Autopsy Report - UCF Osteological Analysis-Duct Tape Info

[ShadowGal]

From the Nancy Grace thread (Panthera's post), the duct tape applied in layers according to Dr Lillian Glass, psychologically shows the killer wants to make sure their job is done and victim is silenced.

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3889446&postcount=37"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - 2009.06.19 Nancy Grace[/ame]

hope it's ok to link Panthera

 

[chicoliving]

The matted hair suggests to me that at some point her head was going side to side in such a manner to mat the hair after the duct tape was applied. Sounds like a struggle at some point. If her arms were free it seems she'd be trying to pull the tape off her mouth. If your arms aren't free it seems a side to side motion with your head would be an attempt to free yourself. As in an attempt to breathe.

 

[amethyst221]

I doubt the killer had a logical reason for any of these horrendous actions.

 

[ShadowGal]

The matted hair suggests to me that at some point her head was going side to side in such a manner to mat the hair after the duct tape was applied. Sounds like a struggle at some point. If her arms were free it seems she'd be trying to pull the tape off her mouth. If your arms aren't free it seems a side to side motion with your head would be an attempt to free yourself. As in an attempt to breathe.

Scary thought. That poor child. Whatever happened, my heart hurts tonight.

 

[wandering]

I'm not exactly sure, but the fact that this note exists in the report is important. Do you think it suggests a struggle? (hence the matting of the hair)

Possibly the movement of the head during the final moments. OMG, I hated to type that.

 

[Truthwillsetufree]

Maybe we are missing how long the strips of tape were to hold the mandible in place. If you think about itif the tape was placed across the lips/nose and just behind both ears it would hold the mandible in place as well as Caylee's precious hair. (I'm thinking her ponytail) 6448 of the autopsy report, hair 6-7 inches in length.

 

[cuppy199]

I doubt the killer had a logical reason for any of these horrendous actions.

Yea your probably right all the killer was thinking about is where to party next.

 

[Everly]

I think the wording is indicating that they think the hair mat was caused by body fluids flowing into the hair mass at the back of the head because the head was "dependent" meaning lower than some other part of the body. I would guess she was left lying on her back with body fluids flowing into the hair. Additionally roots grew into the mat further consolidating it.

It is unclear from the released report if the duct went all the way around the head. I think it is still possible that it was wrapped around and around the head a couple of times.

OR that it is more than one strip of tape, placed acrosss the mouth and nose and so long that it went behind the head but not necessarily meeting itself. It would then eventually meld into the forming hair mat and hold the mandible in place. If this is the case, it would also be possible that Caylee's hair was in a pony tail and no side hair was caught into the tape but that the tape was inadvertently adherring to the ends of the pony tail in back of the head.

 

[Truthwillsetufree]

I think the wording is indicating that they think the hair mat was caused by body fluids flowing into the hair mass at the back of the head because the head was "dependent" meaning lower than some other part of the body. I would guess she was left lying on her back with body fluids flowing into the hair. Additionally roots grew into the mat further consolidating it.

It is unclear from the released report if the duct went all the way around the head. I think it is still possible that it was wrapped around and around the head a couple of times.

OR that it is more than one strip of tape, placed acrosss the mouth and nose and so long that it went behind the head but not necessarily meeting itself. It would then eventually meld into the forming hair mat and hold the mandible in place. If this is the case, it would also be possible that Caylee's hair was in a pony tail and no side hair was caught into the tape but that the tape was inadvertently adherring to the ends of the pony tail in back of the head.

That is my theory as well.

 

[angeleleven]

I doubt the killer had a logical reason for any of these horrendous actions.

I agree...I feel it was all an act of rage.

 

[ShadowGal]

Gotta get some sleep after this very long, sad day. My eyes hurt from reading. Goodnight all. May justice prevail for Caylee's sake.

 

[ShadowGal]

I agree...I feel it was all an act of rage.

ok, almost last post...

But to confirm your thoughts, Dr Glass said on NG tonite that the layers of tape indicated rage. Too tired to grab the post but it's mentioned on the NG thread. Grrrrrrrrr.

 

[Shear22]

I'm just not managing to grasp any logical reason for the multiple pieces of tape to have been placed on a live child in the manner that they apparently were.

If the purpose of the tape was to silence Caylee, one strip directly across her mouth would have achieved that, in which case I can't think why it would be necessary to place the tape under her jaw as well. It seems, from the information released, that it must have been at least partly under the jaw bone, otherwise once the flesh of the lips/cheeks/chin had gone then IMO the jaw would have dropped.

If the tape was used to cover her mouth and nose in order to suffocate her, it seems to be to an over-complicated and unnecessarily tricky and time consuming way of suffocating a small child. Caylee would have been struggling and fighting with both her arms and legs during this period of unrolling, tearing and applying multiple strips of duct tape, unless she was bound. If she was, that would mean binding, unrolling, tearing, applying, unrolling, tearing, applying.........then unbinding her limbs again when she was gone (because no evidence of binding materials were found). This seems nonsensical to me when a pillow or an adult hand could do the deed with much less effort!

If the pieces of tape were applied to both her mouth and nose - she couldn't then have been chloroformed.

If she was chloroformed first, there would have been no need to go through the multiple taping exercise - a pillow or hand would be much less bother!!

It's possible that the tape initially covered not only the chin, mouth and nose, but also the eyes. The eye sockets of a small child are incredibly close to the nasal bone and it's possible that the multi-strip covering of tape may have shrunk/contracted over time due to heat or water-shrinkage and that it originally covered a larger area.

Maybe KC wanted to cover up all of Caylee's face.

