Anthony B. Mertz said he was sure a jury would find him not guilty of murder, and right after the announcement of the verdict, Mertz would set the record straight for Shannon McNamara’s family and friends, a former cellmate of Mertz said Friday.

“He was going to stand up and tell them, ‘Yeah, I killed the bitch and got away with it,'” Michael D. Jordan, of rural Sullivan, testified in Coles County Circuit Court.

Also on the day the prosecution came close to finishing its case, the jury heard from a forensic scientist, a couple of Illinois State Police officers and Charleston officers.

Today, Jennifer Lu, an Illinois State Police DNA expert and the last expected witness for the prosecution, is scheduled to testify that blood found under McNamara’s fingernails was Mertz’s blood. Then the defense can begin to present its case.

Mertz is charged with first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and home invasion in the June 12, 2001 murder of McNamara. Both were Eastern students at the time.

Jordan, who is on probation for a robbery conviction, said he shared a cell with Mertz from January to March of last year. He testified Mertz said he tried to break into McNamara’s apartment with a credit card, but when that plan didn’t work, he used a box cutter and entered through a window.

Jordan said Mertz said such an entry “was quiet and an easy way to get in.”

Mertz said McNamara was screaming, so he stuffed a wash cloth in her mouth to make her “shut up,” Jordan testified. Mertz wore gloves, which he had access to at work, but one glove got torn during a struggle, Jordan said. He said he told police cuts he received came from a shot glass, Jordan said.

Jordan said he did not know what had been

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in newspapers or on television about Mertz’s case.

An expert witness Friday also testified human blood was identified on several items admitted into evidence.

Tabitha Marcacci, a forensic scientist with the Illinois State Police forensic science lab in Springfield, testified Friday she had found evidence of blood on items from McNamara’s apartment, Mertz’s apartment and a dumpster nearby Mertz’s apartment building.

Marcacci identified stains from a latex glove found at the scene, as well as a paper bag and kitchen knife found in a dumpster as human blood and said she forwarded the samples on to the lab’s DNA expert for further testing.

Swabs taken from McNamara’s leg and the bathroom floor of her apartment also were tested, and came back negative for semen, but positive for blood, Marcacci testified.

Blood also was identified on a pair of women’s underwear, as well as the handle of a boxcutter found in McNamara’s apartment and a shoebox taken from Mertz’s apartment.

The piece of latex glove, boxcutter handle, paper bag and knife, shoebox and the blood standards of Keith Laski and Mertz all were admitted into evidence over

defense objection Friday.

Rick Fisher, Lt. Chief of Detectives for the Charleston Police Department, testified mainly about how he accompanied Laski, McNamara’s boyfriend, to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System for sexual assault evidence testing. The defense did not cross examine Fisher.

Patrick Callaghan, of the Illinois State Police, testified he was present and observed when Mertz’s blood and hair samples were collected.

The items were put in a sealed box, Callaghan said. He said he believes such evidence usually is marked within the box but he does not remember if it was that night.

Jeff Marlow, also of the Illinois State Police, testified he was present and witnessed Brian Beavers’ blood and hair samples were taken in Springfield. He also delivered Laski’s samples to the lab.

Callaghan and Marlow also gave similar testimonies on their involvement in the investigation June 12, 2001.

The two men traveled the neighborhood, interviewing residents in the morning and interviewed Mertz at his job at Lantz Arena later that evening.

Their testimonies reiterated much of what already has been presented in the case.

They questioned Mertz on his whereabouts June 11 and the early hours of June 12, 2001, and commented on his demeanor during the interviews.

They said Mertz could not remember what he did after 2 a.m. June 12, 2001. Mertz’s last recollection of the night was he was watching a Batman DVD in Beavers’ apartment, Callaghan said. Mertz said he had drank to the point of blacking out before, but even if that had happened to him, he said he did not think he could have killed McNamara without knowing he had done it, Callaghan testified.

Marlow said “it wasn’t possible” to maintain eye contact with Mertz during the interview.

“He would look down. He had a problem looking at me whenever we talked,” Marlow said. “He looked at the floor most of the time.”

Callaghan said Mertz seemed relaxed. At times he’d make eye contact, but at other times, he would hide under his baseball cap, Callaghan said.

Callaghan also was shown Mertz’s Panther ID card, an Illinois ID card and a Capital One credit card, all of which he said were damaged and in the same condition as cards that have been used to break into a building.

Defense attorney Paula Phillips argued the marks on the Panther ID card did not look like damage from jimmying a door lock, but Callaghan disagreed.

“That type of damage is not something I’ve seen outside of police work,” he said, while also admitting he could not say for certain that it had ever been used to open a locked door.

The cards were admitted into evidence.

Callaghan also testified Mertz’s watch state had an unusual design.

“It drew my attention,” Callaghan said. “I have not seen one like it.”

Phillips questioned Callaghan’s opinion of the watch, asking if he really pays close attention to every watch. Callaghan said,” Some you may notice.” Phillips replied, “And some you may not.”

A witness Thursday testified a circular mark left on McNamara’s arm was likely made by a watch similar to the one Mertz owned.

Kevin Paddock, a case agent for the Charleston Police Department at the time of the murder, testified about items found and procedures of searching Mertz’s and Beavers’ apartments.

Paddock said nothing was posted on the doors during the searches on either apartment indicating the apartments were part of crime scene, but each location was secured by the building owner. He said he did not remember how entrance was gained to the apartments during the searches, but each door was locked following the search.

He said neither the first or second search of Mertz’s apartment revealed blood that could be seen with the naked eye.

Joe Siefferman, a Illinois State Police sergeant with crime scene services, said a knife and paper bag were found in the dumpster outside of McNamara’s apartment.

Siefferman testified both items had a “blood-like substance” after a field test was performed, picking up an acid-like substance common to all blood, human or otherwise.

Shauna Gustafson, senior writer, and John Chambers, Administration editor, contributed to this article.