cami
Keep your fork......
8. The serration grooves in Knife #4 contained debris consisting of microscopic rubber dust particles and a microscopic fiberglass rod fragment. Based on my forensic microscopic comparison, this material was microscopically consistent with debris obtained from the garage window screen at 5801 Eagle Drive, Rowlett, Texas. However, while I was asked only to perform microscopic tests on these samples, microscopic comparison is not the most discriminating method available to determine the source of this debris. If the rubber dust particles and fiberglass rod fragment can be located and removed from the mounting media for testing, more discriminating chemical testing came be performed on this evidence to determine if the debris found in Knife #4 is in fact consistent with the debris from the window screen material. For example, a Fouier Transform Infrared Microscopy (FTIR) test can be used to create a "chemical fingerprint" of the microscopic rubber particles. As a trace evidence analyst, I would recommend such testing be conducted if possible."
The bold is mine. While Linch's affidavit does acknowledge that further testing is warranted on the glass fibre, he found no other sources at the Routier home that would match this fibre. And it's larger than the fibres from the dust brush.
1 A. That's right.
2 Q. Let me ask you about one other source
3 of fiberglass. Fingerprint brushes, are they also made
4 of fiberglass?
5 A. Yes, they are. Some of the most
6 common fingerprint brushes used by the police are made of
7 fiberglass.
8 Q. Okay. Over this past weekend, did you
9 meet with Officer Charles Hamilton of the Rowlett Police
10 Department?
11 A. No, sir.
12 Q. Okay. Did you obtain a fingerprint
13 brush from Rowlett?
14 A. Officer Hamilton left his fingerprint
15 brush at my laboratory over Saturday.
16 Q. All right. Did you compare the
17 fiberglass that made up his fingerprint brush with
18 fiberglass that you found on the knife blade and the
19 screen also?
20 A. Yes, I did.
21 Q. All right. What were your findings
22 when you looked at his fingerprint brush and fiberglass
23 that made it up?
24 A. The fiberglass rods that make up these
25 fingerprint brushes are almost twice as thick as the
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3038
1 fiberglass in the screen. So they are very, very
2 different. The fingerprint brush rods are much larger.
3 Q. Let me ask you, when you looked at the
4 butcher block and the eight knives were still in the
5 block, correct?
6 A. Right.
7 Q. When you looked at it? Did you ever
8 find any black fingerprint powder inside the butcher
9 block?
10 A. Not inside. The only fingerprint
11 powder I observed was on the knives on either side of the
12 open slot. None of the other knives had been printed.
13 Q. Okay. The Number 4 knife that you
14 tested where you found the fiberglass and the rubbery
15 material, was there any fingerprint powder on that knife?
16 A. No, sir.
17 Q. Let's talk about fiberglass on the
18 other knives inside the butcher block. Besides Number 4,
19 the knife where you found the fiberglass and the rubber
20 material, did you look at the other seven knives to
21 determine whether or not you could find any fiberglass or
22 rubbery material on them?
23 A. Yes, I did.
24 Q. Okay. What was the result?
25 A. Didn't find any fiberglass on any of
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3039
1 the other knives in the block.
2 Q. Okay. So the only knife in the
3 butcher block where you did find this fiberglass was on
4 Number 4; is that right?
5 A. That's right.
6 Q. That is the same knife that has the
7 black rubbery material on it also?
8 A. That's right.
9 Q. Do you have an opinion whether or not
10 the rubbery -- the dusty, rubbery material and the
11 fiberglass that you found on Number 4 were deposited at
12 the same time or not?
13 A. With regards to the intact rod, they
14 may or may not have been in the same substance. However,
15 the glass debris that is smaller than the rod that was --
16 had mixed with the rubbery material, they were at one
17 time together. That would be my opinion.
18 Q. Okay. So the black, rubbery material
19 and the glass fragments that were in the material, in
20 there at the same time, right?
21 A. Right.
22 Q. And when you did the test cutting on
23 the screen, you looked at the material, did you find on
24 your test knife, the rubbery material and the glass
25 fibers again wed together?
