Dr Neal Haskell testimony (Entomologist)

[truthsleuth]

JB: Part of your job is to do a PMI (postmortem interval). You can see insects, maggots, etc., to determine how long someone has been deceased or how long insects might have been attracted to a specific item?

PMI consists of a range of time ...

JB is speaking in hypotheticals. (Can't be hear well--not near microphone) JA keeps objecting.

JB says it's not a hypothetical.

JB: If you got entomological material on July 16, you could have tracked that material back to June? But you weren't contacted until December 2008, right?

JB: This scene was very thoroughly processed, correct.

NH: Most intensive scene I've visited in about 30 years.

JB's voice fading {not speaking near mic.)

NH: I thought OC did an excellent job with the scene on Suburban.

 

[Donjeta]

This scene was very intensively processed?

It was one of the most intense I've seen.

I don't want to date you but...

In thirty years I've been doing this, this is the best.

Are you saying all that was collected there was all that could be found?

I was there to observe them and I thought they did excellent job

There was orange county and FBI

 

[truthsleuth]

JB: You are confident with these findings because first-hand you got to see how the scene was processed.

Yes.

JB: Tell us does water or submersion or intentionally trying to wash away blowfly evidence, would that change your opinion? WHAT???

Objection
Sustained

 

[truthsleuth]

You wrote 3 reports

1. to cover blowflies in trunk
2. to cover items found at recovery site.
3. supplemental regarding items in trunk.

 

[wenwe4]

decomposing fluids in trunk of car.....falling out of trash - don't think so....flies can get in but cant get out - roach motel? (object -sustained) any way to track flies .....got into trash....his opinion collection from vac cleaner - flies got in trunk didn't get in trash bag - once hatched out adults would have left.....not very many insects....

PMI post mortem interval - do it on almost every case done...allows insects seen live and hatched and maggots to determine how long a person might have been deceased....how long item or insects attracted to specific item.....possible...on 7/16/08 - live insects and hatched maggots....everything needed to develop PMI -determine down to the day how long been in teh car....range of time natural occur biological - object to hypothetical something...overrule finish question.

bug evidence track that bag to the day that item.....range

in Dec. came down and went to scene - most intensive scene process ever seen in 30 years forensic bug work.....been doing bugs over half century - this is the best....very confident .....observed collections of the sievings and re-sievings very excellent job....

puparia - cocoon state - all blow flies ....most of them were recovered from ME office....any blow flies from the scene? look thru report......(CA & GA in the house)....

(My kc cam keeps freezing and I can't tell!)

4 specimines of califords? from the scene....(can't hear JB)...he makes dots on his paper...


when first colonized .....can leave don't have to...maggots...doing metamorphasis...change....sometimes they go out to over 100 yards away depending on situation....main reason body decomposed elsewhere from where it was placed....

body initial decompose somewhere else....late colonizers beetles and black soldier....you got to personally see how thororough scene processed....water would not have accounted for blow fly....if water was rising and falling - in my report.....(object- sustained X2) rephrase...improper

does submersion or intentially trying to water or wash away blow fly evidence change opinion (object- not in evidence sustained)....

JB needs a minute...eggs or larvae...during early portion of decomp....likely not in reduced numbers seen here....if that is what I put in report....wrote 3 reports....cover the car....cover items recovery site....third supplemental from vac. sweeps in trunk....hired in 9/2008...started work on case....ME office-submited report 9/22/09 (HLN has been off air few min)....12/08 both signed off...sign and put date....send to prosecutor....retained by SA office - how much paid today? about $22K or $23K ....before defense depo....by the way JB haven't collected for the bill yet...still waiting....check in the mail....doesn't include testimony...how much charge testimony $400 per hour $150 travel....casework research $200 per hour....@ end $30K or $40K - don't know - haven't worked out the time yet.....

JB - needs a moment (so do I!!!! holy cannoli - I am in the wrong business!)

Redirect

 

[QB.]

JA: what is the difference between trash & garbage.
Trash is any non organic stuff. Garbage includes organic.

 

[truthsleuth]

Redirect --

JA:Is there a difference between trash and garbage.

NH: Garbage is decomposing materials: lettuce, french fries, etc. If there is decomposing material, these flies, the forest flies, will go to that. There were a few loose forest flies in the bag but the majority were on the towels. Eggs and larvae could have been swept up as the towels were used to clean up the trunk.

JA: even if the forest flies were not attracted to human decomp, they could have been attracted to plant or animal decomp?

NH: Correct.

JA: But was there any plan or animal decomp in the bag?

NH: No.

JA: Even if the body had started decomposing at another location, would the eggs and larvae have moved with the body?

NH: That's right.

JA: You think decomp at another location was for only 3-4 days?

NH: Absolutely.

JB questioning -- You weren't present when the bag was collected?

NH: No.

JB: you don't know if it was soaking wet with decomposing materials?

NH: Nothing to suggest that it was.

JB picks up evidence from table. Showing photos to NH.

 

[wenwe4]

NH feels difference between garbage and trash - garbage is rotting organic material....trash is paper and stuff have the trashmen pick up.....big difference...these bugs don't go to cardboard..paper.....inorganic ...

there were some lose in white plastic bag - majority of the fords on the papertowel....on adipocere.....rather than mother flies go to adipocere...he feels eggs and larvae very tiny swept up mopped up when fluid in trunk - would have gone with the fluids in the paper towels thru the life cycle in the paper towel.. human decomp or other plant organics - but none were decomposing in the bag....

blow fly in trunk and at scene - unusual lack of them at both....exclusion and time past where food material no longer atrtracting mother flies.....if there were flies and moved the flies would have been moved with the body....one fly lay 400 eggs....didn't have that here....portion of 3 or 4 days of decomp - not talking almost skeletonized body being moved to this area.



re-cross those issues alone

JB - NH weren't present when trash/garbage collected....soaking wet with organic material...nothing to suggest it was....no....

JB walking to exhibit table and grabs picture - Defense C admitted in evidence....if C not admitted ......demonstrative....looked @ items on 12/16 - show to witness? show to everyone......HHBP show witness first.....item trash inspected....these items....looked @ them - had the bag @ the lab and the paper towels....and these items....here are the two items....(HLN still on/off air)

SA exhibit 128 and 133 - did not inspect items of evidence as they were in #128 - what mean as they were? condition - probably not....publish to jury....agree items on #133 are wet and moist - don't know....(object-asked and ansewerd -overrule) he can answer if he can....don't know....

when inspected trunk of car....didn't do any tests to see if easy access if trunk was closed...don't know how difficult for blow flies to get into car....didn't test if a blow fly could get into..



JA - see any organic material in this photo? NO

JB - one question - this photo items spread out like the left photo - obvious not....don't know....to have organic material would be pretty big pile of garbage - saw items inventoried...didn't do it at that time..

Dr. excused.