I was never really a believer in the chloroform until today but after the evidence that has come out today about the high level of chloroform, the acetic acid, and the multiple layers of duct tape, my best guess is that she chloroformed Caylee in order to suffocate her by duct tape. The chloroform would ensure that the duct taping would be easy for KC, rather than having to struggle with a terrified child. Placing three or four pieces of duct tape across her face seems a whole lot easier and less hassle than suffocating her manually, since KC wouldn't have any idea how long to hold her hand or the pillow in place. Basically, she let the duct tape do the dirty work for her. She may have even put her in the trunk before she was even dead.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Tuffy,

I'm horrified to think so, but I don't have any experience with autopsy reports. I am hoping that there is a different way that a hair matt can be formed after death.

I hope the matt was created by animals running through her hair and getting tangled up in it....small animals. I can't stand to think that she may have woke up and was trying to get out of the bags. I had wondered if the tape was over both the nose and mouth and I guess that question was answered.
It just makes me sick. She probably layered that tape...not one piece right on top of the other but one piece over half of the bottom piece and then did it over and over. Hope that makes sense....staggering the tape. I guess she wanted to make she that little girl couldn't breathe. And then she puts that darn heart in the middle of the tape...that evil witch.

If Caylee wasn't dead when the tape was placed over her mouth and nose then I would think she would have duct taped her wrists and ankles together so that she couldn't try to get the tape off or kick. Otherwise she could have pulled the tape off. It's a horrible thought...how that baby probably died. I hope Casey has nightmares everynight and I hope it is Caylee causing them.

 

[Everly]

I think the mat's formation began in the trunk of the car and was compounded by proximity to soil and the root growth.

 

[christee]

I think the wording is indicating that they think the hair mat was caused by body fluids flowing into the hair mass at the back of the head because the head was "dependent" meaning lower than some other part of the body. I would guess she was left lying on her back with body fluids flowing into the hair. Additionally roots grew into the mat further consolidating it.

It is unclear from the released report if the duct went all the way around the head. I think it is still possible that it was wrapped around and around the head a couple of times.

OR that it is more than one strip of tape, placed acrosss the mouth and nose and so long that it went behind the head but not necessarily meeting itself. It would then eventually meld into the forming hair mat and hold the mandible in place. If this is the case, it would also be possible that Caylee's hair was in a pony tail and no side hair was caught into the tape but that the tape was inadvertently adherring to the ends of the pony tail in back of the head.

The tape was "over the anterior portion of the lower skull..."

http://www.clickorlando.com/download/2009/0619/19801946.pdf

I don't think the tape was wrapped around the skull but todays report that layers of tape were found is just as awful

 

[Sheromom]

:furious::furious:
There is NO words that can describe the rage, complete & total rage I feel.
I want someone to paint KC a very graphic picture of exactly what happened to her childs body after she threw it out like trash.
The needle is to kind. KC should suffer the same fate her daughter met. Duct tape her mouth, nose many many times over. Let her see your eyes as you do it, just like Caylee must have seen her mothers eyes. Then let her know as graphically as you can how the animals will come one by one to tear her apart, little by little. There is no punishment either on this earth or in hell that is enough for KC. I want her to suffer, I mean really really really suffer & I want her to suffer for years.

Me, too. And I'm sick thinking- parts of her are still out there somewhere!

 

[akashana]

One way the hair could have become matted is by the head lolling around in the trunk due to the motion of the car in the hours before rigor set in, while KC drove around on her way to Tony's or the video store.

I apologize if that is too graphic.

 

[magic-cat]

I hope the matt was created by animals running through her hair and getting tangled up in it....small animals. I can't stand to think that she may have woke up and was trying to get out of the bags. I had wondered if the tape was over both the nose and mouth and I guess that question was answered.
It just makes me sick. She probably layered that tape...not one piece right on top of the other but one piece over half of the bottom piece and then did it over and over. Hope that makes sense....staggering the tape. I guess she wanted to make she that little girl couldn't breathe. And then she puts that darn heart in the middle of the tape...that evil witch.

If Caylee wasn't dead when the tape was placed over her mouth and nose then I would think she would have duct taped her wrists and ankles together so that she couldn't try to get the tape off or kick. Otherwise she could have pulled the tape off. It's a horrible thought...how that baby probably died. I hope Casey has nightmares everynight and I hope it is Caylee causing them.

Let's not forget their were OTHER pieces of duct tape found at the scene, and she could certainly have had her hands and or feet bound prior to death.

I am just sick today. I cannot believe that Jose is saying they are not worried about this report and it does not show anything, and they do not know her cause of death so it means nothing. Is he KIDDING or what? Several layers of duct tape over the nose and mouth placed PRIOR to death Jose!!! Taped into her hair! Taped so tightly as to hold the mandible in place through storms, scavengers and complete decomposition!!! Nothing to worry about? I guess not for YOU personally, but your client had best get REAL worried and with the quickness, because her goose is COOKED my friend. And to Ms. Lyons I would say-should never have had the death penalty on the table huh? Not a death penalty case huh? HOGWASH! A baby who had her mouth AND her nose taped shut unto her death is certainly worthy of that penalty in my estimations. OH LORD! God Bless that poor sweet baby for what she may have endured during her last moments in this realm. Rest her sweet soul. May the GREAT avenger hold him who brought her to this harm fully accountable even unto death and beyond! :behindbar:furious::behindbar

 

[Everly]

I still think Casey may have put the tape on post mortem as "staging" because she was working on a plan to say Caylee had been "kidnapped". Then, typical Casey style, she lived in the current 10 minutes i.e. having fun, going dancing, boyfriend hopping and literally just left her decomposing child in the trunk.