South Africa - Susan Rohde, 47, murdered, Stellenbosch, 24 July 2016

[patCee]

IL: I can spend hours trying to convince the court that I believe it was a ligature mark but we don’t have photos by Perumal or Coetzee-Khan to confirm their findings. I merely favour a ligature mark or the impression left by a ligature mark.

Jenna Etheridge (@JennaEtheridge) | Twitter

(this is the mark on the back of the neck that Khan and Abrahams said wasn't there during the first autopsy)

He did, for the most part, rule out the mark being caused by the pathology block, as he had never experienced it. He explained the 'block' is placed under the shoulders not the neck.

 

[Tortoise]

He did, for the most part, rule out the mark being caused by the pathology block, as he had never experienced it. He explained the 'block' is placed under the shoulders not the neck.

Do you mean Perumal or Khan?

 

[Tortoise]

Dr Perumal wasn't able to identify an injury to the nose that caused the two episodes of bleeding.

 

[patCee]

Do you mean Perumal or Khan?

Sorry, I meant Loftus ruled it out. It was something that the defence had previously questioned I think.

 

[Tortoise]

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[Tortoise]

Discussion about body temperature and time of death:

IL goes through the calculation of time of death that Dr Coetzee-Khan did. Body was on clay tiles and he testified floor could be cold. Other factors to consider was if throw was placed over body and position or not of bath robe.

IL: If her gown was pulled up, her lower back was exposed, it would be regarded as naked [for purposes of calculation of time of death].

Jenna Etheridge (@JennaEtheridge) | Twitter

 

[Tortoise]

A complicated graph is shown in court. IL simplifies and says that "there is a 95% probability that death occurred during 02:18 and 07:54" that day.

Jenna Etheridge (@JennaEtheridge) | Twitter

 

[patCee]

Dr Loftus - the body was lying on tiled bathroom floor and that could cool the body, also if windows were open and doors opening. Floor temperature not measured, so Loftus made a hypothetical temperature of floor.
These factors could affect the calculation of time of death.
Dr Loftus estimated 95% chance time of death between 2.18 and a 7.54 according to him. He acknowledged there were so many variables.

 

[patCee]

Sorry Tortoise, put up my above post before seeing yours.

 

[Tortoise]

"I'm not a blood spatter expert, BUT..."

Well we don't want to hear it then.

 

[Tortoise]

There seems to a lack of common sense here. The real question is whether Susan died between 07:00 and 08:00, which is the accused's version, and if so, could she have been cold to the touch after an hour or less? What does math say about that?

Nick van der Leek (@HiRezLife) | Twitter

 

[patCee]

Has there been any indication that the prosecution are going to bring in an independent pathological expert? This seems out of balance to me.

 

[patCee]

Trial to recommence on the 6.8.18.

 

[Tortoise]

Judge - after this week, recess until 30th July, all judges doing full bench appeals the following week, so can commence on 6th Aug at 9:45am.

LVN only received the report this morning. VDS no longer has an instructing attorney?

 

[Tortoise]

The attorney has resigned??

 

[patCee]

Whatever is going on with the defence team - one murdered; Rohde dismissed others due to cost, apparently - one now resigned. All in the process of this trial.

 

[tmar]

The attorney has resigned??

Yippee.
So JR ran out of money, AGAIN, or attorney NOT happy, or sacked as others were????

Great: problems in the yard.

 

[Tortoise]

Yippee.
So JR ran out of money, AGAIN, or attorney NOT happy, or sacked as others were????

Great: problems in the yard.

I'm telling you look at his face (video posted upthread) when Perumal finished agreeing with the State. No, it's all guesswork, Jase could have run out of money, or fallen out with him.

 

[tmar]

I'm telling you look at his face (video posted upthread) when Perumal finished agreeing with the State. No, it's all guesswork, Jase could have run out of money, or fallen out with him.

JR's appearance now is so different, to the beginning of the trial.
Karma is working away, little by little.
I am so pleased.

 

[Tortoise]

I'm a little incredulous that he would suggest the faeces might not be human. It's even documented in the scene report as being on her body as well as next to her body. Then VDS jumps on it like 'oh yes, that's a good idea, there is no such evidence...'

Someone needs to have put it in a box and put it under his nose maybe.