NASHUA, N.H. — Evidence introduced Monday against a New Hampshire man accused of hacking a woman to death with a machete then maiming her 11-year-old daughter included a sweatshirt that described him as “awesome” and the wallet of the woman’s husband.

State police found the sweatshirt, wallet and other items in the Nashua River near the home of a co-defendant charged in connection with the attacks on Kimberly Cates, 42, and her 11-year-old daughter Jaimie, Detective Steven Tarr told jurors.

Tarr held up a sweatshirt bearing Steven Spader’s full name and read additional writing on it: “This is Steve’s sweatshirt. Steve who is awesome.”

Spader’s murder trial entered its second week Monday. Spader, 18, Christopher Gribble and three others were charged in the Oct. 4, 2009, home invasion.

Tarr told jurors the items were found in a garbage bag retrieved from the river in Hollis. Two socks and a towel with Gribble’s name on them were among them, he said. Floating alongside the bag was a wallet with identification cards for David Cates, Kimberly’s Cates’ husband, who was traveling on business when his wife was killed and their daughter severely injured.

Tarr said he was led to the evidence by co-defendant Autumn Savoy. Savoy initially told police Spader and Gribble were at his Hollis house at the time of the attacks, but later decided to cooperate with police. He has pleaded guilty to two counts of hindering the investigation.

Savoy has testified that Gribble and Spader arrived at his house hours after the attacks and told him they had killed a mother and daughter. Later, Gribble drove him down a dirt path that led to the river and told him to throw the bag in, Savoy said.

 

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