It dawned on me that if the prosecution hired Dr. Baden, then the defense team couldn't, right?
I just want the truth of what can be learned from the estate of the bodies and what that tells us about the TOD. I "never" want one medical opinion, not ever. Even if that opinion came from the most trained and experience person, I want more than one opinion. In fact, I would like 3 or more opinions if I could have them.
I have read autopsy reports wherein I felt that the determined cause of death was absolutely wrong! Based on what I could see in the report, knowing about a particular disease process AND based upon the known history of the family and victim, there were absolute signs that there was something else pronouncing itself to be the real cause. Subsequent "slide" studies and/or genetic studies proved the presence of the disease which took lives in the manner that the person died.
Translating that to TOD... Some eyes will never see certain signs because they have never been trained to recognize them as signs. Those eyes have not had either the learning or experience to recognize the otherwise unrecognized but clear cut signs. They have never learned how a coupling of specific signs (vague as they might otherwise be), when put all together, speak to a very clear cut sign -- the haze clears.
So, I am looking forward to Dr. Baden speaking to pieces of a puzzle that when placed together show a distinct picture of probable time of death.
The local doctor is being safe with science, that is reasonable. No one was at the scene looking at their watch when the murders took place, thus no one can speak with certainty about the precise time. That does not erase that there are ways to determine probable times of death based on that which has been learned.
I'm eager to hear about the pieces that speak to someone stating, "These people died between 11PM and midnight, but definitely no later than 5AM."
My bet is that there could be some things that "would almost never ever be seen" in a body that had only died within the last two hours, much less in 3 bodies that had.
All the above to say... I'm eager to hear the specifics of what the attending doctor found/learned, to read the autopsy reports if we can have them (and the results of the testing), AND to read two or three other medical opinions about that which has been learned (the data.) Either way...the attending said, 3 to 5, more support of that and earlier just adds driving force to the nail in Chris' coffin.