The defense opened its case Monday, Aug. 10, in the Julie Boxley murder and arson trial, calling a forensic expert who told jurors that investigators failed to follow industry standards when examining the 2023 Ishpeming house fire that killed Glenn Andrews.

Bradley Davis, assistant technical director at Envista Forensics, testified Monday, Aug. 10, in Marquette County Circuit Court that photos of the home showed three electrical connections made outside of junction boxes, a code violation he said could allow arcing or heating to spread unchecked.

"Every connection that's made needs to be within a box," Davis testified. "Why? Because if you have a failure, then hopefully that failure — heating, arcing — stays within the box and doesn't lead to a fire. These three are outside of a box."

Davis also criticized investigators for not using arc mapping, a technique that traces fire progression through a structure. He acknowledged he never visited the scene in person and was not testifying about what caused the fire. His testimony focused on whether the investigation itself met professional standards.

The prosecution pushed back, arguing that a national fire investigation guide has removed arc mapping as a leading determination method. Davis conceded there is controversy over the technique's weight but maintained it should still be attempted.

The defense also called James Albrecht, the excavator who worked the scene during the 2023 investigation. Albrecht testified that investigators never accessed the home's basement and that he was never instructed to open it, though he could have done so safely. On cross-examination, however, Albrecht confirmed that investigators actively examined all debris he moved to the lawn and first floor, according to WLUC.

Day 6 marked a turning point in the trial. Through the prosecution's first week of testimony, certified fire investigator Jack Hooker had listed the fire's cause as "undetermined," testifying there was "no evidence to point either way" on whether the blaze was accidental or arson. The defense's expert witnesses aim to go further, suggesting the investigation itself was incomplete.

Boxley is charged with felony murder and first-degree arson. Prosecutors allege she intentionally set fire to Andrews' home at 175 Silver St. in Ishpeming on March 5, 2023. Andrews, 72, who managed Glenn's Smokehouse, died March 19, 2023, at the University of Michigan Health's Trauma Burn Center.

The trial began Tuesday, Aug. 4, before Judge Andrew Griffin, with assistant public defender Jonathan Ballew telling jurors in opening statements that "Julie Boxley lost everything" in the fire and had nothing to gain from setting it. The defense is led by Marquette County public defender Patrick Crowley.

Witness testimony was scheduled to continue Tuesday, Aug. 11.