(11/14/06) RIVERHEAD - The son of former Mets player and current Long Island Ducks co-owner Bud Harrelson was expected to testify Tuesday in the trial of a teen accused of killing his stepfather with a samurai sword, but instead a defense attorney alluded to his client's mother as a possible suspect.

Prosecutors say Troy "T.J." Harrelson was very good friends with defendant Zachary Gibian. According to prosecutors, Harrelson will testify he helped Gibian dispose of the sword, clothing and latex gloves following the murder of Gibian's stepfather. They also claim Harrelson will tell jurors Gibian admitted to killing his stepfather while the victim slept on the couch.

Gibian's defense attorney points to a lack of blood on the discarded clothing as proof his client did not commit the murder. Gibian's lawyer also accused police of improperly evaluating the crime scene on the night in question. He says they rushed through their procedures and failed to catalogue Gibian's mother's bathroom on the second floor. Due to the police's alleged failure to investigate his mother's bathroom and the apparent lack of blood found on Gibian's clothes or gloves, the suspect's attorney claims it is impossible for Gibian to have murdered his stepfather. Prosecutors say the police did a thorough job of photographing the crime scene.

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