Evidence of Heart Shaped Sticker on Duct Tape Destroyed

[lawlady84]

I didn't see that bandaid picture with the sticker on it before.

I think the prosecution can still make the connection. It just can't do it directly. Jurors are smart. The SA will introduce evidence of what was found at the scene: a heart sticker. ducttape on the skull. "We can't conclusively say the sticker was on the duct tape, but we also can't say it wasn't. The FBI agent, in her professional opinion, testified earlier that she saw residue on the duct tape, which she believed to be in the shape of a heart. Due to the intense processing of the duct tape, the residue is no longer there."

JB can just attack the agent. But I think it would be very hard for a juror to NOT make the connection. And I mean, so far none of the defense attorneys come off as juror-friendly. I don't think a juror would trust JBs word over an impartial FBI agent.

 

[MD MOMMY]

I think it's hard when we are given bits and peices. I do hope that someone did get a photo of the residue, I am actually shocked the FBI did not. While I do not think it's a "must have" I think every brick makes a house stronger, if you know what I mean.

The tiny handwriting is hard to read especially the part about the heart shape sticker as it appears to have been highlighted then photo copied.

 

[Snaz]

Having *advertiser censored* saved may not make her a *advertiser censored* actress, having skulls saved may not make her morbid, having artwork saved may not make her an art enthusiast, but having a picture of tape with a heart shaped sticker on the middle of it........... what are the odds of that being a coincidence? Even for a die hard, hold out juror......there is no getting around this.


I rank this right up there with the searches for chloroform on the Casey's computer. "There are no coincidences in criminal law": Nancy Grace, Prosecutor
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version Name: casey photobucket image.jpg Views: 392 Size: 7.2 KB ID: 4249

If it is, indeed, accurate that there is no trace of the heart shaped sticker on the tape, would the prosecution still mention it at trial? If they aren't able to use that information, the picture of the band-aid with the heart on it won't have the same impact.

Just wondering...

 

[celticthyme]

Before there was ever a "body", there was an endictment by the Grand Jury.
There is overwhelming evidence against this prisoner. The heart sticker was merely an indication of the "diabolical nature of the murderer."

 

[ExpectingUnicorns]

The heart shaped residue would in no way be exculpatory evidence, so this can't be what the defense's ridiculous motion was about. And while its not good practice, there's no rule that everything has to be documented. This FBI agent saw it with her own eyes - she can testify about what she saw. The defense can depose her beforehand.

And it sounds bad, but IMO this is more a media bombshell than an evidence bombshell. It shows cruelty, but there's no way the DP would be proposed/not proposed based on a sticker.

The defense might try to say that the search warrant was gotten on false pretenses because there's no evidence there was a heart sticker on the duct tape - but that fails because LE can go on the word of the FBI agent. There's no requirement that you have to have visual proof.

BBM. Wouldn't they still be covered for the search warrant since a frame with a heart sticker on the back was found at the recovery scene?

 

[Chiquita71]

Hello WS

Going with "the heart sticker is out" meaning we agree with the defense and its all ruined...you can't use it in court.

Is this all for the DP? Is it because there was the something that made the DP be back on the table, and WSers were saying there had to be proof that the killing was done in a malicious way for the SA to ask for the DP?

Is what I am learning the idea that for the DP to be asked for: there has to be some pretty good evidence showing that Casey killed Caylee and did it while "rubbing her hands?"

I need to know, for myself-how Casey was feeling when she killed Caylee(making the jump into convicting her of the murder but not knowing how and why). I could not even convict her unless I could ask her myself.

If this girl Casey Anthony, killed her daughter and did it with glee, joy...sticking a heart shaped sticker on her mouth at the end and doing it all to spite her mother and so she could live her life as she wanted: that makes all the difference in the world. I am a good gauge for how the "people" can get confused by these games: now I am asking was there ever a heart shaped sticker at all? What is the defense saying here? My brain does not follow deceit very well.

If I were on a jury and I heard all the other evidence and not about the sticker...I would still have to hear what Casey had to say for herself about everything else.

...jmo...

What they are trying to do is confuse, and it works well.

 

[MD MOMMY]

BBM. Wouldn't they still be covered for the search warrant since a frame with a heart sticker on the back was found at the recovery scene?

I belive this alone gave them cause for the search warrant.

