[Bluebird Singing]

This is so grotesque, but maybe someone pulled the teeth after placing her at Dehesa - took them as a souvenir - dropping the one that was found in the throat.

[MizSterious]

After a person dies, the teeth loosen. Check the Blackbourne testimony for the sad and gorey details. My feeling is that the teeth were not knocked out or removed--they fell out. Also, if you get the chance, check the testimony of the volunteer searchers (particularly the one who brought his camera along). Chris something or other. Anyway, he testified that he recognized Danielle because of her teeth. So either he's lying through his own teeth, or the teeth were intact when he found her. What happened after that is anyone's guess.

[MizSterious]

From Chris Morgan:

Q: YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS DANIELLE?

A: I DID.

Q: WHY?

A: BECAUSE OF THE BLONDE HAIR. THE REASON, THE FACT THAT WE WERE SEARCHING FOR A GIRL WITH BLONDE HAIR. AND I ALSO NOTICED THE EARRING. HER TEETH STRUCTURE LOOKED A LOT LIKE THE PHOTO. SHE HAD A GAP IN HER TEETH AND RESEMBLED THE MISSING PERSONS PHOTO.

From Dr. Brian Blackbourne (trial)

1 A. I DETERMINED THERE WERE FOUR MISSING TEETH. THE

2 TWO INCISORS, THE LEFT, THE LATERAL INCISOR ON THE RIGHT AND

3 NEXT IS A CANINE. THOSE FOUR TEETH WERE ABSENT.

4 DOCTOR SPERBER LOCATED ONE OF THEM INSIDE THE BACK

5 OF THE MOUTH, I BELIEVE BETWEEN THE GUM AND THE TEETH. THAT WAS

6 THE LATERAL INCISOR ON THE LEFT. SO THERE'S STILL THREE MISSING

7 TEETH.


Blackbourne at the PH:

9 A. A permanent tooth. Two permanent incisors were

10 missing.

11 Q. And how -- in your opinion, how did that occur?

12 A. With extensive decomposition as we have in this

13 particular victim, many things decompose, including what's

14 known as the periodontal membrane.

15 The periodontal membrane is about the thickness

16 of a sheet of paper, and it is what anchors the tooth to

17 the bone. When decomposition occurs, it affects the

18 periodontal membrane, and in many cases, or a certain

19 number of cases, the anterior teeth, namely the incisors,

20 and sometimes the canine teeth, will become loose and just

21 come out as a result of -- it can be shaking by animals at

22 the scene or just if there's enough decomposition, merely

23 bringing the body back to the medical examiner's office can

24 often dislodge these teeth.