A crime-scene detective testified Tuesday about an unexplained, bloody shoeprint found on the carpet inside the home of a slain Douglas County woman.

The print doesn’t match the shoes of Kansas State University professor Thomas E. Murray, who’s on trial for the November 2003 stabbing and beating death of Carmin D. Ross, his ex-wife. Nor does the print match the shoes of any of the police officers who were in the home.

“There’s an unidentified footprint in that entryway, isn’t that right?” defense attorney Bob Eye asked

“Yes, one could assume that,” said Lawrence Police Detective Zach Thomas.

Thomas was on the witness stand almost all day Tuesday, testifying about what he did — and didn’t — find as he searched Ross’ home for evidence.

Defense attorneys have argued that physical evidence in the case points to an unidentified attacker or attackers, not Murray. But prosecutors continue to build their case based largely on Murray’s statements and actions before and after the death.

Thomas described finding a serrated bread knife on Ross’ kitchen counter, a clean carving knife in the nearby dishwasher, and several drops of blood on the edge of the dishwasher.

A matching knife block on the kitchen counter had three empty slots, Thomas said, but only two knives were found.

Thomas testified about the only fingerprints of Murray’s found at the scene, which were on a brown medicine-dropper bottle on the back porch.

Lawrence Police detective Zach Thomas talks about one of several knives found at the home of Carmin D. Ross. Thomas testified in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday, the eighth day of the trial of Thomas E. Murray for the killing of Ross.

He described taking fingerprints from throughout the first floor of the home and taking swabs of blood found spattered on the furniture and the ceiling above the dining room. But Thomas didn’t testify about the lab results from items he collected.

Ross’ best friend, Angela Hayes, took the stand after Thomas and testified that Murray cut his hair “uncharacteristically short” around the time of Ross’ killing.

Footprint evidence not a match to suspect Photo Gallery: Murray Trial Day Eight See complete trial coverage

Hayes told jurors that after Ross’ death, Murray told her, “It’s not like they’re going to find a clump of my hair in her house.”