DURHAM, N.C. — Though tedious, time-consuming, even sleep-inspiring, the testimony that launched the fourth week of Michael Peterson's murder trial was important for prosecutors laying a foundation for the pathologists and blood spatter experts who will provide the core of their case against the novelist.

Police crime scene technician Dan George spent his second full day on the stand identifying items of evidence he and his colleagues collected on Dec. 9, 2001, and the following day. Police were sent to the Peterson home in the woodsy neighborhood of Forest Hills after Michael Peterson called 911 to report that his wife had fallen down the stairs. Prosecutors say it was murder.

George has been one of their strongest witnesses so far in the trial. He told jurors about collecting clothing, watches, blood, hair, computers, wine glasses, shoes and other items from the Peterson home. Identifying these items is important because witnesses who will come later will use the items, particularly the blood and hair, to draw conclusions about what really occurred in the narrow, dimly lit stairwell where Kathleen Peterson was found dead.

Under cross-examination, George admitted that he didn't seize three blood-soaked towels found under the victim's head or a telephone with an apparent blood stain on it. The defense had just begun its questioning of George when court adjourned for the afternoon, but it is clear that Peterson's lawyers will use his testimony to bolster their theme that the scene was so contaminated by police lapses that any blood spatter interpretation would be questionable.

Lead defense lawyer David Rudolf wasted little time Monday dealing with George's testimony Friday that Michael Peterson ran through his kitchen, knelt and then sat next to his wife's body before any police officer could stop him.

In his initial report that morning, George mentioned only that men — who he later learned were Peterson and his adult son, Todd — were walking around the body and touched it. Only in a full, typewritten report finished months later did George make any mention of Michael Peterson running through the kitchen.

The defense has claimed that police did nothing to stop Michael and Todd Peterson from caressing Kathleen Peterson's body because police, at least at the time, thought she had died from a fall. George's testimony, however, made it seem as if police would have stopped anyone from touching the body if they'd had more time and knew exactly what they were dealing with sooner.

Rudolf argued, through his questions, that George and other crime scene technicians had plenty of time to decide which items were relevant and to collect them for analysis.

"You just decided that the towels didn't have any relevance?" Rudolf asked in an incredulous tone.

"You could say that ... It was a decision I made," George said.

Of the many items introduced Monday, prosecutor Jim Hardin Jr. only had George show the jury a few up close. He passed by the jury box with two pairs of socks found near the body, as well as a pair of blue jeans and a gray T-shirt Todd Peterson was wearing the night of the death.

According to the defense, Todd Peterson had just arrived home from a party at the same time as a paramedic unit and firefighters. The younger of Michael Peterson's two sons had to physically pry his father from the body, then caressed Kathleen Peterson himself, police witnesses testified.

When jurors were shown the blue jeans and shirt, there were no obvious blood stains. George was not asked any questions about stains on the clothes, so it was unclear whether Hardin was trying to set up an argument that, because the blood on Michael Peterson was already dry, he did not transfer much to his son's clothes.

Prosecutors contend that, because several witnesses noticed that blood on Michael Peterson appeared to be dry soon after he called 911, he must have waited some time to summon help.

Testimony resumes at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Court TV is broadcasting the trial live.