 

[twomanywords]

Before there was ever a "body", there was an endictment by the Grand Jury.
There is overwhelming evidence against this prisoner. The heart sticker was merely an indication of the "diabolical nature of the murderer."

Ha Ha, you read my mind, I was just going to post this

 

[Muzikman]

I belive this alone gave them cause for the search warrant.

Plus the blanket, the clothes, the laundry bag, the garbage bags, the duct tape... on and on.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

I'm going to try to bring the report here - with my new skill! (if you can call it that - ha.)

http://www.clickorlando.com/download/2009/0924/21103527.pdf

Here it is above. I don't know how to bring it whole - like printed before our eyes. Let me click and see if it pops right up. - IT WORKS!

I couldn't copy the para's I needed so here are the first three para's - the best I could do from the link above.

FBI REPORT
Laboratory No.: 081213001 Case ID No.: 7A-TP-71176

12/12/08 By: EPM - Per telcalls/emails w/CRT* agent Karen Cowan - some items to be brought to Lab on Sat. for testing. Lab agreed to expedite (over weekend) only the items for identification: plus the duct tape for LPOU*. The other items can be delivered, but will be dealt w/during normal working hours.

12/13/08 By: EPM - Copy of OCSO inventory list provided by SA Cowan. No DNAJ on tape vice under water (prev. spoke w/DNAI Pokomk). SA Cowan will send listing of items they have from scenes*.) so units can review & items can be submitted @ one time.

12/13/08 By: EPM - Per TEV* (Shaw). Q59.1 5 hair portions for mito added & 59.2 15 hair roots for DNAI added. TEV transferred on their chgn*. Per LPOU (Fontane) - a heart shape/outline was noticed on tape, but unable to see it after powder process - no photo of EPM image.


There are two more entries - the first one begins with the A's having done landscaping recently, etc.

*If you see *, that means I could not make out a letter but you can look at the link above.

 

[Trapshooter]

Just curious but wouldn't the medical examiner have a picture of the duct tape around the mouth/nose? I am not saying the picture would show the residue from the heart shaped sticker but wouldn't someone somewhere have a picture of the duct tape around Caylee's mouth?

 

[AZlawyer]

I think they were fine going on the word of the FBI agent about the sticker shape in order to get the search warrant for stickers/scrapbook materials. (The sticker found on the photo frame probably wouldn't be enough unless there's some reason to think that frame was in some way related to the crime.) The standard is not the same for getting a search warrant as for presenting evidence in court.

I hope they will be able to get the FBI agent's testimony in at trial as well. I can think of one possible objection, but I hate to post it here for JB's associates to read. ;-) But maybe the SA will decide it isn't worth trying to get that evidence in, as the heart sticker residue could be interpreted either pro-KC or anti-KC in any event.

 

[celticthyme]

Again, putting all of this into perspective, whoever / however the information about the heart-shaped sticker on the duct tape business was "leaked, why would that be important?" It just isn't. Even the fact that there was duct tape around Caylee's face is appalling, disgusting, abhorrent and terrifying, it still does not take away from the fact that only "remains" were found bagged up, with all kinds of items belonging to the Anthony home. What impact can this have ? That she will only get LWOP? She did it! No one else, she was the last person to have seen her, she was her primary care giver. She tripple-bagged her daughter, and dumped her in a swamp at the end of the street from their house!

Duct tape and stickers are merely peripheral.
In the words of Jesse Grund " 32 days , , , , ,? Is that a misprint?"

 

[3doglady]

I think the communication indicated that the heart residue was at the end of the duct tape. Reports earlier by NG (IIRC) said that the heart residue was over Caylee's mouth witch doesn't add up to me. Maybe the heart sticker was already on the roll of tape before KC used it on Caylee. If she previously had the tape roll in her room using it for her crafts or scrap booking, then it would more likely be on the end of the tape. Seems to me, KC wouldn't care enough to put a heart on Caylee anyway. I never understood that.

 

[AZlawyer]

Just curious but wouldn't the medical examiner have a picture of the duct tape around the mouth/nose? I am not saying the picture would show the residue from the heart shaped sticker but wouldn't someone somewhere have a picture of the duct tape around Caylee's mouth?

A recent defense motion said that there were multiple photos of the tape on the skull taken from different angles. But I doubt you would be able to see the heart shape on any of them.