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3040
1 A. Not the fibers, but the debris that
2 doesn't have shape but it's glass and smaller than the
3 rod, yes.
4 Q. Okay. So the rubbery material and
5 let's say the flakes, if you will, were they together on
6 your test knife?
7 A. Yes, sir.
8 Q. Okay. Mr. Linch, you were indicating
9 to Mr. Mosty a range that you could show the jurors, just
10 an approximate range where you found the fiberglass rod
11 and the black, rubbery material. Can you indicate for
12 the jury the range where you found those two items on the
13 knife blade?
14 A. Yes, sir.
15 Q. Okay.
16 A. It would be approximately an inch in
17 from the tip and maybe in the broad area of an additional
18 five or six inches, maybe this far, but none was
19 collected from the area right up close to the handle.
20 So, broadly speaking, it would be in
21 this area here.
There is also the rubber dust on the knife. There's two separate pieces of evidence. How did the rubber dust get there? If the polymer fibre is from the dusting brush, what's the source of the rubber dust on the knife?
18 Q. Okay. Mr. Linch, when you found the
19 fiberglass and the rubbery material on that knife blade,
20 on knife number 4, and you found the same material in
21 that window screen, sir, did you look at other sources of
22 fiberglass?
23 A. Yes, sir, I did.
24 Q. All right. And, in looking at those
25 other sources, possible sources of fiberglass, did you
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2927
1 see any samples that were consistent with what you had
2 found on that number 4 knife, sir?
3 A. In looking at other sources of
4 fiberglass, I didn't find the glass in combination with
5 the material that was the same as the screen. And so,
6 no, I didn't find any other material that appeared the
7 same microscopically once you damage it with a knife or
8 some other object.
9 Q. Let me go back, just a couple of steps
10 here. Another item, the hairs that you retrieved from
11 the house or that were retrieved by Rowlett, do you
12 remember that?
13 A. Yes, I do.
14 Q. Okay. Did you have an opportunity to
15 examine all those hairs?
16 A. Yes, I did.
17 Q. Compare them against known hair
18 samples from the two children, Devon and Damon, as well
19 as the defendant and her husband, Darin Routier?
20 A. Yes, I did.
21 Q. Were there some hairs that you looked
22 at that were inconsistent with having come from any of
23 the Routiers?
24 A. There were some hairs that were
25 different from all of the family members.
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2928
1 Q. All right. Did you consider that to
2 be unusual?
3 A. No, not really.
4 Q. Okay. Why not?
5 A. Well, unless you have never had any
6 visitors at all, then it's ordinary to have hairs from
7 many people in your home, in the carpeting, on the
8 furniture. Any visitor is apt to shed a hair just in
9 daily activity.
10 Q. Okay. And, I want to also talk to you
11 one more time about the blood stain that was observed in
12 the garage. First of all, again, what was the appearance
13 of that blood stain? Was it a drop? Was it some other
14 type of appearance?
15 A. The blood in the garage, it was not a
16 drop, it was not a fresh drop, or it didn't have that
17 appearance. It was more like a powdered, faint residue.
18 Q. Was James Cron there with you when you
19 were looking at it?
20 A. Yes.
21 Q. If you would look at State's Exhibit
22 No. 111-D, do you recognize that as being a portion of
23 the garage that you looked at on June 6th, 1996?
24 A. Yes, I do.
25 Q. Okay. Would that photograph contain
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2929
1 the part of the garage where you later on that day saw
2 this faint, powdery residue sort of smeared or whatever
3 it is?
4 A. Yes, sir. It was on this white sign
5 that is in front of the freezer. The door from the
6 utility area is about here, and the garage window that,
7 or the screen had been slashed in that direction, but
8 this is the sign that the little, faint smudge was on.
9 Q. Okay.
10
11 MR. GREG DAVIS: Your Honor, at this
12 time we will offer State's Exhibit 111-D.
