January 10, 2013 morning
State calls Lisa Perry, works for the city of Mesa, PD and she is a forensic scientist and she works in the Biology section (DNA, bodily fluids, etc. collects samples and sends them on for analysis).
--Perry attended to the TA crime scene June 10, 2008 and was there for two days.
--She was looking at blood stains to see if she could determine how they got there.
--Focus was the master bathroom. Focus was the bathroom because that was where the blood was.
--Perry takes samples and prepares them for DNA analysis. Example, swabbing or cutting material and sending them to the lab. Perry can conduct a presumptive test for blood at the scene. Swabs were taken by others who were at the scene. Perry did a few of the prelimary color tests.
--Downstairs restroom, sink in the downstairs restroom, tile at the base of the stairs, washing machine.
--One stain on the top of the washing machine that was positive. Perry swabbed the machine but somebody else put the numbers on the machine.
--In the downstairs bathroom she did a swab in the sink that was positive.
--swab of the downstairs cabinet was negative.
--In the master bathroom presumptive testing was not done due to the volumne of blood and with her training she knew it was blood.
--At the lab, Perry did a swab of the wall from the master bedroom. The screening was negative for blood. Is blood the only biological substance that can be tested for DNA? Answer is "no". Saliva, sperm, and skin cells would have DNA. Just because there isn't blood doesn't mean there isn't DNA.
--Perry can offer opionions on the type of pattern and what may have caused it. There are passive patterns and active patterns. Passive are drops acting by gravity alone. Active is projected blood, ejection of a volume of blood due to a force or a pressure. Example is a strike or a weapon is used. Blood in one's airways can cause an active projection. Sizes of the stains can determine the force and can then be categorized as low, medium, and high velocity. Spatter is action to a liquid blood source. Eg. If there is blood on a substance and something touches it, it is called a transfer stain. There are wipe stains and swipe stains.
--Water can affect the crime scene. Can dilute the blood and affect the patterns.
#83 Photo of body of TA. There is a blood stain on the wall? Appears to be flowing down the wall, gravity has acted upon it.
#88 & #89, Toilet, on the door frame there is a blood stain. On the toilet and the bottom of the frame is a stain showing impact to a blood source. The droplets are small and they do not travel very far. The blood source would have been in close proximity. These stains are about 12" down meaning the blood source was low, blood impacted the wall at a 90 degree angle.
#90, With respect to the toilet, same type of stains, rounded drops, probably hit at a 90 degree angle. Same small type of stains at the same height. Blood source was close. The drops are in different areas but could be from more than one event or they could be from one strike to the blood source.
Floormat, Tests were not done at the scene. Tests were done at the lab. Presumptive test for blood, positive for blood all over the bottom of the mat. Blood is throughout the bottom consistent with the mat being moved over blood or blood mixed with water going under the mat.
(interrupted by another phone call and missed some testimony)
--photo of large accumulation of blood. The source of the blood was probably in one position and the blood passively flowed out by gravity. Water activity may have played a role. For a large blood stain to appear the blood source
#91 Photo of eastern wall of the exterior of the toilet wall, on the wall there were downward stains. Impact to a blood source would have caused this type of stain. More than one strike or the same strike? Blood did not go through the wall so it was caused by more than one strike. No indication how many strikes.