So will we FINALLY see something from defense today?

Did the Anthony family Attorney fortell today when he told a reporter today :"It's going to be an ugly day" I certainly hope so! At least that makes for an interesting day. The uglier the better.

Starting with a few housekeeping matters: Ashton said he deposed Dr. Eicklenboom yesterday afternoon. He said a discovery violation has occurred. He is not asking this witness not be allowed to testify but he should have been in the Frye hearings and wants a portion of his testimony about DNA be excluded. Ashton says the defense has already offered this testimony with  another witness (Seubert)Ashton wants this discovery violation to be considered with others after this trial is over.  Baez says Eicklenboom would testify would about trace DNA. He says this is not an attempt for a "gotcha" moment. In effort to move along, Baez suggests only questioning of Eicklenboom be limited.
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 :)

Will the defense continue with dull witnesses proving nothing?

 As defense continued today, it cause many people surprise since for some reason they started early. Judge Perry must not have wanted to waste time. I sat down as managed to get the first witness in time! Whew! Anyhoo, here's the coverage for today.

William Rodriguez:co-founder of the Oak Ridge "body farm" where Dr Vass works. He works for the US Armed Forces Medical Examiner's office and is an unpaid consultant. He is classified as a forensic anthropologist. He has extensive experience with dead bodies. Extensive research in taphonomy (breakdown of body after death; decomp).
He does think that the recovery collection was done very thoroughly. He does claim that he would have done some things differently, however. Rodriguez says he didn't see any notes or work done trying to find out where body was originally placed. Fluids can change/kill some of the vegetation; insects feed/reproduce in decomp area - their remains can be found in soil. He claims that he didn't see photos or notes indicating soil changes were looked at. Rodriguez has had numerous cases involving duct tape. Also bodies bound w/ wire or cloth to bind hands, facial area. Skeletal remains does affect adherence of the duct tape.

Ashton (couldn't hear what he said). JB: I don't believe we do, judge. Judge: Folks, approach sidebar, cut the comments out. 
2 sidebars started by Ashton so far.
Ashton brings out the same point that he brought out with Huntington. This witness also did not put into his report opinions he is testifying about. Judge Perry told Mr. Baez to read the court order and Baez walked away much like a spoiled kid being scolded. Judge Perry questioned the witness on his experience with duct tape on bodies. 
He received the photos on February 21, 2008. He didn't mention the tape in his report because it wasn't asked at the time and he just noted it in his examination but did not include it with the report. Claims he shared with Mr. Baez. POW!!
JB: Your Honor, when court issued this order, I informed all our experts via email we needed reports that inc all opinions.Told them if I didn't meet deadline, I'd face dire consequences. From time I asked WR & time he wrote it, just days.
Baez says he didn't want to depose all his own witnesses, state should do it.
JP: What you're basically saying is that you can pick what court order you can choose. JB: I couldn't disagree with you more.  This is not a game. If an opinion comes about...you disclose it...It's not hard to do Mr. Baez...It is QUITE easy to do...EVEN if it happens at the last minute... Appears to me this was intentional, not inadvertent slip, not sub-issue of a major issue. Not inadvertent. Question is whether Casey should be punished as a result. Case law indicates contempt, jury instruction explaining violation so they can use to judge credibility....Lightning does not strike twice in the same place.... I am not making any promises or warranties what I would do if it happens a second time with this witness.
POW POW POW!!!!
*Personal note: Baez you will be held in Contempt!!*
Recess till 10:05


 We won't be seeing Mr. Rodriguez any more today since he will have to give his deposition after court today. We'll most likely see him on Monday.


Judge tells jury they are accomadating another witness who is from out of town. He decides not to tell them the real reason....yet.


