Salt Found On Slain Fire Marshal's Gun Is

Product Used In Dishwasher Detergent

Staten Island Advance 4/30/09

The same type of salt found on the gun used to kill Supervising Fire Marshal Douglas Mercereau is among the ingredients in bleach cleansers and dishwasher detergent police recovered from the victim's Oakwood home one day after the shooting, a police criminalist told jurors today.

Four containers of bleach and a jug of Cascade dishwasher detergent lifted from the Tarring Street home Mercereau shared with his wife, Janet Redmond-Mercereau, and their two young daughters contained sodium chloride -- or salt, NYPD lab analyst Michael Dushenchuk testified.

Yesterday, former NYPD forensics scientist Kristen McDonald said white residue found on Mercereau's stainless Smith & Wesson 9 mm service pistol tested out as "common salt."

But Ms. McDonald noted that the source of the sodium chloride residue nor rust found on the gun's slide, behind the muzzle and in front of the trigger guard could be determined.

Prosecutors Yolanda Rudich and Adam Silberlight attempted to link the salty trail with Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau, claiming the former Tottenville High School teacher murdered her husband in his sleep then ran the gun through the dishwasher to wash away fingerprints.

-Reported by Jeff Harrell