13 MR. RICHARD C. MOSTY: No objection.
14 THE COURT: State's Exhibit 111-D is
15 admitted.
16
17 (Whereupon, the above
18 mentioned item was
19 received in evidence
20 as State's Exhibit.
21 No. 111-D,
22 for all purposes, after
23 which time, the
24 proceedings were
25 resumed on the record,
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2930
1 in open court,
2 as follows
3
4 BY MR. GREG DAVIS:
5 Q. As I understood your testimony, the
6 blood that you saw later in the day, was it on this white
7 piece of paper here?
8 A. That is actually more like a piece of
9 plastic, but, yes, sir.
10 Q. All right. Is it present there in
11 that photograph?
12 A. I don't see it there.
13 Q. Okay. What does that lead you to
14 believe about the timing of this photograph then?
15 A. The photo was probably taken prior to
16 the transfer of blood onto the white plastic sign.
17 Q. Okay. What time are you looking at
18 this on June 6th, 1996?
19 A. 12:30 or 1:00 o'clock that afternoon.
20 Q. Mr. Linch, the blood samples that you
21 actually retrieved from 5801 Eagle Drive, did you submit
22 those to Gene Screen for DNA analysis?
This testimony also includes the faint transfer of blood found on a sign in the garage. It speaks for itself.
9 Q. Now, other than the blood on the sign,
10 is that the extent of the blood that you saw in the
11 garage?
12 A. Yes, sir, other than the small
13 particulate stuff on the top of the window.
14 Q. What kind of bug was that?
15 A. One with a bunch of legs.
One has to ask why Darlie's new lawyers, her appellate attorneys, have never had this sample analyzed further. Or Mulder? Are we positive Mulder didn't have it analyzed? That leads me to believe they have accepted Linch's findings on the knife.
There was no blood from the crime found in the garage, the window, the fence, the gate, etc. Lots of blood dripped in the Utility room that leads to the garage. Darlie lied about going into the utility room..that's where the dirty wash was--panties---bloody fingerprint on the door.
Two officers canvassed the alley that morning, they saw no blood or other evidence, however they did find a sock with blood on it. As it turned out, this sock contained blood stains from Devon and Damon only and came from the Routier home. Darlie's dna was found in the toe of the sock. Apparently from shed skin cells.
Are you saying Darlie lied about the exit route the alleged intruder took? There should be blood somewhere else in the neighbourhood? Blood that was never collected and washed away during the rain of the 7th?
MOO
The bold is mine. While Linch's affidavit does acknowledge that further testing is warranted on the glass fibre, he found no other sources at the Routier home that would match this fibre. And it's larger than the fibres from the dust brush.
1 A. That's right.
2 Q. Let me ask you about one other source
3 of fiberglass. Fingerprint brushes, are they also made
4 of fiberglass?
5 A. Yes, they are. Some of the most
6 common fingerprint brushes used by the police are made of
7 fiberglass.
8 Q. Okay. Over this past weekend, did you
9 meet with Officer Charles Hamilton of the Rowlett Police
10 Department?
11 A. No, sir.
12 Q. Okay. Did you obtain a fingerprint
13 brush from Rowlett?
14 A. Officer Hamilton left his fingerprint
15 brush at my laboratory over Saturday.
16 Q. All right. Did you compare the
17 fiberglass that made up his fingerprint brush with
18 fiberglass that you found on the knife blade and the
19 screen also?
20 A. Yes, I did.
21 Q. All right. What were your findings
22 when you looked at his fingerprint brush and fiberglass
23 that made it up?
24 A. The fiberglass rods that make up these
25 fingerprint brushes are almost twice as thick as the
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3038
1 fiberglass in the screen. So they are very, very
2 different. The fingerprint brush rods are much larger.
3 Q. Let me ask you, when you looked at the
4 butcher block and the eight knives were still in the
5 block, correct?
6 A. Right.
7 Q. When you looked at it? Did you ever
8 find any black fingerprint powder inside the butcher
9 block?
