The witness, John Wilson, a 31-year veteran of the Kansas City, Mo. regional crime lab, testified in the afternoon. He says when it comes to crime scene investigation, scientists tend to be more meticulous than patrol officers: they more thoroughly document and collect trace evidence, he argued.
Wilson has significant experience behind his claim: he has instructed classes in crime scene investigation for local police agencies.
The point of contention between Wilson and Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Zoellner was Wilsons claimbased on bullet paths through the victims bodiesthat the attacker was significantly taller than Liz Van Note.
During the cross-examination which dragged into the evening hours, Zoellner hammered Wilsons testimony. But the witness was unrelenting. The two men talked over one another multiple times, and the judge issued out at least two warnings about it, as the court reporter struggled to keep track of who said what.
"I know you do not like my interpretation of the events," Zoellner told Wilson at one point. Wilson replied, It is not that I dislike your interpretation, but that your interpretation does not fit the physical facts of the blood evidence.
The court recessed in the evening, with Judge Hayden stating he expected closing arguments would take place the next day.
