TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #10

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

We r moving at speed of light since defense narrowed its focus to role and doesn't dispute facts of crimes #cntrial
4 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

TK asks how he got involved in the case...

He explains that he's been an investigator for years - not just a dog handler...

For this case, he had received a request from the ATF to bring Yvonne to this location - approx 1701 avenue...

There were 3-4 people on scene working the case...

He made sure the scene was safe for canine to peruse - no glass, metals, etc...

He then got her out.. calibrated her, then brought her to the scene... she showed very strong positive reactions to 2 different areas. He returned her to car, then got his tools and collected all the evidence... and got pics.. then left.

He always collects, maintains, and delivers his own evidence directly to the crime lab.

...and here TK comes with the famous paint cans of evidence.

 

[Muffet]

He has rock and soil in there...

He uses paint cans because they can be sealed and keep evidence like hydrocarbons and other vapors from escaping ...

Showing him pics of the general area - where he parked and collected evidence..

This camera man is all over the place - it's awful compared to last time. And he must have gotten chewed out for not switching away from the photo of Chris, because now he won't show us the screen of any photos at all.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Wish I had single sock sniffing dog so I could find all those missing ones from my laundry #cntrial
5 minutes ago from txt

Robert Watson, state arson guy, says used hydrocarbon sniffing dog to detect accelerant at Chris burn site #cntrial
6 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Explaining the science of how gas and its vapors burn... the liquid that is on the body might be burned up, or some might remain...

Explains that he could still find gasoline here was because it had sunk into the dirt and rocks and there wasn't enough heat and oxygen to let it burn up.

TK asks what blistering is... he describes how an adult body will blister at 132 degrees...

Fire Stance - when a body is set on fire, the ligaments will pull things into the "fire stance" - where everything is pulled inward.

Passes to defense - defense has no questions... nor does jury...

Calling next witness..

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Gas "got down into rocks, dirt" so didn't burn up, leaving traces behind - Watson #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Russel Whitfield.

Knoxville forensic unit.

Says he was called to the site where they found Chris ... TK showing him photos of area - we can't see...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop


Learned new bit from Watson: when body burns ligaments pull into "pugilistic stance" looks like fighter pose #cntrial
2 minutes

 

[Muffet]

Says that as he looked around area, he found long strips of cloth that looked just like the strips where Chris was found...

Describing where body was found... (TK says that the aerial photo had confused the train engineer - explains why they were taking forever on that map)

anyway... we can't see the photos he's identifying.. they're of the area, the leash, cloth strips, and the handle of leash...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

KPD Whitfield describes broken dog leash found near Chris' body. Says it all bout treatment of vics #cntrial
less than a minute ago from txt

 

[JulieR]

Damn. Camera forgot to cut away before they showed a photo of Chris' burned body.

Dang, just got online to see what was going on in the trial and that was the first shot I seen.........I just can't believe they showed his poor body, OMG I feel so bad for his the parents.

 

[Muffet]

This was all collected by him there on Wednesday, Jan 10 - 3 days after Chris had been found on Sunday.

Weather was cold, and there had been some rain..


TK has him ID the cloth strips:

 

[JulieR]

Thanks you all for posting, it makes it easy to get caught up........you all rock!!!

 

[Muffet]

Showing curtain fabric to jury:

I so hope the real camera man comes back tomorrow.

 

[Muffet]

Defense cross...

Asks where he sent the evidence... answer is State Lab... "you sent it there to get evidence, right?" yadda...

I think the defense is trying to make the point that they were looking for evidence beyond just the fire ...and didn't find any DNA of GT's.


No more questions...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Dillard points out cloth sent for DNA testing. He's setting up fact none of Thomas found on it #cntrial
2 minutes ago from txt

State wisely chose this time not to show pic of leash that shows ungloved crime scene tech hand #cntrial
6 minutes ago from txt

Take battered feet, strips cloth in brush and dog leash and u see Chris was pulled by leash to his death #cntrial
12 minutes ago from txt

 

[PrairieWind]

Even after watching 2 trials already, it still shocks me, the brutality and the senseless torture that was inflicted on these two. How do you willfully, knowingly inflict that much pain, terror and humiliation on people that you dont even know? I don't understand it.

 

[Muffet]

Camera comes back as this lady is being sworn in:

She's from TBI Crime lab - 17 years... evidence examination.. giving her creds... lots of them...

Fire debris analysis & gunshot residue analysis...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Thomas has couple peeps here on his side, not sure yet of relationship #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

...that is interesting...wonder who it is?

 

[Muffet]

She's accepted as an expert... now talking about how the lab is accredited... how they maintain protocols, SOPs, quality control, etc...


Onto this case - she was asked to analyze 2 items for presence of ignitable liquids... is handed 2 paint cans... she identifies her markings...

Carbon strip recovery - she puts a carbon strip in the can, heats the can, the charcoal strip absorbs the chemicals ..she takes it out, then analyzes those chemicals.

Results on these items revealed the presence of gasoline class products.. (lots of chemistry and talk about various types, but what it boils down to is this was gas.)

Price asks about burn rate. Flashpoint of gas is - 49 degrees fahrenheit (? sounds low)

...Price asks, if gas is poured in dirt/rocks, how long will it be detectable... she says it hangs around about 7 days before it's evaporated... thus the paint cans...

So Price is confirming that the gas was poured on that spot within the 7 days before it was collected.