Werner Spitz: *sidenote Spitz testified in Phil Spector's trial that Lana Clarkson committed suicide by shooting herself in mouth w/Spector's gun.* Medical doctor and forensic pathologist

While giving his educational background, he explains what pathologies and autopsies are. Spitz has also been chief medical examiner in different states. He is also a fellow in alot of medical societies, some even at the highest level.  Licensed to practice medicine in US and in EU.  Numerous awards from law enforcement and medical societies.  Spitz has been involved in several congressional inquiries (JFK, MLK, Jr.). Spitz has written several books, wrote an article on drowning deaths. Has testified as an expert witness around 300 times.  He has been accepted as an expert witness in the area of Forensic Pathology.
Received a phone call from Baez' law firm and he agreed to consult in this case.   He asked to attend the autopsy. -Sidebar- He was denied. He wanted to attend because it would have been useful to see the body how it was recovered. "4 eyes see more than 2 eyes"  According to him it is custom in pathology. Conducted a second autopsy when the official autopsy had been completed. He is not surew if Dr. G had completed her report when he began his autopsy.  When he began autopsy, he was shocked that the skull had not been opened.  Profession dictates that when an autopsy is completely done, there be an examination of the interior of the skull.

Dr. Spitz shows jury a real human adult skull and demonstrates what he means when he says he has to open the skull and remove the cap and look at the interior of skull.  He did take photographs of Caylee's skull. Casey makes a disgusted look and hides her face when shown the picture of the opened skull.  Cindy does not look. George isn't in courtroom. Afterwards as Dr. Spitz explains the photograph she is looking straight at jury. The brain had dissolved but some elements remain permanently. "Ashes to ashes dust to dust"  Black specs are located on the left side of skull. This occurs over several months. The skull was positioned on it's left side on the ground. 
The skull was undamaged and just saw that some longer bones were chewed on.  A thigh bone had been opened by the previous autopsy, and he thought they did it to remove bone marrow specimens. This was not the case.   He says that the conclusion of his autopsy is unknown.  Dr. G says it's a homicide.  Not a shred of soft tissue left, completely skeletonized, didn't even need gloves. Tape not attached when he did autopsy. Tape was on side of face stuck to hair and vegetation. Ashton objects, says pics speak for themselves. Overruled.
Dr. G says duct tape was placed prior to decomposition. He says the duct tape becomes loose on the skeletal structure and that the roots and hair are the only things that held the duct tape together.  There was nothing on Duct tape that would suggest it was placed on the skin.  He has a strong opinion that the duct tape was used to hold lower jaw in place. He says he would have expected DNA on tape if attached to the face. Would have been there if attached to skin of face.
*Someone please tell this old man that this place had been flooded!*
It's his opinion that duct tape was a later event after decomposition.  Describes adipocere to jury. Tissue becomes broken down, slimy, smelly, like soap.
Cindy Anthony was just smiling in court during the quick sidebar.
Adipocere was not found on skeletal remains. He rules out suicide, but cannot rule out accidental death. The manner of death in this case is undetermined.  Has conducted or supervised approx. 60K autopsies and has been practicing forensic pathology for 56 years.

