Pictures of Johnston found on Gillis' computer

• By STEVEN WARD
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 3:34 p.m.

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A former state Department of Justice forensic computer examiner testified this afternoon that he was able to retrieve 45 pictures of Donna Bennett Johnston’s body downloaded from Sean Vincent Gillis’ digital camera to one of his computers.

Although the pictures were deleted from the computer at some point, Geoff Black said he was able to retrieve the pictures nonetheless. The pictures, which were introduced as evidence, showed portraits of Johnston’s nude body, including pictures of her in the back of a white car trunk.

Gillis, 46, owned and drove a white 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier.

Gillis, who showed no emotion while the jury looked at the pictures, looked down at a yellow legal pad in front of him which he continually wrote on during most of the second day of testimony.

Gillis is on trial for first-degree murder in Johnston’s death. Her naked and mutilated body was found Feb 27, 2004, in a drainage canal near Ben Hur Road south of LSU.

Gillis has confessed to killing eight women, including the 43-year-old Johnston. He has been charged in the murders of seven of those women, and the eighth is still under investigation.

Gillis was sentenced to life in prison last year after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Joyce Williams.

Gillis confessed to killing Williams in a sugar cane field in West Baton Rouge Parish in 1999.