In regards to the scientific evidence in this case about the trunk. I'm kinda reminded about a t-shirt I saw. It had a picture of the Virgin Mary and said abstinence is only 99.999% effective. Now with out getting into any kind of religious debate and I use this example not to offend anyone but because I thought it was pertinent to this discussion.
Science has very few "laws", or things that can be repeated by experimentation with 100% percent surety. That being said there is also a very big distinction between science in the lab and practical application in a real world setting.
No scientist is ever going to speak in absolutes...period. They are always going to use words like "consistent with" or other open ended speech. I think what is happening in this discussion is to much weight has been placed in the open-endedness (new word) of this type of scientific speech.
Meaning that some are seeing "consistent with" and thinking well they didn't say it was with a definitive "yes" and then go on about how it could be something else because the "report" was not definitive.
Which leads me back to that t-shirt. Yeah it isn't 100% but the likely hood of there not being a body in the car and that body not being Caylee is so astronomically slim that no other answer really seems feasible unless someone is just trying to play devil's advocate just to do so.
The evidence is pretty clear and the "experts" have pretty much given the best scientific answer they can....with out stating it is absolute 100% undeniable truth. Which no scientist will.
So yeah it could in the farthest reaches of imagination be lunch meat that caused the smell and all the evidence is just a major coincidence, but the reality is that based on the evidence thus far there was in fact a dead body in that car and it was Caylee....with 99.999% surety.
moo
So far the public does not have all the information, in fact we may not even have all the information on the trunk evidence. No matter how intelligent we are, no matter how much what we do know points in one direction, without all the facts that are going to be presented we cannot know the correct answer.
To demonstrate in this thread
A = forensic evidence for trunk = 1
+
B = 99% believe evidence = 1
=
1+1= 2 2 equals KC is guilty
This is part is simple and basic, but if you add intangibles it changes everything, and at trial these intangibles will be presented.
C = possible evidence from defense, cross examination by defense = ?
Until a value of 0 is attached to C, it is impossible to say that 1 + 1 + ? = 2 KC is guilty
We certainly can and most likely will discuss even the tiniest of details, but we cannot with any kind of certainty say that KC is guilty until we see what the defense presents at trial. We certainly can assume that the value C will be 0 and KC is guilty, but until the value of C is proven to be 0, guilty is speculation and based on incomplete data.
At trials end this will be the formula,
A= prosecutions evidence and arguments = 1
B =Jury believes A is 100% correct = 1
C= defense is unbelievable =0
1 + 1 + 0 = 2 = KC is guilty
OR
A= prosecutions evidence and arguments = 1
B = Jury believes A is possible but has
reasonable doubt =1
C = Defense successfully raises
reasonable doubt in jurys mind = 1
1 + 1 + 1 = 3 equals KC is found not guilty
OR
A = prosecutions evidence and arguments = 1
B =Jury believes 90% of A is correct =.9
C= Defense is somewhat believable = .3
1 + .9 + .3 = 2.2 equals a hung jury
Hypothetical Bombshell after trial. KC Acquitted! KC admits to murdering her child, but never had her in the trunk. She walks free today because the trunk evidence failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the child was in the trunk.