GUILTY TX - Christina Morris, 23, Plano, 30 August 2014 - #21 *Arrest*

[JnRyan]

I should have searched more thoroughly before that last post. Here is the link to Wheel of Misfortune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg0fLyKkHM0

 

[CookieM]

Yes I believe the camera's would have seen that. Her car can be seen in the CCTV's. LE said she didn't get to her car nor did her car leave the garage and was still locked, in either the affidavit or the warrant. One of the two. So we do know that she didn't get to or in her car.

If the cameras can see her car to the point of knowing that she didn't get into it, then they must be able to see his car since they were so close. That's so weird. Then why would it even be a question HOW she left the garage? I'm so confused!! I thought LE speculated that the way she must've left was in his car. But if the CCTVs captured the cars in the parking spaces, why are they speculating? Or do you mean that the CCTVs never show her car leaving so they know she didn't leave in her car? I'm not sure if I misunderstood about the cameras and what they captured.

 

[dfwmom]

Brittany just posted "Dogs get positive hit in parking garage where #ChristinaMorris last seen; "hit" can mean body fluid such as blood, semen".

 

[txyorkiemom]

Hi all, just got a pm request to try and answer some questions. Can someone give the rundown or post # on the dog question?

Hi Sarx, Thank You so much for stopping in.

Christina has been missing for 3 months. A Cadaver Dog hit on a blood spot in the Enclosed Parking Garage area from where she was last seen.
Are Cadaver Dogs cross trained in Blood and Decomposition??

 

[sarx]

Hi and thank you - are cadaver dogs trained only for some type of death scent (ugh) and search and rescue dogs for a live person? Or can one dog be trained in both? (I'm sure there are other questions)

That one is not an easy answer, lol. It depends on who is doing the training. Yes, decomp has lots of different stages and scents, so the more types one trains on the better. Common practice is also to train on blood and/or blood infused tissue. So, this is great when looking for a body, the problem is, they will also hit on every blood drip from a cut, scrape, etc, which is very common in places like garages, workshops, even kitchens and bathrooms. So, for the purpose of a criminal case, it gets difficult to determine if that blood drop they are hitting on is accidental or related.

Everyone has their own opinion on cross training, good, bad or otherwise, but the short answer is yes, a dog can be trained to do both.

 

[CookieM]

That one is not an easy answer, lol. It depends on who is doing the training. Yes, decomp has lots of different stages and scents, so the more types one trains on the better. Common practice is also to train on blood and/or blood infused tissue. So, this is great when looking for a body, the problem is, they will also hit on every blood drip from a cut, scrape, etc, which is very common in places like garages, workshops, even kitchens and bathrooms. So, for the purpose of a criminal case, it gets difficult to determine if that blood drop they are hitting on is accidental or related.

Everyone has their own opinion on cross training, good, bad or otherwise, but the short answer is yes, a dog can be trained to do both.

Another question for you -- just to clarify (and THANKS for joining in!)

Does a cadaver or decomp dog detect decomposition in general, or are you saying that one of these dogs could be sent out and identify that it is Christina's bodily fluid that was found? I am guessing that a search and rescue dog is sent out to find a particular person's scent, but do some cadaver dogs do the same?

 

[CatsInTheCradle]

Brittany just posted "Dogs get positive hit in parking garage where #ChristinaMorris last seen; "hit" can mean body fluid such as blood, semen".

Does that mean the hit was definitely on Christina? Thanks for all the updates by the way.

 

[Agent.Veritas]

I just can't shake the feeling that whatever happened was outside Plano city limits.
Not because I'm in denial about my city, either. Bad things happen everywhere.

It's just so hard to fathom something happening on the road (or near it) or anywhere within visibility of a street during that hour. The police are EVERYWHERE at that time of the day-- practically the only vehicles on the road, and particularly abundant on a holiday weekend.

Someone would have to be completely oblivious to try something in Plano city limits (especially spontaneously, and double-especially on a tight time-frame!)

 

[txyorkiemom]

That one is not an easy answer, lol. It depends on who is doing the training. Yes, decomp has lots of different stages and scents, so the more types one trains on the better. Common practice is also to train on blood and/or blood infused tissue. So, this is great when looking for a body, the problem is, they will also hit on every blood drip from a cut, scrape, etc, which is very common in places like garages, workshops, even kitchens and bathrooms. So, for the purpose of a criminal case, it gets difficult to determine if that blood drop they are hitting on is accidental or related.