George Anthony is at courthouse just not inside courtroom

Cross Examination
He was given info. of first autopsy, went to house and scene where body was recovered.  Says he asked sufficient questions to allow him to have a good idea of what happened. Asked Mr. Baez, Mr. Mason, maybe spoke to the Anthony's. Read police reports, though he can't recall which reports he read. He knows that there was a month that went by before police were called. Knows that Caylee was allegedly taken to babysitter.  He is aware of everything Dr. G knew from the case as it was put in report.   He would have been aware of everything but he doesn't recall what she wrote about the facts of the investigation. "I read police reports. I didn't say that I didn't recall any of the facts"  Recalls CASEY was a healthy 3 .5  year old!!! It's CAYLEE and she was 2.5!!
JA: What do you recall of the facts surrounding her disappearance you considered significant? WS: Pool in yard, poss drowning
"When you do an autopsy you examine the whole body, the head is part of a body" 
Doesn't know where this has been published but he has been trained many times that he has to open the head. To not open the head, I think is a failure. I tell you another thing if the autopsy was done where the head was not opened it says shoddy autopsy. Excuse me, but you provoked it. It upsets my better knowledge!!!!! You're familiar with this book? Somewhat. Well you edited and wrote some of it? Yes. Book doesn't say go ahead and open the head! It talks about the findings inside the head which requires head to be opened!
When shown a document handed to him by Ashton, he tells Ashton that the book was written by lawyers for lawyers.
JA: When you said Dr G violated protocol, really meant violated what you would do?WS:No
*personal note: let's think about the tiny camera's that could have been inserted through bottom of skull*
Asked about in depth interviews he has done giving his opinions on this case. He doesn't recall any of these interviews yet he was planning on watching it on TV. *personal note: I recall them. I have seen them*
He says he didn't know that he broke Caylee's skull when he opened it. He says dust matter inside skull is brain sediment and not dirt sediment from skull sitting on water. It is very definitive.  Ashton tells him that he didn't have to have these sediments analyzed in order to know that they are from the skull originally. He is aware that Dr. G put saline water into skull and removed whatever came back. Says that the swishing of fluid inside skull did not remove sediments from the right side. Skull was on the left side.  Ashton demonstrates with human skull the doctor brought in to explain how he claims Caylee's skull was positioned.
Ashton asks if hair would slough off and fall toward left, back side. WS: Adipocere keeps hair together, stays put on skull. 
Image shows that mass amount of hair has fallen to the back of the skull not to the side. WS: Hair in this picture speaks for itself.  The doctor uses his "skull" and napkin to demonstrate exactly how the hair is placed on skull. Ashton: Water misplaced the hair but it did not displace the residue. WS: It could have happened. Water could have misplaced the residue.  This hair is sticky because I have examined other hair. Not this hair, but other hair."

Duct Tape:
His opinion that duct tape was stuck after skin was deteriorated. Person put duct tape which comes in a roll (apologizes for not bringing his roll of tape from his office), cuts pieces of  it and attaches lower jaw to rest of face. Not sure if person picked up skull and put jaw back in anatomical position.
*personal note this witness hurt defense BADLY. He doesn't recall positioning of tape yet testifies about it!*
If trying to attach mandible 2 skull, would have to tape both sides if your theory is correct, right? WS: Remember tape 1 side 
Why would duct tape be stuck to bone? WS: It wouldn't, water would remove stickiness of glue. Ashton points out that hair was stuck to tape.
He claims medical examiners office put hair that was not stuck on skull and placed them on there on purpose. He says it wouldn't have been the first time.

Re-direct
He doesn't know how many people handled the skull before the pictures were taken. It was manipulated because the skull did not walk to examining table and in that process the hair was misplaced.


Court is over and told attorneys to be prepared to work up to 3 next Saturday. One witness a day is not going to speed up the process.

Bugs, Bugs, and more Bugs!!!More scientific testimony!

After having to endure a fist fight in the line waiting to get a ticket to enter the courtroom today, spectators must be hoping to get something useful out of today's testimony. Neckbrace Man that has been in the trial almost everyday religiously has said that he won't return anymore because of the unruliness in line.

Tim Huntington-Forensic Entomology Consultant He is diabetic and may need to take a break to check blood sugar. 

- Huntington spent time training under the state's expert Neal Haskell and has accepted as an expert witness. Baez has him draw the stages of bug progression on his CLIPBOARD! Witness laughs and says "I'm gonna try not to bore you" He drew the life cycle of flies while court watches and compares flies to butterflies. Testified that sometimes these flies crawl over 100 ft from body.
Huntington brought some demonstrative aids to help jury understand. He used junkyard cars to perform a study on the effect of insect activity on a dead body (pig) inside a trunk. The cooler it is and rain suppress insect activity. July 2010 is when Huntington inspected trunk of Pontiac Sunfire (Casey Anthony's car)

-Huntington says it took 13 seconds for a blow fly to show up. He says they are very susceptible to smell of decomp. We were shown a picture of a decomposing pig that is being fed on by maggots. In my opinion, this is more graphic than the pictures that were introduced into evidence

Many spectators had been asked to leave the courtroom because they have been caught sleeping.

