Posted 5:14 pm Wednesday, May 05, 2010
UPDATE: Doctor Who Performed Autopsy: 'Shocking'
Editor's Note: Tyler Morning Telegraph reporter Kenneth Dean is covering the trial of capital murder defendant Blaine Milam, which is under way in Conroe, Texas. Dean is blogging from the trial as events unfold. More recent installments appear at the top of this report.
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 3:47 p.m. CDT
(Editor's Note: This post contains some graphic descriptions of the results of what prosecutors say was a brutal beating administered to a 13-month-old girl by defendant Blaine Milam. Reader discretion is advised.)
Pinckard said there were multiple other injuries to Amora, including bruises and scrapes to the rest of her body and a laceration to the part in the mouth connecting the tongue.
Pinckard said there were multiple other injuries to Amora, including bruises and scrapes to the rest of her body and a laceration to the part in the mouth connecting the tongue.
During the internal examination of the body, Pinckard found extensive hemorrhaging under the scalp, indicating she was hit with blunt objects, or that she had hit some type of object.
Also found were multiple fractures of the skull.
While Pinckard answered questions from Texas Attorney General Prosecutor Lisa Tanner, Milam gazed into space as though he was not listening to the testimony.
Pinckard said he found extensive bruising, swelling and a tear in the child's brain, which in itself could have proven fatal.
Pinckard said the eyes had blood in them, and injuries to her jugular vein seemed to indicate that strangulation took place.
The broken bones in her arms and legs, Pinckard said, appeared to have been twisting type breaks, and there were also 18 breaks in Amora's ribs.
As Tanner and Pinckard looked at a human skeleton marked with red tape to indicate all of the broken bones, several of the jurors dabbed at their eyes.
Tanner asked if there were any injuries to Amora's liver, and Dr. Pinckard said he found a 6-centimeter by 4-centimeter tear, which also showed blunt force trauma.
A sexual activity kit (rape kit) was performed during autopsy. Pinckard said he found extensive injuries with severe tears, which ripped the child apart inside.
“I've never seen anything like it,” he said of the injury.
He added it was not the injuries seen in a child sexual assault, and in his belief had been done with some type of object.
Pinckard said the sexual injuries also happened hours before Amora died.
Pinckard told the jury he did not find any evidence of prior injuries such as broken bones.
Toxicology reports indicated Benadryl and Tylenol levels in Amora's body were higher than one would expect to see in a child.
Pinckard said because the number of potentially fatal injuries, he could not list one definitive cause of death, so her death was labeled as homicidal violence.
As autopsy photos were shown and Pinckard began describing how he performed the autopsy, Milam again lowered his head and covered his eyes.
Several jurors looked to see what Milam's reaction was to the photos as many of them grimaced.
Also found were multiple fractures of the skull.
While Pinckard answered questions from Texas Attorney General Prosecutor Lisa Tanner, Milam gazed into space as though he was not listening to the testimony.
Pinckard said he found extensive bruising, swelling and a tear in the child's brain, which in itself could have proven fatal.
Pinckard said the eyes had blood in them, and injuries to her jugular vein seemed to indicate that strangulation took place.
The broken bones in her arms and legs, Pinckard said, appeared to have been twisting type breaks, and there were also 18 breaks in Amora's ribs.
As Tanner and Pinckard looked at a human skeleton marked with red tape to indicate all of the broken bones, several of the jurors dabbed at their eyes.
Tanner asked if there were any injuries to Amora's liver, and Dr. Pinckard said he found a 6-centimeter by 4-centimeter tear, which also showed blunt force trauma.
A sexual activity kit (rape kit) was performed during autopsy. Pinckard said he found extensive injuries with severe tears, which ripped the child apart inside.
“I've never seen anything like it,” he said of the injury.
He added it was not the injuries seen in a child sexual assault, and in his belief had been done with some type of object.
Pinckard said the sexual injuries also happened hours before Amora died.
Pinckard told the jury he did not find any evidence of prior injuries such as broken bones.
Toxicology reports indicated Benadryl and Tylenol levels in Amora's body were higher than one would expect to see in a child.
