It would be difficult, for a physically capable person armed with a long blade, to inflict this many wounds, in anger, and not hit a vital structure. The wounds may have been intentionally placed or the blade short. Someone, in anger, could possibly aim for, and continually miss, the heart. Unlikely. In this case, suffocation may have caused death. As I understand it, the coroner reported shock; low BP. This may occur quickly or slowly depending on the particular wounds. The case from Davis three weeks earlier. There were wounds to the face. The intent, in Davis, was not rapid death.
ACTIVE SEARCH CA - Leila Fowler, 8, Fatally Stabbed in Valley Springs #2 --Manhunt Underway! - Page 14 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
http://davis.patch.com/articles/dav...k-into-calaveras-county-girl-s-stabbing-death
http://davis.patch.com/topics/Oliver+Northup
http://fox40.com/local-news/stories/2-found-dead-in-davis-home/
More about the Davis case.
http://davisvanguard.org/index.php?...rder-of-prominent-attorney-and-wife&Itemid=87
"According to Lt. Paul Doroshov, "There was a lot of trauma on the bodies."
However, while the police described a very bloody scene at the home on the 4000 block of Cowell Blvd, Lt. Doroshov told the media that the home "had not been ransacked" and that "we can't say this was burglary."
That Vanguard has learned that Mr. Northup was a prominent defense attorney and has tried a number of death penalty cases."
http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca...unity-mourn-couple-slain-in-south-davis-home/
"According to his daughter, Northup specialized in “country lawyer” work such as drawing up land agreements for local farmers."
"Even after retiring from the practice in the early 1990s, Northup continued taking on criminal appellate defense work for the California Appellate Project, representing prison inmates who believed their cases deserved a second look."
I have been trying, to no avail, link Northup to Shermatine/Herzog and the work of Padilla. No luck thus far.