MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) -- A man convicted of murder in a notorious drunken driving case that killed a wedding chauffeur and 7-year-old flower girl pleaded guilty Monday to corrupting a DNA test during his trial by slipping someone else's saliva into his mouth.
Martin Heidgen, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with physical evidence during the 2006 trial where he was convicted of murder, DWI and other charges in a July 2005 crash that attracted national headlines.
(Top photo of limo's wreckage)
When defense attorneys at Heidgen's trial argued that the blood samples were incorrectly labeled by state police and therefore should not have been admitted as evidence, a judge ordered a DNA test to confirm the disputed samples were Heidgen's.
The DNA sample taken from Heidgen, who was in jail during the trial, revealed two male genetic profiles, his and that of another inmate. The judge later ordered a second DNA test, which confirmed that the blood was Heidgen's.
The blood evidence was a key factor in the trial, since it revealed that Heidgen had a 0.28 blood-alcohol reading, more than three times the legal limit in New York of 0.08. Prosecutors estimated that Heidgen had consumed at least 14 drinks before getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck.
Heidgen drove the wrong way for miles down a highway following a night of heavy drinking, slamming head-on into a wedding limousine. Prosecutors said he showed a "depraved indifference to human life" by ignoring drivers who flashed their headlights and honked their horns as he drove the wrong way into traffic.
Heidgen, who is appealing the murder conviction, faces up to four years in prison on the tampering charge; a judge will decide whether that term runs concurrent or consecutive to the 18-years-to-life term he currently is serving. Sentencing was scheduled for March 3.
1010 WINS Boroughs & 'Burbs: Long Island
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