Prosecution's Bug Expert Struggles On Stand:08/01/2002 Westefield Trial Nears Finish Lap!

Court TV ^ | August 1, 2002 | Harriet Ryan

[clearvision]

I pretty sure it was north of the road if it is important. The photos they used in court were looking south from the mountain towards the quarry and the water was across the road from the site.

[cyncooper]

The defense recalled Det. Tomsovic for the following testimony July 22:

Q. GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, DETECTIVE TOMSOVIC?

A. GOOD AFTERNOON.

Q. DID YOU, IN THE COURSE OF YOUR INVESTIGATION IN THIS CASE, GO TO THE DEHESA RECOVERY SCENE ON FEBRUARY 28TH?

A. YES, I DID.

Q. DID YOU GO THERE IN THE MORNING HOURS?

A. YES.

Q. AND WHEN YOU WERE THERE DID YOU NOTICE A SERPENTINE DRAG TRAIL THAT WAS ABOUT 45 FEET LONG THROUGH THE GRASS?

A. IT'S APPROXIMATELY 42 FEET I BELIEVE, BUT YES.

Q. WAS THAT LEADING FROM THE BODY?

A. IT WAS MAYBE 80 TO 90 FEET FROM THE BODY.

Q. AND DID THAT -- DID YOU NOTICE ANYTHING ALONG THAT5 TRAIL?

A. THERE WAS PIECES OF HAIR, APPEARED TO BE BLONDE HUMAN HAIR, AND THEN THE TRAIL ITSELF WAS KIND OF GREASY SMEAR ON THE GROUND, AND THE MEADOW GRASS HAD BEEN TRAMPLED DOWN SOMEWHAT.

Q. DID YOU NOTICE ANY ODOR CONNECTED WITH THIS TRAIL?

A. YES. THERE WAS AN ODOR OF DECOMPOSING FLESH.

Q. AND WAS THE TRAIL WIDE ENOUGH FOR A BODY OR WAS IT SMALLER THAN THAT?

A. I BELIEVE IT WAS -- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SMALLER THAN THAT.

Q. SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BODY PART OR A PART OF THE FLESH FROM THE BODY?

A. THAT WAS MY GUESS AT THE TIME, YES.

Q. AND DID THE CADAVER DOGS REACT TO THAT TRAIL?

A. I DID NOT SEE THEM REACT TO IT. I DID NOT NOTICE IT.

Q. WITH THE -- WERE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE SEARCHERS WHO LOCATED THE BODY?

A. THE CIVILIAN SEARCHERS?

Q. YES.

A. NO. I DON'T RECALL IF I EVER EVEN SAW THEM.

MR. FELDMAN: I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

THE COURT: ALL RIGHT. CROSS-EXAMINATION.

I don't know what Feldman wanted with the witness. The drag marks are from parts of the body the Det. thinks and even with the odor of decompostion the cadaver dogs did not react.

[fatima]

Saw it,do not want to go there or picture it:)))

[sunshine state]

I'm sorry I'm late with my definition, but life interfered.Anyway, here is the definition. "transcript fatigue":The special feeling one gets when confronted with the task of combing through the transcripts in order to back up (for the 100th time)a theory or assertion regarding the trial.

If anyone has a better definition or wants to add on, feel free.

[BARLF]

Thanks clearvision. That helps.

[fatima]

Fres,headlines good,songs stinkif

[cyncooper]

Then on redirect the defense gets this response from the detective:

THAT KIND OF A MARK. I HAD ENVISIONED MORE ALONG THE LINES OF POSSIBLY ENTRAILS.

Q. BUT THERE WAS TOO SMALL FOR AN ENTIRE BODY TO HAVE BEEN DRAGGED ALONG THAT AREA?

A. YES, I BELIEVE SO.

[fatima]

bump

[BARLF]

I'd have to go back and check but I think Lt. Collins said no odor at the site on the 27th. Isn't that strange..........I could see how Collins might miss these drag marks but how could he miss the odor.......downwind from him?

[fatima]

Hi John,we come to the end.

[Jaded]

No, not at all. I will listen patiently to most of your arguments. Really. I'm (sort of) open minded. I've been wrong before. I don't remember when, but I'm sure I was once. Anyway, I'll be back later.

I don't argue with all of the VDA's

[juzcuz]

North/South

Just back from doing the dishes.. I know something about the direction of Danielle.

Her head was positioned South under the Oak tree. Her feet/foot pointed North toward the Golf course. I could document who testified to it, but I'd have to find it that would take a while.

I had a question earlier about the drag marks.

Thomsovic states: " Most of the entire length of the drag mark had kind of a greasy smeared appearance to it."
Q: And about how how far from the recovery where Danielle was found were these marks?
A: Again, I'm estimating about 80 feet.

A real perplexing thing about these drag marks. The cadaver dogs were brought in and they had no reaction to them.

11. Q: You mentioned there were some dogs that where at the scene...
17.A: The day after the body was found and had been removed from the scene.
19. Q: Did they react to the drag marks or what was along the drag mark trail?
20. A: I did not see them react to it and nobody had brought it to my attention that there had been any reaction.

Now we all know about how wonderful these dogs are at smelling things... Don't laugh...

I'm being serious now, my point is that they should have smelled Danielle there.. Maybe not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HA HA

[cyncooper]

I didn't post the cross-exam by Dusek about the drag marks and basically repeating the direct.

But he did say they had to get on the ground to smell it.

[cyncooper]

Hi fatima!

[pinz-n-needlez]

No one can write fiction stranger than this case....

Reports of dogs fainting from bleach in the garage, searchers are drawn to an area by the stench of a roadkill dog, but no one smells a 2 to 4 to 6 weeks (choose your entomologist)dead body have eaten, with a thriving maggot mass.

A single man has pictures of naked women on his computer and deleted (did I understand that correctly?) animated child porn files on his computer. Folks are calling for his head, but feel buckets of sympathy for a mother of young children trolling for sluts to come to her home for a night of orgies.

ala Mr. Traficant: Beam me up!

I'm trying really hard not to be sarcastic, but this is sheer lunacy!

[bvw]

"transcript fatigue" = "fourth instar"

[BARLF]

Cyn, has it been ststed how long a decomposed body will emit an odor? For this type of drag marks to still be evident(greasy) wouldn't that indicate the body had not been there for 27 days but a lesser time as Faulkner and Haskell said? Collins said the area was dry,leaves were dry.

[CAPPSMADNESS]

"Interesting! This could be looked at as another way.. if she had been starved and liquids withheld from her for 3 days..."

Kim, just a little information. 3 days is not enough to drain the body of fluids and to keep the kidneys from filtering toxins, hence - the bladder almost contains urine except post void. The same is true for the large and small bowel, they always have "content" even after voiding, as the lower digestive tract is very large. Three days is not enough to evacuate the entire digestive system. Even in subjects with severe dehydration and malnourishment they are usually incontinent of bladder/bowel after death. In these extreme cases, it takes longer for this to happen. And there are things that are done to the deceased in the hospital to prevent families/morticians from coming in contact with these fluids. If you want more info - please freepmail as I really don't want to gross anyone out.

[BARLF]

Ok. Thanks

[kayti]

i have no idea WHO you are or WHY you sent me that post. Pay close attention.... DON'T care!!

Been hanging around in the garage too long, 2nd hand smoke got to you!

Sad to say, but the poster was correct... you do have porn on your computer if you have crossed over ANY site. And just as DW did, you can erase it, but 'encase' the software program used by LE will find it.