Everyone has their own opinion on cross training, good, bad or otherwise, but the short answer is yes, a dog can be trained to do both.

Sarx,
How soon does the body put off a decomposition scent that the Cadaver Dogs are trained to pick up? Can they detect human remains buried shallow or deeper??

 

[dfwmom]

Does that mean the hit was definitely on Christina? Thanks for all the updates by the way.

No it could be anyone. I still am not for sure if they only pick it up if it was a dead person or if it can come from someone alive too?

 

[Latestforever]

I believe you are correct but that would make 5 not 4 so who was left at 4am? CM, EA, PP and who?

Maybe SB was still there. I don't remember hearing what time she left, but she was parked in the parking garage per warrant IIRC. I wonder if her car was still there at 4am or not...

 

[Suthrnqt]

Subscribing.....

 

[sarx]

Another question for you -- just to clarify (and THANKS for joining in!)

Does a cadaver or decomp dog detect decomposition in general, or are you saying that one of these dogs could be sent out and identify that it is Christina's bodily fluid that was found? I am guessing that a search and rescue dog is sent out to find a particular person's scent, but do some cadaver dogs do the same?

Specific scent for HRD dogs is still very experimental and not mainstream at all, so the short answer is no, HRD dogs are looking for ANY scent they are trained on, not connected to any specific person.

 

[sarx]

Does that mean the hit was definitely on Christina? Thanks for all the updates by the way.

Not at all, it would simply be a hit on a trained scent.

 

[wendiyking]

The only thing I can guess/assume from this is maybe the cameras are angled looked at the car from driver side, so they could see her go to his car, but the car itself could be blocking what happened on that side of the car... the darkness may contribute as well as the graininess of the cameras but who knows? LE and EA probably....

If the cameras can see her car to the point of knowing that she didn't get into it, then they must be able to see his car since they were so close. That's so weird. Then why would it even be a question HOW she left the garage? I'm so confused!! I thought LE speculated that the way she must've left was in his car. But if the CCTVs captured the cars in the parking spaces, why are they speculating? Or do you mean that the CCTVs never show her car leaving so they know she didn't leave in her car? I'm not sure if I misunderstood about the cameras and what they captured.

 

[sarx]

No it could be anyone. I still am not for sure if they only pick it up if it was a dead person or if it can come from someone alive too?

Simply put, blood comes from live people too. Now if you only trained on blood that came from a body already deceased, then it could be, but this isn't really common practice. A fellow handler and I were just having what we call the "blood debate" a few weeks ago.

 

[Latestforever]

I don't think some of it is very unlikely JMO. Looking back at what I have seen from some that were there, and not heard, it interests me enough to keep this convo going. And of course, what was found recently in the garage with the pups.

If in fact the "scent" the dogs picked up on was Christina's blood, that would seem like evidence that a crime had been committed? Am I correct in my thinking? Any legal people here that can answer that for me? I have no clue just asking.

I hope LE can come luminol that place up and also be able to test for DNA.

 

[wendiyking]

I think the important thing to consider is that the blood (or whatever the "one hit") was, was where EA's car was parked. Though not a big garage, it isn't an old garage and I'm sure this type of hit isn't covering the garage. So what is the likelihood that someone else lost blood /semen/ whatever in this identical spot out of all the parking spots in this particular garage?

 

[sarx]

Sarx,
How soon does the body put off a decomposition scent that the Cadaver Dogs are trained to pick up? Can they detect human remains buried shallow or deeper??

This all depends on training. Decomp scent changes several times. Some dogs are not trained on that initial decomp scent (the one that happens at death to several minutes past), so if someone dies and then is immediately moved, some dogs can miss that alert as it wasn't a smell they knew, others will connect the dots and still alert, and then there are some that have actually trained on it (which as you can imagine can be hard to do as you kinda need a fresh scent source).

Above ground, up in a tree, below ground, it's all a matter of training. Depends on who certification is done through. Personally I think all dogs should be certified to at least an 18" depth and 8 ft up, otherwise, well, I can trip and find them myself. Some dogs are trained to much higher and deeper, going as much as 15-20 ft deep. Just all depends on your resources and how much time you are willing to spend training, how good you are and how good your dog is.

 

[truetexan]

Could he have possibly injected her with a needle and blood dropped then he put her in car and drove away?