Statement given today from Body Farm: Dr. Andrew Kramer, Ph.D, Associate Professor and Head Department of Anthropology at University of Tennesssee: "The Body Farm was founded by William Bass in 1981. Mr. William Rodriguez was a student under Dr. Bass and conducted research at the facility in the early and mid 80s. He was a major assistant in the early years, but was by no means a co-founder." ( he testified Saturday he was a co-founder)
* Sources say George's mistress is in the hall
Jennifer Welch: CSI who took crime photos Recalled many times.
Dorothy Clay Sims will be questioning witness
Ms. Sims asks questions regarding Ms. Welch's report and photos, yet the witness constantly tells her she has no info on those specific items. Ms. Welch corrects herself. *Personal note-It seems like the whole defense team is a fluke. Caylee is getting her revenge on Mommy* Welch looked at and explained her "end of day report" and she noted tree root area and vegetation when shown her pictures. She said that only hanging vegetation over the skull was removed in order to take pictures. The log that was next to the skull was also removed by examiners.
Cross Examination
Ashton asked what portion of one scene is from? She answered she cannot answer without going thru sequence of photos.
ReDirect
"How did you ID the grouping of photos?" Welch: "Took them on scene, uploaded into digital crime scene system."
Subject to recall
Dr. Jane Bach:Botanist. One of her specialties is Forensic Botany
accepted as an expert witness
Reviewed photographs taken by ME and OCSO CSI and has visited the scene as well. Has also read documents from CSI, ME, and another Forensic Botanists report. Sims asks if she has ever visited the scene * UM HELLO, SHE JUST SAID SHE DID!!* Witness says she has again and called it the "crime scene" then corrected herself by saying "recovery site".
Says that remains were placed there 2 weeks prior to the discovery but cannot specify when exactly. She knows this because of leaf litter. From reports describing vegetation in Casey's car she claims they are not related to recovery scene. Leaves are from a tree not found in the area.
Sims calls Dr. Bock Dr. Hall - he's the state's plant expert.
Cross Examination
Ashton asked if most of her work is in in middle area of country. She did her PhD thesis in FL (1966).
She has also studied food habits of tortoise, about 1980-1990.Agrees recovery site is swampy, but says part of the plants that are there are land plants.
She says roots that were in hair mass and growing inside laundry bag and bones could have grown in 2 weeks. She does agree she is not a bone expert. Witness then adds that she *has* had experience with plant growth into skeletons. Ashton reads deposition...said she hadn't. Ashton: Leaf litter built up on skull to lower portion of eyes, correct? Bock: Not sure what... Ashton: You saw photo of pristine skull? Ashton shows her pic of skull and asks again. Bock: I see one leaf on top of the bones. Ashton: I meant around this area (telestrates)
Ashton:And your opinion that this amount could happen in 2 wks? Bock: Yes, but there are other considerations. Ashton: Leaf litter is up to area of nose? Bock: I suppose it is leaf litter. Ashton: Whatever it is, it's collected to that height? Okay. Later , she tells Ashton that given the way the ME picked up the skull, some could have taken longer than 2 weeks to grow.
When witness asked Ashton a question about who measured leaves, he told her the great thing about court is that she cannot ask him questions. Casey and jurors laugh.
.*BTW Casey looks down still. It's a picture of woods! She's a guilty idiot!* Ashton tells her she is not prepared to render any opinion as to when body was placed. She answers that she thought she had given one. Ashton refreshes her recollection by showing witness her deposition. In deposition, she said no. She doesn't know exactly when it was placed there, but her best guess is what she said today. She says it's possible body was there longer than 2 weeks! BAM! POW! Team Ashton!!!
ReDirect
Bock says she looked at log found near remains. She wondered if it had been moved. She says it could have indicated how long it had been there. Sims asks if a bag or bone has an opening can a root grow into it? Bock says it depends on what kind of root. Sims: Can item sink if debris layer is wet? Bock: Of course.
ReReCross
Was not aware that a bone was recovered under 4" of muck. Claims a dog could have buried it.
recess until 10:50
Defense will call Dr. Richard Eikelenboom. A statement will be read to jury first. They haven't been brought back in yet.
