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Both sides present case in trial against woman accused of killing Bradenton ‘Peace Walker’ in crash

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Published  March 5, 2025 7:30pm EST
Bradenton
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Closing statements are scheduled for Thursday in the trial against a woman accused in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Bradenton man known as the "Peace Walker."
    • Manatee County prosecutors and the suspect's defense attorneys finished calling witnesses on Wednesday.
    • The jury is expected to begin deliberating after closing statements are finished.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Closing statements are scheduled to take place on Thursday in the trial of a woman accused in a hit-and-run that killed a Bradenton man known by neighbors as the "Peace Walker."

Manatee County prosecutors and defense attorneys for Teresa Zeppi finished calling witnesses on Wednesday, as both sides made it clear what story they hope the jury believes.

RELATED: Testimony begins in trial of woman accused of killing Bradenton man known as "Peace Walker"

The backstory:

Florida Highway Patrol investigators have said Zeppi was behind the wheel of her Lincoln Navigator when she hit Joseph Dralus, Sr., 82, in April 2020. Dralus died less than a month later.

It took two years for FHP to arrest Zeppi. Investigators said she didn't immediately stop following the crash, eventually pulling over about 500 feet down the road. Prosecutors showed jurors home security video the State said shows Zeppi checking her vehicle for damage, before leaving the scene.

Dig deeper:

Both of Dralus' sons testified during the trial, explaining their part in the investigation. Christopher Dralus said he provided investigators with his father's toothbrush and hairbrush for DNA comparisons.

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"Initially I was going to provide them his ashes, but I was told...they weren't able to get DNA from ashes, so they asked if I could come up with a hairbrush, toothbrush, anything with his DNA on it, which I knew I could come up with a toothbrush and a hairbrush," Christopher Dralus said Wednesday. "He was a very hard worker, provided for his family, loved his family very much and loved being outdoors, as my brother had stated earlier and loved to do his walks on a daily basis."

A day earlier, Joseph Dralus, Jr., testified he searched the Northwest Bradenton community for the vehicle that hit his father, eventually finding Zeppi's parked in her driveway.

PREVIOUS: Jury selected in trial against woman accused of killing beloved Bradenton ‘peace walker’ in hit-and-run

Prosecutors have said Zeppi's vehicle had front-end damage and DNA taken from the SUV matched the victim's.

"The swabs from the hood slash fender, the swabs from the headlight and the swabs from the passenger side bumper all had DNA that I was able to make interpretations and comparisons to," said Kaleigh Brownell, a DNA analyst for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The other side:

Defense attorneys, however, had their own crash scene reconstruction expert take the stand, who said he believes FHP identified the wrong vehicle.

MORE: Woman accused of hitting, killing beloved Bradenton 'Peace walker' to stand trial 

"My opinion in this particular case is this Lincoln Navigator was not the vehicle that struck Mr. Dralus," said Sean O'Leary, the defense's crash scene expert, who was asked how he came to that conclusion. "Primarily the lack of damage to the vehicle, especially in the areas that I would expect to see them, knowing the type of injuries that Mr. Dralus sustained."

Zeppi nearly avoided trial, initially agreeing to a plea deal. Prosecutors withdrew that offer late last month.

What's next:

Following closing statements, the jury is expected to begin deliberations.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered during the trial of Teresa Zeppi as well as previous FOX 13 News reports. 

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