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 (Albuquerque) From the bottom of the handle to its very tip it measures 38-inches; the Ninja sword that prosecutors believe is connected to the murder of Girly Chew Hossencofft. Jurors charged with deciding whether or not Linda Henning murdered Ms. Hossencofft got their first look at the sword Friday morning.

The Ninja Sword sold to Diazien Hossencofft on September 9, 1999.	Police discovered the sword in November of 1999 when they searched Henning's home. It was found behind a ceiling panel in her garage. Prosecutors say the sword had blood on it, but most of the blood had been wiped off. What was left behind
did not provide a good DNA sample. Investigators produced transaction records which prove Henning's boyfriend, Diazien Hossencofft, purchased the sword from the World of Knives store in the late afternoon or early evening of September 9, 1999.

Prosecutors say Ms. Hossencofft was kidnapped from her apartment that same evening sometime after 5:15pm. They also seem to be saying much more about the sword.

Investigators appear to be building a case that the sword was used to dissect Ms. Hossencofft's body on a tarp. They say that some blood smear patterns on tarp found with Ms. Hossencofft's clothing appear to have been left by the sword.

Shawn Skinner (left) worked at the World of Knives in 1999. He says Diazien Hossencofft purchased the Ninja Sword held here by prosecutor Jack Burkhead.	Earlier this week, Diazien Hossencofft's former girlfriend, Julie McGuire, testified that Hossencofft revealed his plan to have Girly killed. McGuire says Hossencofft said a body would never be found if it's "dissected."
*While I did get to attend the trial Friday morning, I was moved to another story during the lunch recess. The afternoon witnesses included lead Detective Michael Fox. A videotaped police interview of Linda Henning was also played for the jury. That interview was conducted September 12, 1999, prior to Henning's arrest. In it, she says she knows Diazien Hossencofft, but not that well.

For a very well-written interview capsulising Friday's entire day in court, please refer to an Albuquerque Tribune article written by reporter Joline Gutierrez Krueger. Krueger has also covered this case from the very beginning.  NEW Link to the Albuquerque Tribune's Hossencofft Arcives	Linda Henning in court Friday.
The Albuquerque Journal also has an extensive archive of Hossencofft Case stories. However, you must have a password to access them. Therefore, I cannot link you directly to the Journal's stories.