Maybe if they blew up the photos and enhanced them somehow...but then they would see pixies and kitties like we did. ;-)

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Just curious but wouldn't the medical examiner have a picture of the duct tape around the mouth/nose? I am not saying the picture would show the residue from the heart shaped sticker but wouldn't someone somewhere have a picture of the duct tape around Caylee's mouth?

The way I read it is that this is only about the residue where there was believed to have been a heart sticker. The residue was damaged showing where there had been a heart sticker on the tape.

The report is not questioning the duct tape around the skull. I'm sure they have pictures of that.

 

[seagull65]

To be fair, I don't think we have ever had the evidence that the tape was wrapped all the way around the head - rather IIRC, we were told there were multiple pieces that covered the mouth area and was still attached to the jaw bone and hair. There was speculation about if the size of the duct tape would also cover a small child's nose if placed over the mouth.

I think you're right, and unlike what NG would often say about the tape being still stuck to the bones of the face or still stuck to the skull, it reads in the evidence like the tape was just held in place by the hair on either side, as the soft tissue it would have been stuck to on the face would be long since gone. Unless it managed to readhere to the skull over the mouth after skeletonization somehow. It always sounded in the evidence like it was just still there roughly in place because it was stuck to the hair on either side and also that the tape's being there had kept the lower jaw on, maybe it went enough under the chin, or slipped under during decomp or something, to hold the jaw up? I'm not sure.
I've heard some people say it covered the nose area as well as the mouth but I wonder what the evidence is of this. Because the normal position of the jaws, even with the mouth closed, is jaws slightly apart, teeth not set together. If her mouth was taped over with her jaws in the normal slightly apart position, later after skeletonization, when the skin and flesh the tape is stuck to over the mouth disappears, muscle disappears, the jaws might fall closer together, it might now appear that the tape could have covered the nose, but it might not have originally. Unless we see pictures at trial that show tape really placed high, obviously covering the nose area, I just haven't see it yet.

 

[Balthazar]

Having *advertiser censored* saved may not make her a *advertiser censored* actress, having skulls saved may not make her morbid, having artwork saved may not make her an art enthusiast, but having a picture of tape with a heart shaped sticker on the middle of it........... what are the odds of that being a coincidence? Even for a die hard, hold out juror......there is no getting around this.


I rank this right up there with the searches for chloroform on the Casey's computer. "There are no coincidences in criminal law": Nancy Grace, Prosecutor
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version Name: casey photobucket image.jpg Views: 392 Size: 7.2 KB ID: 4249

That's a bandage, not tape. Two completely different things and used for different purposes.

 

[seagull65]

I think the communication indicated that the heart residue was at the end of the duct tape. Reports earlier by NG (IIRC) said that the heart residue was over Caylee's mouth witch doesn't add up to me. Maybe the heart sticker was already on the roll of tape before KC used it on Caylee. If she previously had the tape roll in her room using it for her crafts or scrap booking, then it would more likely be on the end of the tape. Seems to me, KC wouldn't care enough to put a heart on Caylee anyway. I never understood that.

I always wondered if the whole story about heart sticker over the mouth etc would turn out to be more hype than fact. I'm not saying it is, I just wondered, since there was so much media hype and rumor over details like this. I must have heard NG say on TV umpteen times that the skull was found with the duct tape still stuck to the bone, for example.

As you say, maybe the sticker was on the roll (or even a piece) of tape before the perpetrator (whether Casey or someone else) used it on Caylee, or maybe in the bag she was placed in or on something else and wound up stuck on the tape (if it actually was). Or maybe the perp did place it over the tape deliberately.

 

[kushka]

To be fair, I don't think we have ever had the evidence that the tape was wrapped all the way around the head - rather IIRC, we were told there were multiple pieces that covered the mouth area and was still attached to the jaw bone and hair. There was speculation about if the size of the duct tape would also cover a small child's nose if placed over the mouth.

You seem to be suggesting that it was only speculation The that the duck tape covered the nose - It is not speculation, it is fact. The autopsy clearly stated that the tape covered the mouth and nasal aperture area.

You can read the report at
http://www.wesh.com/download/2009/0619/19802034.pdf
The statement about the nose covered is on the page noted 6453 the 3rd paragraph on the page.