Nancy Grace - 10/15/08 - Wednesday

[LawnGuylandMom]

Sorry for quoting my own post, but does anyone know the answer to this question? Thanks so much!

I was wondering the same thing

 

[Advocate4]

H, Jeffrey Michael – According to Casey, Jeff is one of the two people (see L, Juliette) she told that Caylee was missing. Said he worked at Universal Studios with her. Further investigation found that he had been fired May 13, 2002. Casey says he lives in Jacksonville, FL. It was through Jeff H that Casey says she first met ZG, around December 2004. ZG babysat Jeff’s son Zachary for approximately six months. According to Casey, she had contacted Jeff several times during the time Caylee has been missing to find out whether Jeff had heard from Zenaida.

Just for the heck of it, I ran the Jeffrey Michael H (on http://www.peoplelookup.com/) and there is (or was, depending on how current the info may be) a Jeffrey Michael H -- age 24 -- in Lakeland, FL. Do we know if LE made any effort to find the Jeffrey Michael that KC referenced?

 

[LawnGuylandMom]

Abstract
"During the course of our forensic investigations, we have encountered situations where it would have been useful to have evidence, other than direct contact between the two, for concluding that a carrion-fly maggot developed on a particular human victim. If a maggot collected during a death investigation did not develop on the victim, then its age is not relevant to estimating the postmortem interval. In this study we demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data can be obtained from the dissected gut of a maggot that had fed on human tissue. These data can be used to identify both the human corpse upon which the maggot had been feeding and the species of the maggot itself."

 

[LaLaw2000]

I was wondering the same thing

Thanks, LawnGuylandMom. I will try to research that myself and let you know. I thought someone here might know! Looking for an easy answer to my question, lol.

 

[Infojunkie]

I saw a couple of people asking about DNA and maggots and found an article as I was wondering if it was possible myself. You can read the full article here.

And here's the pertinent part...

As in other areas of forensic science, DNA fingerprinting is a powerful tool when used on insects. "DNA technology is used to help identify insect species, instead of using the general morphological characteristics, and to recover human blood meals from the gut contents of insects," explains Jason Byrd, an assistant professor of criminal justice and biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.

 

[LawnGuylandMom]

Thanks, LawnGuylandMom. I will try to research that myself and let you know. I thought someone here might know! Looking for an easy answer to my question, lol.

I hear ya, think I may have found something to help.

 

[Brini]

I'll have to double check but I *believe* that is what was said.

That's what he said.

 

[LaLaw2000]

I hear ya, think I may have found something to help.

Yes, thank you, LawnGuylandMom! Thank you also, infojunkie!

 

[Advocate4]

I have not caught up reading on this thread yet, but wanted to put my 2 cents worth in on the bodily fluid and maggots on the outside of the trash bag containing the pizza. The tow yard manager threw the bag into the dumpster, IIRC. There was some time inbetween when the bag was thrown into the dumpster and when LE retrieved it. It was the night of the same day, but once the bag hit the dumpster out of the car, the defense could say that anything could have happened to it. This is actually breaking the chain of evidence from the car. This is going to cause a problem at trial I think. It is an interesting question and one I wish an expert would answer.

Logic says that if there is a witness - ie, the tow yard manager - that the bag came out of the trunk of Casey's car, and that bag had maggots on it, that it would be the same bag. Chain of custody means so much. Just watch and see - if that is big evidence that the SA wants to present at trial - then the defense is going to make a big deal out of the chain of custody of evidence. From the time the bag left Simon Burch's hands and into the dumpster, there was a period of time that the bag was unattended in a dumpster.

I may not be explaining my concerns about the trash bag very well, but does anyone see what I mean? IFFY chain of custody of evidence at best.

I agree the chain of custody on this evidence could be affected by the bag being out of "anyone's" control for a period of time, and it may well be a point in the trial. However, IF the maggots from the bag reveal DNA connected to Caylee, then that fact would probably bridge the gap on the chain of custody, I would think.