Pinckard said because the number of potentially fatal injuries, he could not list one definitive cause of death, so her death was labeled as homicidal violence.
As autopsy photos were shown and Pinckard began describing how he performed the autopsy, Milam again lowered his head and covered his eyes.
Several jurors looked to see what Milam's reaction was to the photos as many of them grimaced.
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 3:25 p.m. CDT
Dr. Keith Pinckard, forensic pathologist at the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences, testified that though it has been a year and a half and he had performed scores of autopsies since, he did the autopsy on Amora he had no problems remembering her.
“This particular body ... The word shocking comes to mind,” he said.
Pinckard said the entire face was covered in abrasions and scrapes to the point that the entire face was one large abrasion. There were also numerous large bite marks on her body.
Pinckard said the bite marks he found on Amora are not a common occurrence in autopsies, so he called in a specialist to examine the bite marks.
Pinckard said there were 24 separate human bite marks, and he was very confident the bite marks were human. He also said there may have been more bite marks, but because some overlapped each other, only 24 could be counted.
Pinckard said bites were seen on Amora's neck, torso, chin and arms, elbows, hands, buttocks, feet and knees. He said the bites all appeared to have happened before her death.
Pinckard said the entire face was covered in abrasions and scrapes to the point that the entire face was one large abrasion. There were also numerous large bite marks on her body.
Pinckard said the bite marks he found on Amora are not a common occurrence in autopsies, so he called in a specialist to examine the bite marks.
Pinckard said there were 24 separate human bite marks, and he was very confident the bite marks were human. He also said there may have been more bite marks, but because some overlapped each other, only 24 could be counted.
Pinckard said bites were seen on Amora's neck, torso, chin and arms, elbows, hands, buttocks, feet and knees. He said the bites all appeared to have happened before her death.
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 1:40 p.m. CDT
On cross examination Jackson began questioning Helton about his collection of evidence and his memory of the case.
Helton told Jackson the case did not hinge on his testimony.
Jackson pointed out Helton's report was only a page and a half in length and only 14 lines detailed what he did inside the home.
“This whole case is important,” Helton retorted after Jackson asked if what Helton did in the case was important.
Jackson then began questioning Helton on his training on crime scene investigations.
Helton said he could not be specific on the type of training he has had, but that he had attended schooling after obtaining his peace officer's license.
Jackson then again asked if the crime scene on Dec. 2 was inappropriately processed because the whole home was not processed.
Helton said he knew there was a bedroom that was not processed. However, Helton said, each crime scene is different.
Jackson then asked hypothetically if the crime happened today and Helton was in charge would he have Jackson taking photos of the scene.
Helton replied, “I'd probably have you bagging evidence, but not taking photos.”
Jackson asked repeatedly what evidence Helton touched or found.
“I can tell you I found that deceased baby. I can tell you I touched that deceased baby. I can tell you that,” Helton said.
Jackson continued then by asking why Helton had defense attorneys change gloves each time they handled a new piece of evidence in February 2010 when he didn't change gloves at the scene in 2008.
“Because I know how defense attorneys are,” Helton responded.
Gossett then told the jury to disregard Helton's comments.
Gossett then released the jury for lunch recess.
Jackson pointed out Helton's report was only a page and a half in length and only 14 lines detailed what he did inside the home.
“This whole case is important,” Helton retorted after Jackson asked if what Helton did in the case was important.
Jackson then began questioning Helton on his training on crime scene investigations.
Helton said he could not be specific on the type of training he has had, but that he had attended schooling after obtaining his peace officer's license.
Jackson then again asked if the crime scene on Dec. 2 was inappropriately processed because the whole home was not processed.
Helton said he knew there was a bedroom that was not processed. However, Helton said, each crime scene is different.
Jackson then asked hypothetically if the crime happened today and Helton was in charge would he have Jackson taking photos of the scene.
Helton replied, “I'd probably have you bagging evidence, but not taking photos.”
Jackson asked repeatedly what evidence Helton touched or found.
“I can tell you I found that deceased baby. I can tell you I touched that deceased baby. I can tell you that,” Helton said.
