Posted 5:41 pm Tuesday, May 11, 2010
UPDATE: Prosecution Rests; Trial To Resume Wednesday
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 in its second week as events unfold. More recent installments appear at the top of this report.
Posted Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 11:07 a.m. CDT
The jury in the Blaine Milam capital murder trial was dismissed for the remainder of today after the prosecution finished presenting its case this morning. Court will resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, with the defense presenting its case and calling witnesses.
Prior to the cessation of proceedings today, defense team member John Moore cross-examined Williams about his work on the case.
Moore asked Williams if the human skin is a poor medium. Williams said it could be at times, but in this case is was not a problem.
Moore asked if the skin was less than ideal for recording impression of bite marks, and Williams said it was less than ideal.
Williams said this case was an excellent case to verify the science of odontology.
“When we see this same pattern over and over it verifies this science,” he said.
Williams said he believes all of the bites occurred before Amora's death, even though some of his peers believe bites can show bruising on the skin if they occur post mortem. Williams added it wasn't his level of expertise to determine if the bites happened before death or after, but to match the bite marks with a particular set of teeth.
With Williams leaving the stand, Jimerson stood and told Judge Clay Gossett, “Your Honor, the state rests."
Moore asked Williams if the human skin is a poor medium. Williams said it could be at times, but in this case is was not a problem.
Moore asked if the skin was less than ideal for recording impression of bite marks, and Williams said it was less than ideal.
Williams said this case was an excellent case to verify the science of odontology.
“When we see this same pattern over and over it verifies this science,” he said.
Williams said he believes all of the bites occurred before Amora's death, even though some of his peers believe bites can show bruising on the skin if they occur post mortem. Williams added it wasn't his level of expertise to determine if the bites happened before death or after, but to match the bite marks with a particular set of teeth.
With Williams leaving the stand, Jimerson stood and told Judge Clay Gossett, “Your Honor, the state rests."
Posted Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 9:58 a.m. CDT
Lisa Tanner, Texas Attorney General prosecutor assisting Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson in the baby exorcism murder case, opened today's session by continuing her questioning of Robert Williams, a forensic odontologist who examined bite marks on 13-month-old Amora Carson.
Amora was brutally beaten and strangled to death while being sexually abused and bitten.
Blaine Milam, the defendant being tried in Conroe, and the child's mother Jesseca Carson are charged with capital murder in the case.
Williams reiterated his Monday testimony showing that Milam could not be excluded as the person who bit the child in more than 20 times.
Again using a life-sized, child-like doll about Amora's size, the prosecution and Williams showed how each bite was made while Milam covered his eyes.
Williams told jurors that he was able to achieve a reasonable degree of dental certainty that Milam was the person who bit Amora multiple times.
Those bites included bite marks on the baby's chest, arms, throat, feet, lower back and others.
Williams said just one of the bites would meet the highest level of certainty, but because there were many bites that fit the teeth of Milam, it only confirmed his findings.
Williams said he sent the photos of Amora and the molds of all three people being looked at in the case without expressing his findings. His findings were upheld by two other odontologists.
Williams said the force and pain generated from the bites Amora suffered would be like slamming her hand in a car door.
He told jurors he found 25 separate bite marks on her body, and that he has never seen someone with that number of bite marks. Williams said the only case that came close he had ever seen was a victim who had seven bite marks.
“Are you aware of any case where a human being has been bitten this many times?” Tanner said.
"No, Ma'am,” Williams replied.
Blaine Milam, the defendant being tried in Conroe, and the child's mother Jesseca Carson are charged with capital murder in the case.
Williams reiterated his Monday testimony showing that Milam could not be excluded as the person who bit the child in more than 20 times.
Again using a life-sized, child-like doll about Amora's size, the prosecution and Williams showed how each bite was made while Milam covered his eyes.
Williams told jurors that he was able to achieve a reasonable degree of dental certainty that Milam was the person who bit Amora multiple times.
Those bites included bite marks on the baby's chest, arms, throat, feet, lower back and others.
Williams said just one of the bites would meet the highest level of certainty, but because there were many bites that fit the teeth of Milam, it only confirmed his findings.
Williams said he sent the photos of Amora and the molds of all three people being looked at in the case without expressing his findings. His findings were upheld by two other odontologists.
Williams said the force and pain generated from the bites Amora suffered would be like slamming her hand in a car door.
He told jurors he found 25 separate bite marks on her body, and that he has never seen someone with that number of bite marks. Williams said the only case that came close he had ever seen was a victim who had seven bite marks.
“Are you aware of any case where a human being has been bitten this many times?” Tanner said.
"No, Ma'am,” Williams replied.
