Defense could pin hopes on insect life..Westerfield Trial Breaking News: BUG EVIDENCE QUESTIONS!!

Union Tribune ^ | July 10, 2002 | Kristen Green

[cyncooper]

Why, John? Dehesa had the dry conditions explaining the state of her body and the very low fly population, and the slowness of beetles to stir.

[Freedom2specul8]

I think it's more of natural mummification..cuz of weather conditions.. we need more info!!

[the Deejay]

"He would have done better to not let it be so obvious. To me he was feebly grasping at straws and that says he fears the evidence."


I know, I know. He should have gotten in & out of cross in 5 minutes or less. He's had Faulkner as a prosecution witness in other cases. Faulkner isn't foregin to him.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Does anyone else giggle as hard as I do when an observer actually thinks Dusek is doing a good job?

I wouldn't even think that if I was on the VDA team.

[John Jamieson]

If body kept in a refrigerator, would dehydrate too.

Yes, frezzer too and the body would probably take several more days to thaw after it was dumped.

[cyncooper]

This is only because Dusek is trying to confuse the jury with tedious questioning.

This has been the complaint on several witnesses Dusek has cross examined. I think he is bringing out excellent points in his questions and I do not see any rambling whatsoever. Just goes to show how perceptions can differ.

[Henrietta]

Faulkner stated that based on the fly maggot/larva evidence, the latest date the body could have been placed at the scene was 10-12 days before it was discovered.

But the latest date seems kind of meaningless, since it could have been put there before the 16th, an indeterminable time before the 16th. This means that it could have been there on the 16th, or it could have been there on the 2nd, right? So I don't see how this testimony help DW at all. It just means that the body wasn't dumped after the 16th-18th of Feb.

But what about before this? And what about after he got home but before the cops started surveiling him? It seems like the Bug Guy's testimony still leaves these times in question.

[the Deejay]

"OR she was alive much later than previously thought."


That's true too. So, if DAW had her, where was she all that time & how did he dump her body around the 16th.? Since he was being watched by police 24/7 since the 4th.

[Freedom2specul8]

Dehydrating flowers in sand, or just air drying works as well. Dehyrdating "removing moisture"....doesn't absolutely require a cold climate though.

[Freedom2specul8]

::giggle::

[connectthedots]

Faulkner just said there was fluid in the body cavity. So much for the mummification argument.

[John Jamieson]

The body can't start out dry, It has to go from moist to dry in a week or two. But the bugs would have hit it the first day, unless the body was sealed or frozen when first exposed.

If Westerfield did it, he had to have someone else move(or unseal) the body.

[cyncooper]

That is if you look at this testimony in isolation and don't consider all of the evidence, imo.

[Henrietta]

Sorry Cyn, I don't follow your drift...

[Politicalmom]

It doesn't matter, either way he couldn't have done it.

If the body was mummified, thus slowing down the bugs, DW didn't dump the body.

If the body was dumped fresh, it had to be dumped after he was under surveillance.

[Freedom2specul8]

according to testimony..The brain was mummified (hence no bugs there)part if not all the skin was mummified..but the entire body wasn't..my apologies for mistating the facts..

[cyncooper]

But the bugs would have hit it the first day

I believe that is contrary to testimony that Dusek elicited from the witness. (Dusek rambling or setting the record straight?)

[the Deejay]

"You mean it might have been placed in a root celler in a cabin in big bear ski resort? I believe a pizza partier owns just such a cabin."


OMG!!! You're right!! I had forgotten about the one pizza partier with the big bear cabin!! It's possible!! And personally, I don't trust any of the pizza partiers.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

If Westerfield did it, he had to have someone else move(or unseal) the body

It sure is shaping up to look that way.

I know a couple of people here that don't want to acknowledge that, but them's the facts, folks.

[UCANSEE2]

BEETLES.

Grubs. Did not find immature beetles, grubs. NO

The absence of grubs consistent with larval stage development of the flys. SHowing that body not there before th 16th. YES.

discussing how the DUMP SITE could harbor flies, how the housing area near supported flies.

Discussing how flies would be around FEB, 28, 26, or even 16th, and would be attracted to food at Dehesa Rd area. Guys says yes, there would be some, and they would be attracted.

COnfident about 16-18FEB oval level. Very confident .

PMI the 16-18 feb? Objection.

Asked again, different way. Basically says YES.

With regard to issue of body being unavailable, that would be for instance, body being in a bag. YES. Did you see any instance of that? NO.

THere would have to be a barrier to prevent insects from getting to the body? YES.

Nothing shows (according to bugs info) the body was out there longer that three weeks.