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Informed, yes. >> reporter: the defense even questioned the detective's account of checking out adkins' car door. >> is there anywhere in that report where you state, "i went out to the car, i inspected the car, i sat in the car, i opened door?" is that anywhere in report? >> no, it's not. >> reporter: just as questionable, said the defense, was the prosecution's possible murder weapon, that now long lost pool cue. they argued there was nothing linking it to any crime. >> you sent them off to have them test the material that was found on the stick, and you became aware it was not blood, negati...

>> reporter: adkin's defense attorney neil mcelroy couldn't agree more. >> my first instinct when i got the case was, "it's a 1982 case, there must've been a dna hit. something has been discovered, some dna match." and of course, there was nothing. >> reporter: a point he emphasized in his opening argument at russell adkins' trial. >> law enforcement lost or destroyed several pieces of evidence. >> reporter: neil mcelroy and his partner, ronnie wingate, drilled into the prosecution witnesses, challenging their 30-year-old memories. >> but you didn't remember where it was found? >> no, i couldn...

Them test the material that was found on the stick, and you became aware it was not blood, negative for blood? >> negative for blood. >> negative for hair. >> yes. >> reporter: and there was nothing linking the pool cue to russell adkins either. zip. >> you can't tell this jury that that pool cue came from russ adkins' vehicle on september 5th of 1982, can you? >> no sir, i can not. >> reporter: what's more, it wasn't just that there was no evidence linking russell adkins to the murder. the defense pointed out the only forensic evidence investigators uncovered excluded him after the second aut...

Is gone, is that correct? >> that's what i've been informed, yes. >> reporter: the defense even questioned the detective's account of checking out adkins' car door. >> is there anywhere in that report where you state, "i went out to the car, i inspected the car, i sat in the car, i opened door?" is that anywhere in report? >> no, it's not. >> reporter: just as questionable, said the defense, was the prosecution's possible murder weapon, that now long lost pool cue. they argued there was nothing linking it to any crime. >> you sent them off to have

And the funny thing about that is that a end of a pool cue was found where you said you kind of went to look for a phone. >> for you to say that there was a pool cue down there that -- no, i ain't going for that. no, i didn't do that. she fell out of my car. >> do you know that, in fact, was the pool cue that he carried >> we can't say 100%, but circumstantial evidence and coincidence is he goes down to that location, turns around, and, in a field, nearby, a pool cue just happens to show up. >> reporter: so, nearly 34 years on had the prosecution painted a clear enough picture for the jury of ...