And speaking of Maui Now articles, here's a recap of Friday's events:
Capobianco Trial: Forensic Entomologist Estimates Time of Death
http://mauinow.com/2016/09/26/capobianco-trial-forensic-entomologist-estimates-time-of-death/
Goff testified that there were two separate egg-laying events: One that occurred between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2014; and a second event starting by around 6 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2014.
When asked if those times would have been consistent with a person being killed between 9 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2014, Dr. Goff agreed it would be consistent saying blow flies are generally considered inactive at night.
In approximately the 35 hours between those two egg-laying events, Dr. Goff testified that there would have been a period of inactivity between 7 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2014, and 6 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2014.
Prosecuting attorney Robert Rivera asked if the inactivity would be consistent with “wrapping a dead body in a blanket and taping the ends of the blanket with masking tape or other material.” Dr. Goff responded saying, “That would be a possibility.”
Thanks so much Kapua, for compiling all the juror questions and posting these snippet quotes.
I had gotten something different from Goff's testimony on the inactivity, with the by second event BY 6 AM (I thought he meant this was the end of the second event), but this does make sense. However, I listened to him twice on that part, and I didn't ever hear him nail down the interval to 35 hours. I'm wondering if he did the math, which would make it definitive what interval he is calling inactive. Or did the reporter interpret and then did the math herself? Anyone hear the 35 hours of inactivity quote?
The morning of Wed. Feb. 12th after 6 AM is a little problematic for Steven being out there to unwrap her. He went to the Wailuku station Wednesday morning. You'd think he at least needed a shower between the one malodorous act and going into the haunts of law enforcement.
Here is what HGO's detailed timeline (more thanks!) tells us of SC's movements on Wednesday, 2/12.
8:24 am Steven interview 1 with Det. Loo drove in his 4runner
11:22 am Steven interview 2 with Det Loo
Steven's 4runner is searched. A muddy, green cell phone is found on the rear passenger floorboard. The inside of the vehicle is described as dirty and muddy with mud on the doors.
Afternoon, Kyle Knight smells strong odor near Nuaailua Bay but not near "the path" while driving to search at Nahiku.
Steven shows up at Nahiku around 4 or 5pm in his 4runner where searchers are. A group decides to go to Jaws to search. SC tells Kyle Knight he needs gas before he heads to Jaws for search.
(Steven never shows up at Jaws, but does answer his phone when Kyle calls him to ask where he is.)
___________
We see there is less than 90 minutes between 6 AM (2nd egg laying event begins) and Steven's arrival at the police station, and the rest of his morning he stays Wailuku. Maybe a couple of hours free between leaving and showing up in Nahiku. Also Wed. night free (I think he did something then.)
I wish that the grandfather's testimony had covered whether Steven was home for each day and night of that week.
Anyhow, given that SC had almost no time to be out near Paraquat's from 6AM on, I think it still makes sense that he unwrapped her sometime Tue. night, possibly being out there all night, and then the fly activity commences when the sun rises at not quite 7 AM. Not because he started working around 6 AM, but because the flies were inactive simply because it was night. TUESDAY is the day they were inactive during the daytime. IMO because he wrapped her up Monday night and left her like that.
The unwrapping event and subsequent advance of decomp during Wednesday day would really explain why there was an odor of death that stopped traffic on early Wed. afternoon, and persisted, because remember Kyle returned and rappelled on his way back from Nahiku to Jaws. But for this odor to be so strong way up at the highway, I just wonder if he had transported dismembered (easier to transport) remains up the river towards the highway. This is also the way Max went looking for the bad odor on Thursday, the next afternoon. That baby pig threw him off the scent, literally. Remember the police woman said she would always know human from any other odor, but Max was a civilian.
I have to think that this odor of decomp actually did come "that close" to drawing them to find her remains. My spec is that they did not know they were looking for small pieces, in a jungle. They were looking for her, for Charli. What you expect and wish to see changes the way your brain interprets the data from your eyes.
It could be that he scattered pieces for feral pigs to find, but not in the spot where the maggots pooled (the dismembering area), rather way up the stream. It's possible that he did and they did.
I get PT's leanings towards the sharks, but the intense odor does not align with the ocean theory. First there would be no smell for submerged parts or inside sharks. Second the smell would have been much too far from the bridge to stop traffic, even if something had washed up on the beach. Third, the beach was covered by the searchers; the whole jungle area was not. Even the police spoke of a close search of a fairly localized area.