TX - Moriah Wilson, Cyclist Fatally Shot Before Race, Austin, #4

[SMK777]

True-- not a fashion show but safety pins would've been good because it is a decorum show

True.

 

[SteveP]

Shifting gears, I know that LE got buccal swabs from CS and now have buccal swabs from KA, but in any of the search warrants I have seen, I have seen no request to get the clothes that KA was wearing the night of MW's murder, and AFAIK, they never checked either KA's nor CS's hands for gunshot residue. Was this a couple of those oversights by inexperienced officers that Cofer is going to bring up (although I am sure he is delighted if they didn't), or did they do that and it just isn't recorded anywhere that we have had access to?

 

[SMK777]

Shifting gears, I know that LE got buccal swabs from CS and now have buccal swabs from KA, but in any of the search warrants I have seen, I have seen no request to get the clothes that KA was wearing the night of MW's murder, and AFAIK, they never checked either KA's nor CS's hands for gunshot residue. Was this a couple of those oversights by inexperienced officers that Cofer is going to bring up (although I am sure he is delighted if they didn't), or did they do that and it just isn't recorded anywhere?

I hope they did that, but I have my doubts, because it’s not documented.

 

[jash]

Shifting gears, I know that LE got buccal swabs from CS and now have buccal swabs from KA, but in any of the search warrants I have seen, I have seen no request to get the clothes that KA was wearing the night of MW's murder, and AFAIK, they never checked either KA's nor CS's hands for gunshot residue. Was this a couple of those oversights by inexperienced officers that Cofer is going to bring up (although I am sure he is delighted if they didn't), or did they do that and it just isn't recorded anywhere that we have had access to?

Thank you for bringing this up! I was going to post earlier asking what everyone thinks she did with the clothes she was wearing that night. I mean, she brought the gun back to the house and left it for police to find. Would she have been smart enough to dispose of her clothing? Or maybe just tossed them in the washing machine? Or did she shove them in the backpack she took on her flight to NYC?

Hoping CS is one of those people who notices and remembers what someone wears and has been sharing everything with police.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Thank you for bringing this up! I was going to post earlier asking what everyone thinks she did with the clothes she was wearing that night. I mean, she brought the gun back to the house and left it for police to find. Would she have been smart enough to dispose of her clothing? Or maybe just tossed them in the washing machine? Or did she shove them in the backpack she took on her flight to NYC?

Hoping CS is one of those people who notices and remembers what someone wears and has been sharing everything with police.

I'm sure CS could tell you what Mo was wearing. In detail.
MOO

 

[Mrspratcher]

I hope they did that, but I have my doubts, because it’s not documented.

May be documented but not released to the public just yet.

 

[Seattle1]

Shifting gears, I know that LE got buccal swabs from CS and now have buccal swabs from KA, but in any of the search warrants I have seen, I have seen no request to get the clothes that KA was wearing the night of MW's murder, and AFAIK, they never checked either KA's nor CS's hands for gunshot residue. Was this a couple of those oversights by inexperienced officers that Cofer is going to bring up (although I am sure he is delighted if they didn't), or did they do that and it just isn't recorded anywhere?

Thank you for bringing this up! I was going to post earlier asking what everyone thinks she did with the clothes she was wearing that night. I mean, she brought the gun back to the house and left it for police to find. Would she have been smart enough to dispose of her clothing? Or maybe just tossed them in the washing machine? Or did she shove them in the backpack she took on her flight to NYC?

Hoping CS is one of those people who notices and remembers what someone wears and has been sharing everything with police.

^^BBM


From the AA, following up on info obtained from MW's host, detectives identified CS and traveled to the address obtained from his DL on the morning of 5/12 (the murder occurred on the evening of 5/11).

At that time, CS agreed to come to the APD homicide office to speak to detectives. CS was advised he was free to leave at any time. There was no probable cause to detain/search CS at this date/time including testing for gunshot residue.

(It further appears it was not until after 8 PM that authorities obtained a signed search warrant to secure CS DNA. I suspect ballistics from the spent shells from the crime scene and/or the victim's body were not yet matched to the weapon purchased by CS for AS).

According to Wikipedia, gunshot residue only lasts about 4-6 hours.

Gunshot residue is the consistency of flour and typically only stays on the hands of a living person for 4–6 hours. Wiping the hands on anything, even putting them in and out of pockets can transfer gunshot residue off the hands.

Also on 5/12, while CS was talking to investigators at APD, an unrelated arrest warrant was served on KA at the residence she was sharing with CS, and she was transported to APD. At this time, she was briefly interviewed about her knowledge of MW's death, shown surveillance of her Jeep near the residence where MW was shot, and KA remained quiet.

When KA's unrelated arrest warrant was determined faulty, she was advised she could leave at any time (since there was no probable cause to neither detain nor search KA for gunshot residue, DNA, etc).

We know it was near the time KA was being interviewed that a search warrant was obtained and executed at the residential address of CS/KA where the guns CS described to detectives were located. It's unknown whether or not clothing was identified and collected during this search.

