Hi Lambchop
I agree with the ME totally. One thing the crazies on HLN never address is there were other "events" in that bathroom. There was spatter just outside the toilet area, on the toilet below the bowl, and on the wall by the scales, all of which were from a "source" low to the ground as the blood expert testified to. They have TA going from the shower to the sink to the hallway.
Did he? I don't know if he left the sink to get to the toilet area or toilet/scale area to the sink.
What injury did TA have at the sink? Posters in the last 25 pages or so have made very good points either way (shot - stabbed) and is much appreciated.
Trying to be realistic, could TA have been shot, then stabbed immediately giving him 2 of the 3 worst injuries the ME talked about then making it almost to the bedroom, I think not.
Actually the 'gun first' is supported by the physical evidence.
The ME said the brain was too decomposed to see any wound from the bullet, but even if it was it would have been minor due to the trajectory.
The bullet went through his sinus and ended up in his cheek at an angle consistent with Jodi standing over him as he sat in the shower.
.25's jam easily, especially when fired by inexperienced shooters (they tend to 'limp wrist' it which doesn't allow the next shell to cycle into the firing chamber)
While he may have been stunned and flopping around after she shot him, she may have panicked and tried to shoot again. Unable to do so she went for her knife (perhaps in her purse) - meanwhile Travis is able to stumble to the sink area, aspirating and dripping blood from his nose and mouth.
She attacks from behind, stabbing his head and back. He goes down and tries to fend her off - hence the blood spatter around the toilet.
He tries to get away; it was probably a violent struggle with her stabbing wildly - he makes it down the hall, probably on all fours now or dragging himself and she slits his throat.
two issues:
lack of blood from the head wound
shell casing on top of the blood
first: blood from head wound, bleeding would be mostly internal and out nose and mouth plus she showered his dead body, possibly cleaning off most of blood on forehead and in the wound track post mortem
As for the shell casing, it could have been knocked onto the blood pool by Jodi's cleanup or perhaps the pooling blood welled up underneath it kind of 'floating the boat' - the location of the casing is consistent with shooting in the shower (they eject back and to the right, exactly where the casing was found)
I think she thought she would kill him in the shower and it would be neat and easy. She didn't figure on the gun jamming or Travis being strong enough to put up such a fight.
The "disorganized" crime scene is due solely to Travis's resilience and fighting back, not an indication she didn't plan this.