’s also true you continue to be extremely close to your daughter, correct?” she asked.

“Correct,” he replied.

“You wouldn’t want to see her in any trouble, it would be fair to say?” she continued.

At first overcome with emotion, Bruce Mullenix finally managed to choke out a “yes.”

Later, he denied his love for his daughter would cause him to lie.

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at michael.alexander@latimes. com.