we wanted the jury to think that you're going to shoot your wife for this. >> reporter: the attorneys then went on the attack, characterizing the work of investigators as woefully shoddy. >> inconsistent, incompetent, incomplete -- >> reporter: the new deficit thrust was on what investigators did not do. the state criminalist had to ad mist they did not test for gunshot residue on seth techel. >> how many times did you testify that gunshot residue was evidence of the crime? >> a lot. >> but in this case, we can't argue because we don't have it. >> yeah. exactly. we'll never know. >> never know. >> reporter: and the defense said it was even more shocking that the state expert had to make a similar admission about the fatal shotgun shell. >> this is the shell that killed lisa techel. >> yes. >> the very shell that killed this woman was never examined by