Laura Babcock Murder Trial 11.14.17 - Day 15

[EspressoBean]

I don't recall her being 5'11"......do you have a link to that? (average Canadian female is 5'4 1/2" according to Wikepedia)

I think she was 5'10" from what I remember so a little under 6 inches taller than average.

 

[mimimic]

While we wait, for what reasons would WM have wanted SS to take out the batteries on the Harley? This was a text between SS and DM in one of the last Mob reporter videos.

 

[Kamille]

Rogers is now showing on a screen how the bones sit on specific squares on the grid.
by Adam Carter 11:21 AM

Trehearne pointing to a space, suggesting it shows parts of a bone. "I didn't see those as the same piece," Rogers says.
by Adam Carter 11:23 AM

 

[Kamille]

Lisa Hepfner‏ @HefCHCHNews
4m4 minutes ago
Trehearne is asking about the size of bones as seen with the virtual police grid. Rogers is explaining how the measurements are taken. #LauraBabcock

 

[paris_paris]

That's not good. A 1/2" either way on a 2" grid is a 25% margin of error, which puts some of the measurements she used to rule out deer bones in question. :/

I read it as 1/2" margin of error over the entire grid.

 

[Kamille]

Can anyone take over the tweets?

 

[Kamille]

This is really specific evidence. It's kind of hard to explain unless you're in court, seeing the witness point to specific squares on the grid overlay on this photo.
by Adam Carter 11:26 AM

Rogers says the piece we're looking at is the "base" of the bone.
by Adam Carter 11:27 AM

 

[paris_paris]

While we wait, for what reasons would WM have wanted SS to take out the batteries on the Harley? This was a text between SS and DM in one of the last Mob reporter videos.

I think the battery was being charged and he wanted it off the charger? I wondered if there was concern about it over-charging. All I got from that was that WM likely did not have a cell phone or use texting or he would have sent the message himself.

 

[Kamille]

Sorry guys, gotta run. Adam Carter is pretty much the only one tweeting right now so just posting up his live blog should suffice.

 

[andreww]

I think we'll take Dr Rogers opinion and expertise over his!!

I'm a hundred percent certain what is actually in that incinerator, but thats because I know the circumstances of this case. If someone were to show the good doctor that image and ask her to identify the contents without any prior knowledge of the case, my guess would be that she wouldn't stake her reputation on her opinion. When you know the equation ( 2+X=4 ) its very easy to say that X is 2. Without the equation, I'm not sure its possible given the poor resolution.

 

[EspressoBean]

I'm a hundred percent certain what is actually in that incinerator, but thats because I know the circumstances of this case. If someone were to show the good doctor that image and ask her to identify the contents without any prior knowledge of the case, my guess would be that she wouldn't stake her reputation on her opinion. When you know the equation ( 2+X=4 ) its very easy to say that X is 2. Without the equation, I'm not sure its possible given the poor resolution.

I don't know that I agree. She is openly saying that she can't confirm without doubt that this evidence proves these are human bones but I think if she was shown this photo without any information about the case, I believe she would be able to fairly quickly identify that what she is looking at appear to be human bones. Certainty is not going to happen here but hypothesis by an expert of her caliber should count for a lot to support the loads of circumstantial evidence in this case.
jmo

 

[meterclicks]

Rogers again agrees that these aren't ideal photos to work on for something like this.
by Adam Carter 11:28 AM

We're now looking at a photo that Rogers used last week, comparing the difference between human and deer radius bones. Trehearne is asking questions about the tips of those bones, and how they're not equal.
by Adam Carter 11:29 AM

Trehearne now asking about how human bones burn in an incinerator. Rogers testified that bones warp and crack, but don't actually turn to ash.
by Adam Carter 11:32 AM


Also talking about how a bone can shrink when burned -- up to 14%-18%. "Are you aware that the incinerator in this case burns up to 1200 degrees?" Trehearne asks. Rogers says yes.
by Adam Carter 11:33 AM

 

[meterclicks]

What the defence on both sides is trying to do here is hammer home that the bones could have warped and changed shape, which would make them harder to identify properly.
by Adam Carter 11:34 AM

Trehearne asks if burning can cause shrinkage of the bones to the point that it's not useful for identification. Rogers says yes.
by Adam Carter 11:36 AM

 

[mimimic]

Yes who in their right mind would circumstantially loose 2 nights sleep to get rid of a deer?! what ever

 

[Inspector_North]

MS texted DM about leaving MM out front while they are out back talking to that girl if you know what I mean.
MS made a RAP song about burning a girl, not a Doe Ray Me tune.

They didn't have one picture of a deer, and I'm sure they would have if they did. MOO

 

[meterclicks]

Trehearne asking Rogers if she can talk about the specifics of the deer bone she pulled for comparison to a human bone. For the most part, Rogers says she can't, as she's not an expert in animal bones. For the most part, she determines whether or not bones are animal or human.
by Adam Carter 11:39 AM

Trehearne now moving to talking about another object seen in the photo from the incinerator, that Rogers previously testified looked like a human bone.
by Adam Carter 11:40 AM

 

[meterclicks]

Trehearne is questioning Rogers about how she was seeing a piece of bone today on the screen compared to last week when she testified.
by Adam Carter 11:46 AM

"What I'm trying to establish is that it's hard to tell what's going on in this picture," Trehearne says, adding that it might be something lying across the bone, and it's not a human humerus at all. "Correct," Rogers answers.
by Adam Carter 11:47 AM

 

[andreww]

IMO this is BS science. But the crown has no other way to introduce that image and suggest its human remains (which we all know it is).

 

[paris_paris]

From the videos...

June 30th, 2012 DM texted "You around later tonight? Want to play a ball."
and July 1st DM texted "You around tonight? Want to meet up?"

The number he texted is 1-647-704-4360. Have we seen this one before?
I’m trying to figure out who he's texting. Laura?

 

[meterclicks]

Trehearne is now really zooming in on one area of the photo, and asking questions about a specific spot. "At this level of zoom it's really hard to say," Rogers says.
by Adam Carter 11:49 AM

What they're looking at is some impressions on the alleged bone. Trehearne is saying an impression is actually two impressions. Rogers says it appears to her to be one singular dark area.
by Adam Carter 11:51 AM