The jury in the trial of a former Norwalk resident accused of sexually assaulting and killing an 11-year-old girl nearly 40 years ago saw autopsy photos showing red ligature marks on the child’s neck and wrists.

It happened Tuesday at Stamford Superior Court during the second day of evidence against Marc Karun, now 60 years old. Karun is charged with murder, murder with special circumstances and kidnapping in the death of Kathy Flynn, a sixth grader at Ponus Ridge Middle School, who was killed while walking home Sept. 23, 1986.

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Maura DeJoseph took the stand and testified that Kathy died due to ligature strangulation with the manner of death being homicide. DeJoseph told the jury Kathy also had blunt impact injuries to her head and neck, and the marks on the girl's wrists were consistent with someone being bound.

Norwalk police found Kathy’s body in the woods about 100 feet from the school path she took. She was wearing just a T-shirt and covered by branches, leaves and other debris. Police located her school bag, sneakers, socks, purse and pants separately in the woods. A retired detective testified Monday, the start of the trial, that police never recovered her underwear and training bra.

On cross-examination of DeJoseph, Karun's attorney, Frank O'Reilly pointed out that DeJoseph's testimony is based on her review of the autopsy report and photos from nearly 40 years ago. She herself did not examine the body or recover evidence from Kathy, including fingernail scrapings and hairs. The doctor who did is no longer alive to take the stand.

The next witness called by the state was Elaine Pagliaro, a forensic consultant who worked at the state police forensic lab at the time of Kathy’s death. That’s where fingernail scrapings and loose hair collected from the girl's body went. Police also later sent hair samples from Karun to the lab. Pagliaro testified about advancements in DNA testing over the years. She noted that in 1986, the state lab could note patterns, determine the nature of a stain and do blood-typing of a sample. But she said the lab could not process DNA.

Karun was 21 at the time of Kathy's death and was on investigators' radar early on because the crime resembled a previous sexual assault in which Karun was charged. In that case, the charges were reduced after the victim decided not to testify. That was just weeks before Kathy was killed.

In the years after, Karun was convicted of multiple sexual assaults, which police said resembled Kathy's case. The likeness of those crimes, coupled with advancements in DNA technology, led police to arrest Karun in June 2019 in Maine, where he was living.

It's taken years for his case to go to trial, in part, because of superseding federal charges brought against Karun. Police said they found dozens of guns and nearly 15,000 rounds of ammunition at his home in Maine when they arrested him in connection with Kathy's death. Karun wasn't allowed to own any firearms because of his prior felony convictions. In 2024, he pleaded guilty to the federal gun charges, which allowed the homicide case to move forward.

A jury of 12, plus five alternates, was selected for the trial, which is expected to wrap the week of April 13. If convicted, Karun could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In the run-up to the trial, Judge John Blawie denied requests for video and still cameras in the courtroom. Court rules state that in homicide trials involving sexual assault, the cameras will only be approved if the victim's family consents. At a hearing on the request, Ferencek told Blawie that Kathy's family did not.

Arrest made in 1986 cold case murder of 11-year-old Norwalk girl