Jury not present
When Prosecutor Jeff Ashton mentioned that Baez was texting while Ashton was addressing the Judge, Judge Perry said "I don't care if Mr Baez is standing on his head, I don't care if he's standing on one foot...let's be professional". "lawyer Gaga" smiled when this happened.
 zzzzzzzzz as lawyers are told to read pages from deposition judge Baez ordered them to do immediately
-Ashton says Huntington isn't qualified to testify about stains. Defense says Entomologists study human decomposition.  He says decompositional staining is very obvious. He is unaware of a method that can remove these stains. He also say the look and feel is black and greasy. He tells the Judge that he has never testified on this subject before because he has never been asked. His field is bugs.  He thinks that in regards to the insects that he tested from the Pontiac Sunfire, he wouldn't think there was a dead body in that vehicle. Defense has known this since 2008, yet they did not dislose this information. Judge Perry does not see a reason he should allow this information in court. Ashton says if he knew witness would give an opinion or talk about color of stain he would have questioned him about it & called other experts.

Jury is returned 
-Decompositional Fluid cannot be cleaned with paper towels.  He has never seen a case where a carpet was cleaned. The carpets have always been removed when a body has decomposed in a location.
*personal note* I don't think this makes sense because the pig was not put inside bags like Caylee's body was.  According to the State's witness someone was able to clean this fluid with paper towels.
In Casey's car he could not find any body parts of flies. He only found one leg in the trash bag and he doesn't think it means anything. If there was a body in the car trunk, there wouldn't be just one fly around it. He claims there would have been thousands or six thousand legs inside that trunk.  Most of the insects that were found in the trunk eat just about anything and they were recovered in the trash bag. In his opinion, they don't mean anything of forensic value. You would expect to find these in kitchen garbage. In regards to the number of bugs that were in the trash bag, there does not seem to be a huge number that would show a decomposing body.
Baez at this point asked for a recess and seems extremely happy with the testimony and smiles at jury. Jurors have been taking alot of notes.

As soon as Court resumed, before the jury was returned, Baez objectsed to Ashton asking Huntington about being trained by Haskell. Perry responded by saying: "It will depend upon conclusion of your direct whether this issue can be brought up."

He laughs when asked whether there is a difference between garbage and trash. He uses those words interchangeably. This contradicts what his mentor (Haskell) testified to earlier in the case. The paper towels that were recovered from the trash bag contained some fly puparia (cocoons). There were a few items that these fly puparia were located in. Given the articles that were in the trash, he was not surprised by this at all.
 -Huntington: "insects on paper towels found in trash bag not there to feed." Contradicts Haskell.
Saw a piece of dried up piece of meat in the trash but thinks that tobacco spit in the trash could have attracted small scuttle flies. The flies will be attracted more to the wet garbage than the dry ones. There is nothing remarkable about the bugs he found in the car.  Insect material recovered in the recovery site is what you would expect to find at that location during those conditions. There were no blowflies around. "Their absence is significant in this situation is unusual because they should have been there. That indicates that the body was moved or transported from some other location to the site where it was discovered. It shows post-mortem movement."says Huntington. Sidebar
*personal note* Of course the body was moved. Did Baez forget the part when the forensic techs testified that the body was moved by scavenger animals!