Jackson continued then by asking why Helton had defense attorneys change gloves each time they handled a new piece of evidence in February 2010 when he didn't change gloves at the scene in 2008.
“Because I know how defense attorneys are,” Helton responded.
Gossett then told the jury to disregard Helton's comments.
Gossett then released the jury for lunch recess.
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 11:32 a.m. CDT
Lt. Charles Helton of the Rusk County Sheriff's Office was called by Jimerson.
Helton said he was at the scene on Dec. 2 and Dec. 13, and on the 13th, he witnessed former Sgt. Amber Rogers retrieve a pipe wrench in a baggie, a cotton swab and work boots from underneath the Milam home.
Helton described the scene he saw on Dec. 2, 2008 as Jimerson showed additional photos of the home in disarray and photos of the body of Amora.
Other photos on which Helton commented showed the mattress in the master bedroom with stains appearing to be blood.
In the master bathroom, there was a sheet of drywall with blood stains on it and a nearby countertop.
Helton testified he not only obtained the blood samples found in the master bedroom and bathroom, but also swab samples from seven bite marks on the baby's body.
Milam told Texas Ranger Lt. Kenny Ray the day of the murder that he and the child's mother Jessica Carson, also a defendant in the case, had returned home and found Amora in a hole in the bathroom floor.
Helton said when the investigators were on the scene, they believed the crime scene was in the bathroom because of the stains appearing to be blood.
Helton described the scene he saw on Dec. 2, 2008 as Jimerson showed additional photos of the home in disarray and photos of the body of Amora.
Other photos on which Helton commented showed the mattress in the master bedroom with stains appearing to be blood.
In the master bathroom, there was a sheet of drywall with blood stains on it and a nearby countertop.
Helton testified he not only obtained the blood samples found in the master bedroom and bathroom, but also swab samples from seven bite marks on the baby's body.
Milam told Texas Ranger Lt. Kenny Ray the day of the murder that he and the child's mother Jessica Carson, also a defendant in the case, had returned home and found Amora in a hole in the bathroom floor.
Helton said when the investigators were on the scene, they believed the crime scene was in the bathroom because of the stains appearing to be blood.
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 10:12 a.m. CDT
Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson began this morning again questioning his investigator, William Brown.
Jimerson asked Brown if he processed or tested any evidence in the capital murder case against Blaine Milam, and Brown answered he did not.
Defense team member Stephen Jackson, a Montgomery County attorney, began asking about stains on a mattress, and if Brown could say when the stains occurred.
Brown said he never looked in the room where the mattress was located, and therefore he could not say whether the stains were made before or after the crime.
Jackson asked Brown if he took a swab of Milam's mouth for a DNA sample, and Brown said he had.
Jackson asked Brown to explain the method he used to take the swab. When Brown told him, Jackson asked if it was fair to say the integrity of the swab had been compromised.
Jiimerson asked if several swabs were taken from the same person and the test results all pointed to the same person, if that would show the integrity of the system had been proven.
Jackson objected. After Judge Clay Gossett excused the jury for a few moments, he overruled the objection and allowed Brown to answer that he believed it would show the integrity had not been compromised.
After four hours of testimony that began Tuesday, Brown was finally excused.
Defense team member Stephen Jackson, a Montgomery County attorney, began asking about stains on a mattress, and if Brown could say when the stains occurred.
Brown said he never looked in the room where the mattress was located, and therefore he could not say whether the stains were made before or after the crime.
Jackson asked Brown if he took a swab of Milam's mouth for a DNA sample, and Brown said he had.
Jackson asked Brown to explain the method he used to take the swab. When Brown told him, Jackson asked if it was fair to say the integrity of the swab had been compromised.
Jiimerson asked if several swabs were taken from the same person and the test results all pointed to the same person, if that would show the integrity of the system had been proven.
Jackson objected. After Judge Clay Gossett excused the jury for a few moments, he overruled the objection and allowed Brown to answer that he believed it would show the integrity had not been compromised.
After four hours of testimony that began Tuesday, Brown was finally excused.
