Knife Penetrated Shaun Wild's Heart From 'Front To Back,' Pathologist Testifies

Caption: Witnesses have testified that Daniel Olaska has lost weight and shaved off his beard since this police booking photo was taken in February 2012.

A forensic pathologist with the DuPage County Coroner’s office took the witness stand on Friday where she described her examination of a young Naperville teacher’s body on the morning he had been stabbed to death in an apparent bar fight on Feb. 4 2012.

Dr. Mitra Kalelkar told jurors where Daniel Olaska, 30, is on trial for first-degree murder and attempted murder that Shaun Wild’s body showed two stab wounds several hours after his death at Frankie’s Blue Room in downtown Naperville.

Viewing the knife that Olaska used to allegedly stab Wild and two other men with in the bar, Kalelkar said the weapon was consistent with the stab wounds she saw on Wild the miorning she examined his body.

Showing autopsy photos to the jury, Kalelkar said that 3½- inch blade went through the chest wall, penetrated the left lung and completely perforated the heart.

“By ‘perforated’ you mean from front to back,” DuPage County prosecutor Bernie Murray asked.

“Yes,” Kalelkar said. “The stab wound caused massive bleeding into the chest cavity and the sack around the heart.”

She further said the shape of the wound indicated a lower end of a “very sharp, single-edge instrument.”

The forensic pathologist also said that Wild sustained a long, deep gash to his forearm, which she described as a defensive wound, but the wound to Wild’s chest was the fatal blow.

“He would have lost blood right away from the stab wound that went through the heart,” she said. “It was a forceful thrust.”

Kalelkar also testified that the defensive wound on Wild’s forearm showed a “saw toothed” pattern from the knife’s handle.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Kendall asked how the saw-toothed pattern on the knife handle could have appeared on the defensive wound “if covered by the hand holding the knife.”

“I don’t know how the knife was being held,” Kalelkar responded.

Kalelkar also discussed the toxicology reported she performed on Wild’s blood, which indicated he had a blood alcohol content of .071, below the legal limit. Wild had gone to Frankie’s Blue Room with a friend after attending an education fundraiser at North Central College.

Wild’s parents, Bruce and Jamie, left the courtroom while their son’s autopsy photos were shown, but Wild’s younger siblings, Shannon and Kevin remained during the pathologist’s testimony. Afterward, they told their parents “it wasn’t as bad as we expected.”

In other testimony, Jason Farrell, 27, said he was talking to two female friends at Frankie’s Blue Room, after coming from a birthday party at another bar.

Around 12:46 p.m. Feb. 4, 2012, the noise elevated on the dance floor and when he felt himself getting pushed from behind by a “group of people.”

Farrell said he turned around and saw “two men in grasp,” which he later learned were Olaska and Wild.

“The defendant had his left hand grasped on Shaun’s right’s wrist and was moving in a thrusting motion,” Farrell said. “After the initial arm thrust they broke apart and came together a second time.”

Farrell said he used his undershirt to wrap it around the gash on Wild’s arm.. Seconds later, his attention was directed over to where Olaska had been detained on the dance floor by the bar’s security staff near the stairs.

“[Olaska] was calm, collected,” Farrell told prosecutor Demetri Demopoulos. “There was blood on the front of the defendant’s shirt. He was explaining to the bouncer that he was cut, but the bouncer told him he wasn’t cut, [Wild] was.”

On cross examination, Ernie DiBenedetto pointed out inconsistencies between Farrell’s written statement in the hours following the bar stabbings, and his testimony on the stand.

“In your written statement you said you saw two guys in a grasp going to the ground,” DiBenedetto said.

“I don’t know if they made it to the ground,” Farrell said. “It looked like both of the defendant’s hands were moving toward Shaun.”

Testimony is expected to continue into the next week.

Read more Patch coverage on the Daniel Olaska trial:

Witnesses Recount Naperville Teacher’s Stabbing At Olaska Trial

‘I Don’t Recall,’ Naperville Stabbing Survivor Says At Teacher Slay Trial

Naperville Bar Stabbing Triggered By Rejection On Dance Floor, Prosecutor Says

Jury Seated On Naperville Teacher Slay Trial

Jury Selection Begins Monday In Accused Teacher Killer’s Trial

Accused Murderer to Claim Self-Defense in Naperville Bar Stabbing