IMO, I don't think one can cite failing to test either CS/KA for gunshot residue when probable cause had not yet been met as a rookie mistake -- it's the law!

While it's possible gunshot residue tests were later taken from CS and not shared with the public, I don't see the value in testing either subject for gunshot residue more than 24 hours after the incident, if only to deny the defense a negative residue test to glean on to and later use for at least 100 sound bites-- professing their client's innocence. MOO

Gunshot residue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Mariposa]

Shifting gears, I know that LE got buccal swabs from CS and now have buccal swabs from KA, but in any of the search warrants I have seen, I have seen no request to get the clothes that KA was wearing the night of MW's murder, and AFAIK, they never checked either KA's nor CS's hands for gunshot residue. Was this a couple of those oversights by inexperienced officers that Cofer is going to bring up (although I am sure he is delighted if they didn't), or did they do that and it just isn't recorded anywhere that we have had access to?

I would think checking hands for gunshot residue would be pointless as neither CS nor KA were questioned by police until May 12 and would surely have washed hands or bathed since the time of the shooting the night before.

See for instance this “Washing the hands is likely to remove all GSR.”

https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/cci/reference/peb_15.pdf

 

[Mariposa]

You’re probably right. I would think she’d buy a dress to attend her sister’s pretrial hearing, but maybe not. I wish they’d made it look better with some safety pins, but then it’s not a fashion show.

I wonder if CA has been hired on by the defense team possibly as a legal assistant or investigator. Crazier things have happened, and the vibe of her apparel and how she walked into court with the lawyers makes me curious. This might give CA enhanced ability to visit and communicate with KA.

Or I could be totally wrong! Just an idea

 

[WingsOverTX]

I wonder if CA has been hired on by the defense team possibly as a legal assistant or investigator. Crazier things have happened, and the vibe of her apparel and how she walked into court with the lawyers makes me curious. This might give CA enhanced ability to visit and communicate with KA.

Or I could be totally wrong! Just an idea

I think they (the defense) may be treading on thin ice (legal or otherwise). Evidence may reveal CA has helped her sister & charges may be filed against her. Unlikely at this stage perhaps but not impossible.

Also, it seems like it would be a conflict of interest to hire a family member of an accused you are representing. They don't need CA. Her background is not legal matters. And she is likely to be called to testify.

Let's say I'm wrong on all counts above, it still looks & smells like a skunk. KA had CA's passport & used it when she fled so whether it was technically stolen or not, I'm holding my nonsurgically enhanced nose & rolling my eyes below unlifted eyelids.

JMO

 

[SteveP]

^^BBM


From the AA, following up on info obtained from MW's host, detectives identified CS and traveled to the address obtained from his DL on the morning of 5/12 (the murder occurred on the evening of 5/11).

At that time, CS agreed to come to the APD homicide office to speak to detectives. CS was advised he was free to leave at any time. There was no probable cause to detain/search CS at this date/time including testing for gunshot residue.

(It further appears it was not until after 8 PM that authorities obtained a signed search warrant to secure CS DNA. I suspect ballistics from the spent shells from the crime scene and/or the victim's body were not yet matched to the weapon purchased by CS for AS).

According to Wikipedia, gunshot residue only lasts about 4-6 hours.

Gunshot residue is the consistency of flour and typically only stays on the hands of a living person for 4–6 hours. Wiping the hands on anything, even putting them in and out of pockets can transfer gunshot residue off the hands.

Also on 5/12, while CS was talking to investigators at APD, an unrelated arrest warrant was served on KA at the residence she was sharing with CS, and she was transported to APD. At this time, she was briefly interviewed about her knowledge of MW's death, shown surveillance of her Jeep near the residence where MW was shot, and KA remained quiet.

When KA's unrelated arrest warrant was determined faulty, she was advised she could leave at any time (since there was no probable cause to neither detain nor search KA for gunshot residue, DNA, etc).

We know it was near the time KA was being interviewed that a search warrant was obtained and executed at the residential address of CS/KA where the guns CS described to detectives were located. It's unknown whether or not clothing was identified and collected during this search.

IMO, I don't think one can cite failing to test either CS/KA for gunshot residue when probable cause had not yet been met as a rookie mistake -- it's the law!

While it's possible gunshot residue tests were later taken from CS and not shared with the public, I don't see the value in testing either subject for gunshot residue more than 24 hours after the incident, if only to deny the defense a negative residue test to glean on to and later use for at least 100 sound bites-- professing their client's innocence. MOO

Gunshot residue - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I agree that, given the times they were talked to, checking CS or KA for gunshot residue would have most likely not yielded a positive result, though traces of gunshot residue can remain on hands for several days, according to this link.

After about six to eight hours, it will be difficult to find gunshot residue on the hands of an active human being (though, according to Christopher Dockery et al. gunshot residue can be found on hands up to 5 days after the discharge).

I think failure to test, however, is exactly the kind of thing the defense attorney will try to use to muddy the waters with jurors. I do hope LE was able to determine what KA was wearing the evening MW was murdered, however, and were able to recover it, because, according to this, gunshot residue can remain on clothing far longer, even after having been washed.

