US News

SI SLAY DEFENSE SNOWED UNDER

An NYPD detective yesterday testified there were no footprints in the fresh snow outside the home of a Staten Island widow on trial for shooting her fire-marshal husband to death, poking holes in a defense theory pointing to an intruder.

Crime Scene Unit Detective Charles Reiss said he found no sign of forced entry into the house where Doug Mercereau was found dead in bed or that anyone went near the house the morning of Dec. 2, 2007.

“There were no footprints,” Reiss said flatly.

Janet Mercereau’s lawyer, Joseph Benfante, had argued the murder occurred while his client was shopping.