10 A. Not inside. The only fingerprint
11 powder I observed was on the knives on either side of the
12 open slot. None of the other knives had been printed.
13 Q. Okay. The Number 4 knife that you
14 tested where you found the fiberglass and the rubbery
15 material, was there any fingerprint powder on that knife?
16 A. No, sir.
17 Q. Let's talk about fiberglass on the
18 other knives inside the butcher block. Besides Number 4,
19 the knife where you found the fiberglass and the rubber
20 material, did you look at the other seven knives to
21 determine whether or not you could find any fiberglass or
22 rubbery material on them?
23 A. Yes, I did.
24 Q. Okay. What was the result?
25 A. Didn't find any fiberglass on any of
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3039
1 the other knives in the block.
2 Q. Okay. So the only knife in the
3 butcher block where you did find this fiberglass was on
4 Number 4; is that right?
5 A. That's right.
6 Q. That is the same knife that has the
7 black rubbery material on it also?
8 A. That's right.
9 Q. Do you have an opinion whether or not
10 the rubbery -- the dusty, rubbery material and the
11 fiberglass that you found on Number 4 were deposited at
12 the same time or not?
13 A. With regards to the intact rod, they
14 may or may not have been in the same substance. However,
15 the glass debris that is smaller than the rod that was --
16 had mixed with the rubbery material, they were at one
17 time together. That would be my opinion.
18 Q. Okay. So the black, rubbery material
19 and the glass fragments that were in the material, in
20 there at the same time, right?
21 A. Right.
22 Q. And when you did the test cutting on
23 the screen, you looked at the material, did you find on
24 your test knife, the rubbery material and the glass
25 fibers again wed together?
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
3040
1 A. Not the fibers, but the debris that
2 doesn't have shape but it's glass and smaller than the
3 rod, yes.
4 Q. Okay. So the rubbery material and
5 let's say the flakes, if you will, were they together on
6 your test knife?
7 A. Yes, sir.
8 Q. Okay. Mr. Linch, you were indicating
9 to Mr. Mosty a range that you could show the jurors, just
10 an approximate range where you found the fiberglass rod
11 and the black, rubbery material. Can you indicate for
12 the jury the range where you found those two items on the
13 knife blade?
14 A. Yes, sir.
15 Q. Okay.
16 A. It would be approximately an inch in
17 from the tip and maybe in the broad area of an additional
18 five or six inches, maybe this far, but none was
19 collected from the area right up close to the handle.
20 So, broadly speaking, it would be in
21 this area here.
There is also the rubber dust on the knife. There's two separate pieces of evidence. How did the rubber dust get there? If the polymer fibre is from the dusting brush, what's the source of the rubber dust on the knife?
18 Q. Okay. Mr. Linch, when you found the
19 fiberglass and the rubbery material on that knife blade,
20 on knife number 4, and you found the same material in
21 that window screen, sir, did you look at other sources of
22 fiberglass?
23 A. Yes, sir, I did.
24 Q. All right. And, in looking at those
25 other sources, possible sources of fiberglass, did you
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2927
1 see any samples that were consistent with what you had
2 found on that number 4 knife, sir?
3 A. In looking at other sources of
4 fiberglass, I didn't find the glass in combination with
5 the material that was the same as the screen. And so,
6 no, I didn't find any other material that appeared the
7 same microscopically once you damage it with a knife or
8 some other object.
9 Q. Let me go back, just a couple of steps
10 here. Another item, the hairs that you retrieved from
11 the house or that were retrieved by Rowlett, do you
12 remember that?
13 A. Yes, I do.
14 Q. Okay. Did you have an opportunity to
15 examine all those hairs?
16 A. Yes, I did.
17 Q. Compare them against known hair
18 samples from the two children, Devon and Damon, as well
19 as the defendant and her husband, Darin Routier?
20 A. Yes, I did.
21 Q. Were there some hairs that you looked
22 at that were inconsistent with having come from any of
23 the Routiers?
24 A. There were some hairs that were
25 different from all of the family members.
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2928
1 Q. All right. Did you consider that to
2 be unusual?