Questioned by Judge Perry
Dr. Richard Eikelenboom: DNA EXPERT
Asked on 7/13/2010 by defense to investigate. Does not recall being told about court order. Eikelenboom says he wasn't advised he needed to prepare report. He says he and the defense communicated via phone email and Skype. Eikelenboom says he was never asked to provide CV, a report, and never saw judge's order
Baez questions:
Baez asks if he was ever asked to leave something out of report? No. Baez asks if what he submitted was what he thought was required. Yes. Says Ashton was rude when he was turned away at the office.Ashton questions:
He says he didn't follow case. New information came up within last week. started asking for more info after being subpoena.
Judge Perry gives order :
Judge says discovery violation was willful. it should have been clearly explained to witness to prepare report. Perry says he will not let Eikelenboom to testify about DNA analysis on decomp fluids in trunk of car. He will hold a frye hearing next week. He will give defense an hour for dinner and then hearing will start.
Jury Returns
Judge Perry reads statement to Jury about witnesses reports and when they were due. State's that this witnesses report was not handed until this past Saturday. They may consider this fact in judging the credibility of witness.
After questioning, Ashton objects to witness being called an expert witness. Baez asked witness if he's been an expert witness. He says he has over 70 times in Netherlands and 3 times in the US. He has also been certified as an expert in DNA Analysis. When he and wife opened business Richard was appointed DNA Director. He has been accepted as expert witness.
Jury @ Lunch until 1:30 Court is not. Baez has other issues he wants to handle
Baez says he was just handed discovery From state which he thinks violates discovery order. Baez said a CD was not turned over until 2 weeks after computer forensic experts reviewed. Baez says state has had some info for awhile. He says one of the pics taken from Anthony computer was pic of shot girls. Prosecution says a citizen called Orange Co Sheriff's office last week saying Casey and a certain witness talked while that witness was in jail. This witness is April Wayland State says Wayland's son drowned in a pool and grandfather found son and called 911 immediately. State also says they have information from Anthony computer to rebut Baez' opening statements. She says defense has had this for years. At this point Prosecution does not plan on bringing her as a witness, but they are investigating for rebuttal purposes. Casey talks to Ms. Sims. Prosecution says instead of holding this info till rebuttal case -she handed it over to defense. Judge Perry says this is not a discovery violation.
Prosecution says there is info from computer to negate what defense is alleging. Prosecution says hard drive indicates evidence that directly refutes defendant's theory of what happened on day they say Caylee drowned notes how important dates were June 15-17 are to case. Judge asks defense if a computer expert looked over hard drive. Yes says Baez. "If the hard drive was provided to you, then it was left up to you to decide what searches you wanted to do ... it was not denied access."Judge says it was up to defense to look at what days when they were given entire hard drive. He says you know what dates were important.
It upsets me so much that the jury doesn't see Casey laugh it up with Baez all the time!
Eikelenboom is explaining trace DNA. He is uses a PowerPoint presentation to help explain.Of course, this drags on and on.........
Has recovered DNA in the past from Duct tape. Says sticky side is the best location to attract DNA. He says there are alot of DNA in the mouth area. In regards to this case, his opinion, if whether duct tape was placed on the mouth and it was torn off you would get DNA profile. If person died and was placed in outdoor element, if there were bad conditions, DNA can get broken down, but you would still expect DNA.
One of the methods used for DNA extraction is chloroform.
Cross Examination
Says that witness is presently a student in Denver studying for their PH.D. Witness expanded his and his wife's DNA business to USA because there are more homicides here than in Holland. He tells him that his exposure with this case is good to his business. Ashton starts to attack this witnesses credibility by noting and calling this DNA expert's lab a "mom & pop" operation in a converted barn in Netherlands.
Ashton:So labs in US can do same as you do? RE: I don't agree; we have more experience. Low-copy test not done in US til recently.
Eikelenboom knows Ashton was first prosecutor introducing DNA into criminal case. Think he investigated Ashton before appearing?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz all this witness has proved is that boring is the same in Holland as it is in the US. Ashton got the witness to agree that hot, wet, and bacteria infested location will destroy DNA.
Eikelenboom also agrees he wouldn't expect to find DNA on bone.
ReDirect
Notes that witnesses lab is called the DNA Farm. Mentions that is in in fact internationally known. Witness is explains that while other labs couldn't get results in some instances, his method was able to produce results. Baez asks if DNA profiles have been found when subject has been in extreme heat and water. RE has examples. He shows PowerPoint slide to jury. It shows 3 examples RE said he found DNA on prior cases. (pantyhose, a hand that had been in water for a long period of time, a Jean jacket)
*hand looks like a leather gloved hand. I didn't even realize it was a had until he mentioned it.
