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Cell phone, inconsistent stories led to murder arrest

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 1:34 PM Monday, July 27, 2009

HAMILTON — A victim’s cellular phone and inconsistent stories led police to arrest a Lockland man last month for the October stabbing death of Alisa Traylor in Hamilton.

But Andy Gobran’s defense attorney says police have the wrong man.

“He did not have anything do with this murder,” said defense attorney David Washington Jr., following a preliminary hearing in Hamilton Municipal Court today, July 27. “Someone else killed this girl.”

Gobran, 28, of Hillside Avenue, is charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the stabbing death of 30-year-old Traylor. Traylor’s body was found Oct. 25 by children playing near Dumpsters in the area of Seventh Street and Pershing Avenue in the Fourth Ward.

Judge Dan Gattermeyer bound the case over to a Butler County grand jury for consideration after the hearing. He set bond for Gobran, a native of Sudan, at $1.5 million.

Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt testified Traylor was stabbed 27 times, one of which lacerated her jugular vein. He did not know how long the young mother had been dead before she was found.

Detective James Cifuentes testified Traylor’s purse, cell phone and jewelry was missing. Through phone records, detectives were able to trace Traylor’s phone to Gobran’s brother, Alex, who said his brother sold it to him.

Gobran initially told detectives he had purchased the cell phone while working in Loveland from a man who had a cut hand. Over the next few months detectives investigated, looking for the alleged suspect who sold the phone to Gobran.

Gobran initially denied knowing Traylor, but Cifuentes said the suspect contacted him last month after learning a search warrant had been issued to collect DNA in connection with the case.

The detective testified Gobran then admitted knowing Traylor, stating he lied because he picked up the woman as a prostitute and was embarrassed.

Cifuentes said Gobran then told them several versions of what happen to Traylor, ranging from him running way after hearing another person taunting Traylor to another man trying to rob him and Traylor stabbing him in the leg. The detective testified that Gobran said he pulled the knife out of his leg, threw it and hit Traylor in the side.

During cross examination by Washington, Cifuentes said the results of DNA taken from Gobran and of another person’s DNA found in Traylor’s mouth are not yet known, they are still be tested at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.

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