3 A. No, not really.
4 Q. Okay. Why not?
5 A. Well, unless you have never had any
6 visitors at all, then it's ordinary to have hairs from
7 many people in your home, in the carpeting, on the
8 furniture. Any visitor is apt to shed a hair just in
9 daily activity.
10 Q. Okay. And, I want to also talk to you
11 one more time about the blood stain that was observed in
12 the garage. First of all, again, what was the appearance
13 of that blood stain? Was it a drop? Was it some other
14 type of appearance?
15 A. The blood in the garage, it was not a
16 drop, it was not a fresh drop, or it didn't have that
17 appearance. It was more like a powdered, faint residue.
18 Q. Was James Cron there with you when you
19 were looking at it?
20 A. Yes.
21 Q. If you would look at State's Exhibit
22 No. 111-D, do you recognize that as being a portion of
23 the garage that you looked at on June 6th, 1996?
24 A. Yes, I do.
25 Q. Okay. Would that photograph contain
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2929
1 the part of the garage where you later on that day saw
2 this faint, powdery residue sort of smeared or whatever
3 it is?
4 A. Yes, sir. It was on this white sign
5 that is in front of the freezer. The door from the
6 utility area is about here, and the garage window that,
7 or the screen had been slashed in that direction, but
8 this is the sign that the little, faint smudge was on.
9 Q. Okay.
10
11 MR. GREG DAVIS: Your Honor, at this
12 time we will offer State's Exhibit 111-D.
13 MR. RICHARD C. MOSTY: No objection.
14 THE COURT: State's Exhibit 111-D is
15 admitted.
16
17 (Whereupon, the above
18 mentioned item was
19 received in evidence
20 as State's Exhibit.
21 No. 111-D,
22 for all purposes, after
23 which time, the
24 proceedings were
25 resumed on the record,
Sandra M. Halsey, CSR, Official Court Reporter
2930
1 in open court,
2 as follows
3
4 BY MR. GREG DAVIS:
5 Q. As I understood your testimony, the
6 blood that you saw later in the day, was it on this white
7 piece of paper here?
8 A. That is actually more like a piece of
9 plastic, but, yes, sir.
10 Q. All right. Is it present there in
11 that photograph?
12 A. I don't see it there.
13 Q. Okay. What does that lead you to
14 believe about the timing of this photograph then?
15 A. The photo was probably taken prior to
16 the transfer of blood onto the white plastic sign.
17 Q. Okay. What time are you looking at
18 this on June 6th, 1996?
19 A. 12:30 or 1:00 o'clock that afternoon.
20 Q. Mr. Linch, the blood samples that you
21 actually retrieved from 5801 Eagle Drive, did you submit
22 those to Gene Screen for DNA analysis?
This testimony also includes the faint transfer of blood found on a sign in the garage. It speaks for itself.
9 Q. Now, other than the blood on the sign,
10 is that the extent of the blood that you saw in the
11 garage?
12 A. Yes, sir, other than the small
13 particulate stuff on the top of the window.
14 Q. What kind of bug was that?
15 A. One with a bunch of legs.
One has to ask why Darlie's new lawyers, her appellate attorneys, have never had this sample analyzed further. Or Mulder? Are we positive Mulder didn't have it analyzed? That leads me to believe they have accepted Linch's findings on the knife.
There was no blood from the crime found in the garage, the window, the fence, the gate, etc. Lots of blood dripped in the Utility room that leads to the garage. Darlie lied about going into the utility room..that's where the dirty wash was--panties---bloody fingerprint on the door.
Two officers canvassed the alley that morning, they saw no blood or other evidence, however they did find a sock with blood on it. As it turned out, this sock contained blood stains from Devon and Damon only and came from the Routier home. Darlie's dna was found in the toe of the sock. Apparently from shed skin cells.
Are you saying Darlie lied about the exit route the alleged intruder took? There should be blood somewhere else in the neighbourhood? Blood that was never collected and washed away during the rain of the 7th?
MOO