2011.06.21 TRIAL Day Twenty-four (Morning Session)

[countzero]

Dr Bock may come across as sweet and grandmotherly but she seems to have an agenda to fight for the killer for some strange reason. Was she promised something for her testimony?

She and Anne Finnell. Are they separated sisters from birth.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

My head hurts - didn't she just admit that the skull pics of the leaf litter clearly shows more than just two weeks of accumulation?

Now she's basing her answer on the pic of Feb 09 - huh? Six weeks later?

 

[Mamabear1963]

Okay, so reasonable doubt is...um...I guess the testimony doesn't have to make sense...

 

[miss plum]

I don't think she is any threat whatsoever to the State's case and I think 'The Thinker' is gloomily thinking that also.

 

[wenwe4]

I missed DS questioning....

Cross

JA - from Colorado? how much time spent working in FL....was site of PhD thesis. in 1966
actual work in FL in 1960 - moving up and down FL looking @ water hyacinths and distribution in fresh water bodies and semi-marine areas...other projects studied food habits of tortise....1980 off and on thru 1990. her parents lived here - came to see them...used field guides to become familiar with thousands plant speices to further botanical non-native and native plants.....in general and continues to now....study botany in FL

most of work has been studying grasslands - part of work and big piece of it grasslands here and in South America....agree different areas of the country have unique botanical ecology....visit area where body was found...reviewed large number of photos from scene in various stages of exploration and pristine....frequently wet?
characterized as a swamp-hardwood....part of the plants are upward so not wet all the time ....not all the time underwater but frequently under water?
occassionally under water or wet....
statements to counsel that body could have been there in as little as 2 weeks....based upon all botanical information in this case....hair mass roots grown there in as little as 2 weeks....grown or accumulated in 2 weeks? yes both.....

canvas laundry bag roots growing into the fabric - could have occurred in 2 weeks in December...roots growing into the bones.....saw photos and also saw bones.....opinion growth into the bone could have grown into the bone in 2 weeks in Dec.....not expert on bones/osteology...roots to penetrate substances yes.....never experienced working witha decomposing skeleton?

Dr; B has dealt with looked @ evidence of skeletons in place for several years....yes and no is not so easy.....looked @ bone where root grown into skeleton....recall depo 2/12/11 pg 64 & 65----ever examine skeleton where plants and roots grown into the skeleton...answer no but done classes....bone? trying to think...clay....no bones doesn't sound like me.....

she observed forensic archeologist perhaps 10 yr old skeleton did see roots ....should have qualified what she said but didn't even think about that @ time....experience w/roots grown into bone is extremely limited =yes.

in photos viewed - leaf liter built up on skull up to area of lower portion of the eyes......photos of skull as it was found in pristine form with leaves? yes perhaps...don't know when individual leaves were....

pic buried up to nose or ear area on the skull....leaf litter collected up to the jaw and nose...leaf litter and humus....whatever it is it is collected to that height - that amount of leaf litter can collect and pile up in that form in just 2 weeks?

other considerations about this picture.....yes that high leaf litter in just 2 weeks.

recognize this as photo of skull when returned to ME office with leaf litter collected around it...yes...agree this reflects leaves of varying degrees of decomposition some still green, some yellow some brown, some completely gray...yes....reflection of various decomp levels also reflection of when the leaves fell from trees...some fall when no cholorophil left....some shed when still green....all decomp of leaves around the skull could occur in just 2 weeks in December? left side of the skull or the right side? either side....she doesn't understand how the collection was made.....ME investigator put hands 6" - 8" either side of the skull tried to lift all leaf litter in around and under skull......moved some toward skull - hard not to....leaves have clearly been off the trees for longer than 2 weeks?? and lying other things perhaps.....skull been there for alot longer than 2 weeks? given your hypothesis it had laid there undisturbed all that time answer would be yes.....what is it you are basing thought on other than leaf litter just discussed.....the big cardboard picture....all leaf litter there accumulated on ground that was scraped there by 15th of decemeber - are you familiar with leaf fall rates on trees indiginous to FL? yes!

