A forensic scientist cannot rule out Dwayne Robert Davies being killed in another location before being moved into a shed on his accused murderer's property, a court has heard.
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Mr Davies went missing on May 26, 2017, and his body was found a week later at a shallow grave in Levendale.
His best friend, Bradley Scott Purkiss, and wife, Margaret Anne Otto, are jointly accused with the murder.
Both have pleaded not guilty.
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The Crown alleges Mr Purkiss shot the victim in a cannabis growing shed on his Elderslie property as part of a murder plot with his former lover Ms Otto.
It is alleged Mr Davies was bending down, likely harvesting cannabis, when Mr Purkiss shot him twice with a shotgun.
Forensic scientist Ana Flonta told the Hobart Supreme Court on Wednesday she could not rule out Mr Davies having been killed elsewhere.
Mr Purkiss' defence lawyer Alan Hensley put forward an "alternative hypothesis" Mr Davies had been killed offsite and then dumped in the shed on his tailbone.
"It's unlikely [but] it can't be ruled out," Ms Flonta said.
Earlier in the trial, the court heard evidence blood matching Mr Davies and brain matter was found in the shed.
Ms Flonta said the blood patterns on one wall of the shed were consistent with Mr Hensley's theory, however, another group of fine blood spatter stains were not.
"In that scenario, I don't know how we would get all the fine spatter stains," Ms Flonta said.
"The spatters - you actually have to have something to cause those."
Ms Flonta said small drops of blood in the shed were indicative of a high level of force, for example, a shotgun or chainsaw.
The court heard these blood stains could have been caused by dropping something on the ground but it would depend on a number of variables.
The trial before Chief Justice Alan Blow continues.
Emily Jarvie
Emily Jarvie is a political journalist at The Advocate and The Examiner newspapers based in Hobart, Tasmania. Contact: emily.jarvie@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Emily Jarvie is a political journalist at The Advocate and The Examiner newspapers based in Hobart, Tasmania. Contact: emily.jarvie@austcommunitymedia.com.au
