Emily Fazzino's doctor testifies at the murder trial in Decorah

After a day of testimony by Alex Fazzino's relatives at the Winneshiek County Courthouse Tuesday, Dr. Jean Lorentzen--Emily Fazzino's doctor--testified late in the afternoon.

She desribed Emily Fazzino's visit to her doctor's office on January 10th and a phone call she had with Emily Fazzino on January 25th--just four days before her death.  Dr. Lorentzen's testimony seemed to support the prosecution's contention that Emily Fazzino had overcome her prescription drug abuse in January of 2012, instead of the defense's contention that Emily's death in a bathtub in her bathroom on January 29th of 2012 was due to drowning.

Dr. Lorentzen testified that on January 10th "It was my understanding she (Emily) was not using opiates at that time."  Dr. Lorentzen said Emily Fazzino was "neatly groomed, happy and optimistic" during the January 10th office visit--despite discussing her marital problems with Alex Fazzino.

The doctor also had a 20-minute phone conversation with Emily Fazzino in the afternoon of Wednesday, January 25th.  "She seemed to be doing quite well," Dr. Lorentzen said of Emily Fazzino.  Dr. Lorentzen added that Emily Fazzino did not sound to her like she was under the influence of prescription drug overdoses at the time, although under cross examination she admitted no one can be 100 percent sure and that she had no knowledge of how Emily was acting after that phone call.

Testimony in the Alex Fazzino murder trial will resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Winneshiek County Courthouse.