If I may - defense exhibit #29 - big pic - what you are saying the amount of leaves here occurred here in approx 6 weeks...not covering ground? in some places is and isn't....lavellier mike for her

 

[whiteangora]

Yes, she is paid

'nuff said?

Wouldn't it take more than the JAC wages to have her make such outrageous claims? Something seems fishy. Why risk her credibility?

 

[robotdog]

I didnt like her from the GEEEEET GO

 

[sleutherontheside]

OMG....was that a toot?

 

[cityslick]

bbm
It's what I classify as cantankerous...just like my dear Mom...just can't imagine being wrong about anything as it might be an indication of a failing mind...and will even fib when she has to...

If you job involves some sort of research, and then you get some lawyer who's telling you to your face that your research is wrong, I'd think you get a little 'cantankerous' as well, no matter who it's supposed to benefit?

Do you think Dr. Vass enjoyed the DT trying to say his air sample research was wrong? Same principle.

 

[Celt1997]

Well, the plants growing there were heavily vined and lots of air potato plants. They can grow 8" per DAY and their roots grow equally as fast. But, even so, I don't think that leaf litter could accumulate in two weeks or even close.

I grow hops and I can tell you that they will grow 12" a day, and will pierce any sort of weed fabric or plastic really quickly. Of course there is no evidence that someone had a hops farm back in those woods, so it's kind of moot, but there are plants out there that will create a ton of root growth/entanglement in a short period of time.

 

[Serjen]

Whether she's being purposely untruthful or not... it's a difficult position to be in sitting in the "hot seat" being relentlessly grilled by a character like JA. Anyone would get defensive! I'm sure that she has never been talked to like that ... probably ever, by anybody! She's used to being in a position of authority as a professor...

And just how is he talking to her? He's questioning a ridiculous claim by the witness, does he have to baby her because she's an old woman? Ridiculous. These witnesses have been deposed by Ashton in the past so they know what they will be dealing with. This is a trial for the murder of a 2 year old, JA doesn't have to be sweet and sugary to a bunch of paid lying witnesses, IMO. And she's old enough where I'm SURE at some point in her lifetime she's been talked to a lot worse.

 

[laserdisc10]

Yes, and she is trying to outhink JA. She is couching her answers in an attempt to try and circumvent his next question.

Great comment. Sums her up

 

[liltexans]

KBelichWFTV Kathi Belich, WFTV
Defense expert won't answer how inches of leaf litter could have collected in just two weeks
2 minutes ago

 

[SillyJilly]

Methinks she is Prof. Umbridge from Harry Potter. :floorlaugh:

OMG I was thinking the same thing!:floorlaugh:

 

[yeknomaras]

totally evasive witness. waste. huge waste.

 

[mydailyopinions]

Dr Bock may come across as sweet and grandmotherly but she seems to have an agenda to fight for the killer for some strange reason. Was she promised something for her testimony?

My theory on another thread is that LKB is owed some favors.

 

[TiaM]

ICA doing her best, "Oh I just can't bear to look at those photo's."

Yet had no problem looking at the DT big, blown up photos.....:maddening:

 

[Aedrys]

OMG, the defense just can't have ONE decent witness. Not ONE. And seriously, reading leaf litter makes you a botanist? I think most of us here can do that. OMG. What an insult to collective intelligence of the jury WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN FLORIDA!

I'm seriously expecting Dr. Doolittle next to testify on behalf of the squirrels who lost a loved one in Casey's trunk. That is how crazy this trial is getting. Sheesh.

 

[MaraSleuth]

How come the prosecution never put on a botanist? I don't see Ashton make much headway with this witness altho she doesn't look very believable to me.

Possibly saving for rebuttal. Now they now the DT stance and can refute their claims IMO.

 

[logicalgirl]

Dr. Bock is being defiant enough to force JA to take her apart piece by piece - why not just concede she may have been mistaken?