Cross Examination
Not saying that this body fully skeletonized in another location and moved into this location.  The body began decomposition (early stages) elsewhere. Ashton immediately gets Huntington to admit body moved in early stages. Consistent with state theory. He tells the prosecution that there are 5 stages of decomp: fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced, skeletal remains.  Ashton: how long was body at Suburban Drive? Huntington: placed there 2-3 days post mortem.  Possible scenarios :Body was moved in late decomp stage, large #'s of maggots  were removed from the body and then body transported, removal of large # of maggots and body was placed in bags. Ashton claims fourth scenario :body could have been put in trash bag before flies accessed. Witness claims body was available. Ashton then reads deposition of witness where witness says there is not much to disagree with Dr. Haskell's report.  Let it be noted that jury does not know that Haskell was Huntington's teacher.
Agrees that the area where a body decomposed would stink and that the smell would not be removed.   He investigated car 2 years after this occurred. Sidebar
*note Casey is not struggling through testimony of bugs eating at her daughter's remains*
Huntington  agrees none of his studies deal with small kids wrapped in bags or blankets. Ashton asks why didn't he wrap his pigs in a blanket!? Courtroom erupts in laughter. Witness thanks him for that. Ashton laughs and says he needed it at the moment. Ashton notes Caylee was wrapped in a blanket, 2 bags and a laundry bag! Huntington's says he did this experiment bc hes wanted to for a long time and it wasn't specifically modeled after this case.  Huntington says you will still see fly activity in trunk of vehicle and they could penetrate through the bags. Huntington says if a smell can get out of a trash bag, obviously it is not airtight. A fly can lay eggs in the knot of a trash bag and when maggots hatch they will enter bag. Never used chloroform and does not know how flies will react to the chemical.
 Finds it unlikely that flies will not be involved because of chloroform involvement. Ashton mentions that he is suggesting that the chemical components of the air have changed. Things got extremely heated between these two.  Huntington says if chloroform acts like other chemicals -it would thwart flies for a short period of time.Witness says he doesn't know what was in the paper towels and Ashton makes him read the report Dr. Vass wrote to find out.  Claims he never examined the paper towels itself that Dr. Vass claims had decomposing compound on it.  Now he claims flies would have been attracted to it. Though he says that there was a large amount of cans and bottles with tobacco spit inside.  Ashton goes through the garbage and lets Huntington look at it and say if there was tobacco remnants in it.  Huntington says he's not sure whether tobacco will most def. not smell like decomposing body. Ashton asks if decomposing saliva will smell like a fully decomposing body. Huntington agrees that no, it will not smell like decomposing body.

Ashton puts his gloves on in preparation to open up a container that had a small piece of salami in it. He shows it to the witness in order to show the witness that it is a piece of paper and not a piece of meat as the witness first thought. Dr. Huntington now agrees that there does not appear to be food in trash.Agrees that the experiment decomposition does not coincide with a 2 year old wrapped up in trash bags and blankets in Florida heat for 2 days. Decomp. could be accelerated with heat but not as much.

Re-direct
Dr. Haskell's report on Suburban Drive is on point. The evidence from site of recovery shows that body was there for a period of time, possibly months. Evidence suggest body was moved from some location and after some stages of decomp has occurred. 75 cocoons were recovered from trash bag. That is very few when a single female fly can lay 100 of eggs. He would expect to find many more flies if body was in trunk.  Disagrees with Haskell as to where body was placed.Huntington doesn't think a body was ever inn the trunk. He says the evidence doesn't show it.  The fatty acids located in the paper towels can be found in other things not just decomp. products. Huntington says Dr. Vass' report doesn't say "adipocere" it says fatty acids consistent with (list of things). Adipocere shows up in late stages and time it takes to develop depends on the environmental situation. Baez asks if trash containers would be in the same condition as it was 3 years ago. The witness says he would expect the physical evidence shown now to be different. Trash bag that was in car trunk was knotted and maggots found their way in. He didn't include blankets and trash bags in his study because the study was not made specifically for this case. He performed this study because he had been wanting to do this study for a long time. When witness was shown obvious stain in trunk liner, Baez asked if he could make out the stain. Witness says that the stain does not look like any decomposition stain.

Re-cross
Witness says he doesn't know if garbage in trunk was wet or dry. When something gets wet non food item does not turn into food to his understanding. Witness got his PhD in 2008, the same year this happened. Got his Masters in 2005.  His knowledge of adipocere started when he was 16 when he worked for a mortuary service. Has never been qualified as an expert of studying a stain. This is the first time that someone has asked him to determine from a photograph if a stain was human decomposition! Report Dr. Huntington entered does not contain any opinion on his interpretation of the stain.  Ashton points out that nobody mentioned that the study was not to be compared to Caylee's case.

Baez questions witness again
He is the youngest Board Certified Forensic Entomologist. He has worked on 75 death investigation with regards to Forensic entomology. Many cases come as photographs to him.

Ashton questions
You mentioned you have never been asked to look at stains before and now you say you have. He says outside of a court of law he didn't. Mentions that in 2008, Baez mentioned the stain to him and yet he never put it in the report. He says he didn't include it in the report because the insects were not forensic bugs.

BAM! Witness Excused!