 

[mahoneys07]

I got it ...The A's had chloroform in the hose Its what GA used to Shut CA up at times...lol...sorry but i could'nt resist.....
Back to the original topic Is there anychance that any of the forensics will be released before trial...I am dying to know what they have found that was so damning. I can use my imagination but it actually scares me at time to think anyone could even ever do these things to their own child or any child for that matter

 

[aprilshowers]

UGH! I'm feeling sick tonight! I keep picturing that video of Caylee dancing ... then the talk of the maggots, and body fluids .... it's just TOO hard to handle sometimes!!!

 

[black poodle]

Oh surprise..........he has no kids, doesnt know ZG.. Wonder what JB & CA are saying to this. :behindbar

did Casey think that these people would be interviewed, if she had known him since grade school I am sure she knew he did not have children. What a stupid lie.:waitasec:

 

[Short_Stuff]

On maggots, I know Casey is guilty, but I dont know why the news keeps saying maggots only go on dead bodies and not food. Because when we used to have garbage men back in the day, that collected our garbage (actual food in our garbage cans, not trash with it like now). There were maggots in our cans in summer. so yes food (not just bodies) get maggots. As a kid, I saw them and used to clean/spray our garbage cans after the garbage men picked up our garbage.

 

[gardenhart]

On maggots, I know Casey is guilty, but I dont know why the news keeps saying maggots only go on dead bodies and not food. Because when we used to have garbage men back in the day, that collected our garbage (actual food in our garbage cans, not trash with it like now). There were maggots in our cans in summer. so yes food (not just bodies) get maggots. As a kid, I saw them and used to clean/spray our garbage cans after the garbage men picked up our garbage.

Those were not the same species as the ones that feed on dead bodies.

 

[WillenFan21]

Can't wait to see this tonight.

 

[strach304]

Originally Posted by DollyPardonMe View Post
I hate to seem gross but I just looked up maggots. They start to grow 8-20 hours after flies lay their eggs. So, if Casey killed Caylee (allegedly) on the 16 or 17th) it would be highly possible the maggots would be in the car when they found the bag.
Didn't Kobe say there would not have ben time for them to grow?
Reply With Quote

Maybe I am misunderstanding something here but we have no information as to when Caylee was in the trunk or how many times. Even if Casey immediately transported the body somewhere else before that 8 hours wouldn't there be maggots on the child's body when Casey moved her again if in fact she did. We have no point of reference for how long caylee was initially in the trunk to begin with.

 

[strach304]

The squirrels planted the human body fluids on the bag. Then, they committed suicide on the engine.

As sad as this case is every time someone says anything about those suicidal squirrels I have to laugh. :crazy:

 

[sammielizabeth]

I hope no one takes offense for me noticing this type thing, but in the Baez/Casey video yesterday, Casey kept wiping her tear and pushing her hair back. I just now noticed that she looks to have a fresh acrylic nail job. How on earth did she get them done and how did she expect to keep them up in jail? She must have had someone come into the home or Baez's office to do her nails and was not expecting to go to jail.

How sad...they don't even care. CA gets totally nutty, evertime KRAZY goes back to the slammer.

 

[strach304]

If she doesn't go for a plea deal and there is a trial I want the transcripts. We have to do that here again so we can afford to buy them. The reporting in the Scott Peterson trial was awful.

 

[technicalconfusion]

Is that like the "Bass-O-Matic?" :crazy:

Seriously guys...keep this up...I'll save soooo many calories reading these post...urp....

Yup. The bassomatic!

Brini, I have a gross question for you. Could the maggots be disected and find what the maggots had been feeding on? Gross just thinking about it! I am sorry everyone. Would the maggots have Caylee's DNA in them?

From http://www.astm.org/JOURNALS/FORENSIC/PAGES/JFS4630685.htm


Abstract
During the course of our forensic investigations, we have encountered situations where it would have been useful to have evidence, other than direct contact between the two, for concluding that a carrion-fly maggot developed on a particular human victim. If a maggot collected during a death investigation did not develop on the victim, then its age is not relevant to estimating the postmortem interval. In this study we demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data can be obtained from the dissected gut of a maggot that had fed on human tissue. These data can be used to identify both the human corpse upon which the maggot had been feeding and the species of the maggot itself.

I've seen the blender (grinding the worms into a soup) thing and dna extraction on CSI. Someone else mentioned it in this thread.