Clothes or shoes, on the other hand, are a whole different tale. While, thanks to movement and natural oils secreted from the body, the majority of particles present in gunshot residue can be removed from the skin with soap and water.

However, it’s much more difficult to do this with clothes (especially cotton) as the microscopic particles may not come out after a single wash and burrow deep into fibers.

Can Gunshot Residue Be Washed Off After Discharging a Gun? - Gun Cleaning HQ

Can gunshot residue be washed off? This guide aims to answer this question and more!

guncleaninghq.com

 

[SMK777]

I agree that, given the times they were talked to, checking CS or KA for gunshot residue would have most likely not yielded a positive result, but I think that is exactly the kind of thing the defense attorney will try to use to muddy the waters with jurors. I do hope LE was able to determine what KA was wearing the evening MW was murdered, however, and were able to recover it, because, according to this, gunshot residue can remain on clothing far longer, even after having been washed.

Clothes or shoes, on the other hand, are a whole different tale. While, thanks to movement and natural oils secreted from the body, the majority of particles present in gunshot residue can be removed from the skin with soap and water.

However, it’s much more difficult to do this with clothes (especially cotton) as the microscopic particles may not come out after a single wash and burrow deep into fibers.

Can Gunshot Residue Be Washed Off After Discharging a Gun? - Gun Cleaning HQ

Can gunshot residue be washed off? This guide aims to answer this question and more!

guncleaninghq.com

What if they requested her clothes and she gave them different ones, and got rid of what she actually wore during the crime?

 

[Sundog]

<snipped for focus>

From the AA, following up on info obtained from MW's host, detectives identified CS and traveled to the address obtained from his DL on the morning of 5/12 (the murder occurred on the evening of 5/11).
<snipped>
According to Wikipedia, gunshot residue only lasts about 4-6 hours.

I wonder why LE waited until the day after the murder to visit CS at his residence. They had his name and could have checked his driver license immediately on the night of the murder and gone to CS's residence and proceeded the evening of May 11th in the same way that they did on May 12th.

 

[di anna]

I do believe it is very odd for KA to have such a good attorney. I think it is unusual also for the sister to enter the
courtroom with the attorneys as though she were part of a legal team.

 

[Sundog]

I wonder if CA has been hired on by the defense team possibly as a legal assistant or investigator. Crazier things have happened, and the vibe of her apparel and how she walked into court with the lawyers makes me curious. This might give CA enhanced ability to visit and communicate with KA.

Or I could be totally wrong! Just an idea

I think defense attorneys often support family members of defendants in this way, and walking into court with them seems pro forma in a lot of cases, especially here where CA was the only family member, I doubt a law firm would choose to leave her on her own to enter the building, find her way to the court room, etc., especially with the media looking out for her and she would have been swamped by the media.

 

[di anna]

I think defense attorneys often support family members of defendants in this way, and walking into court with them seems pro forma in a lot of cases, especially here where CA was the only family member, I doubt a law firm would choose to leave her on her own to enter the building, find her way to the court room, etc., especially with the media looking out for her and she would have been swamped by the media.

Good points, maybe it was her demeanor that I thought was odd.

 

[WingsOverTX]

I think defense attorneys often support family members of defendants in this way, and walking into court with them seems pro forma in a lot of cases, especially here where CA was the only family member, I doubt a law firm would choose to leave her on her own to enter the building, find her way to the court room, etc., especially with the media looking out for her and she would have been swamped by the media.

Maybe. Somehow I think defense attorneys have enough on their plate without being escorts, too. Why would an escort even be necessary?

In THIS CASE it is a bad look to have CA walk with them, sit with them, confer in open court with them, etc.

I think any good judge would put a stop to it INSIDE the courtroom if it is ongoing, especially knowing this particular person will very, very likely be called to testify and has a personal vested interest in the outcome.

MOO

 

[PrairieWind]

I do believe it is very odd for KA to have such a good attorney. I think it is unusual also for the sister to enter the
courtroom with the attorneys as though she were part of a legal team.

I don't find either one of these odd. KA's family has some money, they are getting her good representation. And family members often times will be with their family member's attorneys.

 

[WingsOverTX]

I don't find either one of these odd. KA's family has some money, they are getting her good representation. And family members often times will be with their family member's attorneys.

So CA potentially offering her passport to her sister or KA stealing it from her sister doesn't faze you in this scenario? We are not talking about a family member who is a bystander to the crimes commuted by KA. Whether willing or unwilling, she is involved.

What say you @Mrspratcher? I'd like an attorney's perspective.

JMO

 

[Mariposa]

I wonder why LE waited until the day after the murder to visit CS at his residence. They had his name and could have checked his driver license immediately on the night of the murder and gone to CS's residence and proceeded the evening of May 11th in the same way that they did on May 12th.

Possibly they were getting a search warrant and that delayed their visit .. from the AA:
While Detective Spitler was conducting the interview with Strickland, Detective Ayers, along with members ofthe APD Tac Intel Unit, executed residential search warrant SW22IO4037 which was issued by the Austin Travis County Municipal Court. During the search, ofiicers located two firearms in the residence as described by Strickland.