Baez brought out his board again!!!
ReCross
Ashton asks him all the three examples were associated with skeletonized remains. That is correct.
Witness is excused. Judge Perry said "You may be excused Dr." Ashton stood and said "He's not a Dr."Judge: Well, whatever he is.
Yuri Melich: Lead Investigator for the case Third recall
Did not find receipts of any purchases of Chloroform or containers that may have contained chloroform inside the house. Search was done Dec. 11, 2008. *Hope the prosecution brings up the Gatorade bottle!* Also did not find any papers with the word chloroform on it.
Cross Examination
Mentioned Casey was out of jail between August and September.
ReDirect
before December 11 we didn't have to look for chloroform because we were looking for a live child
*Breaking news defense plans to take deposition of Vasco Thompson tomorrow at 1:30.
Dr. Marcus Wise: Research Scientist at Oakridge National Laboratory
Accepted as expert in Analytical Chemistry. Has never testified in court. Baez asks if scientists are used to handling evidence. A forensics lab is more familiar. Wise says evidence samples aren't as common. Wise says they run tests to make sure instruments haven't been contaminated.
Wise says chloroform evaporates easily. Wise says drop a gasoline on finger- over time smell gets better - chloroform is a volatile chemical. He advised Vass not to do a quantitative analysis. Wise said it would have been a meaningless number. Wise says if they did a quantitative analysis it would likely be a "whole lot less" and it wouldn't be accurate.Baez is getting upset and objecting to his own witness because he claims witness is being unresponsive to his questions. OVERULED TWICE!!
After he answered Baez walks back to podium and asks if he is finished! Very rudely I may add! Thisis his own witness!!! Wise said there were large peaks of chloroform when testing air carpet samples.
As Baez was questioning this witness, Ashton was shaking his head no and was trying not to laugh.
Casey looks worried and upset. She has her sweater rolled up to bottom of breasts and bunched up. Her craziness goes into her fashion sense as well! HAHAHA
Dr. Vass is very talented and very intelligent. He has nothing bad to say about Dr. Vass. Baez tries to discredit his own witness by showing his his records and all his errors!!!! Is this they way to discredit this so called "junk science" as he said himself. Linda Drane Burdick looks confused! LOL
Wise says he didn't have another chemist look over his tests. Wise says in the middle of testing he caught an error. Baez points to the fact the lab doesn't have standards or protocols about machines. Wise says he voluntarily changed his testing. Witness says his methods did not mess up the results.
Baez keeps attacking his own witness. Very argumentative!!
Cross Examination
Has looked at various air samples from every type of environmental matrix. Tallest peak was chloroform. Wise says chloroform isn't a typical chemical thing to find in a trunk of a car. He cannot say where exactly chloroform came from. Both he and Vass couldn't find a reason why there would be chloroform.Wise said he did more testing out of his own curiosity. Wise says it was clear chloroform was either in carpet or spilled on carpet from trunk of car.
Ashton asking about contamination, issues noted in Wise's report: "Any air, from any place, is not completely clean?" Wise agrees. Has worked with Dr. Vass is chemistry studies for at least 12 years. He has been a major contributor to projects. Wise says Vass has been a great help in other research. He enjoys Vass' eagerness to learn.
Redirect
Mentions hand held sniffer machine called Labrador. He is a co-inventor who stands to earn minimal royalties. Wise says it's a job requirement to go after research dollars. Baez: "Validation" of Labrador in court of law would help legitimize it? Ashton objects.Wise: Nobody's going to buy Labrador device because they heard about it in a court proceeding. Wise: "No way" this case will do anything to "validate" Labrador device. Wise says Labrador has nothing to do with Anthony case. Wise says the Labrador didn't even exist when they were doing testing on this case. He says he was developing it. *personal note: THIS IS AWESOME!!*
Recross
Device was designed to be used by law enforcement and military and he would not get royalties from that.
Baez questions again:
As far as his understanding, he would not get royalty from military and law enforcement use.
Witness and Jury excused for the day. Court will begin 8:30. I will rehash testimony in the afternoon because I have a prior engagement tomm. morning with my kids :)
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