229
1 CONTAINED IN A SEPARATE VOLUME WHICH INCLUDES
2 THE TESTIMONY OF J. DOUGLAS PERKINS)
3 (THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD SUBSEQUENT
4 TO THE TESTIMONY OF J. DOUGLAS PERKINS IN THE
5 PRESENCE AND HEARING OF THE JURY)
6 THE COURT: All right. Show the jurys
7 back and all present. We do have part of the lights out,
8 obviously.
9 We anticipate some slides being shown so that
10 you can see those better. Call your next witness for the
11 State.
12 MR. CORGAN: Your Honor, the State at this
13 time would call Dr. Robert Hemphill.
14 -------------------------------------------------------------------
15 ROBERT LEE HEMPHILL
16 after having been duly sworn to tell the truth, the whole
17 truth, and nothing but the truth, testified as. follows:
18 DIRECT EXAMINATION
19 THE COURT: Please proceed.
20 BY MR. CORGAN:
21 Q State your name, please, sir.
22 A My name is Robert Lee Hemphill.
23 Q Mr. Hemphill, what is your business, profession, or
24 occupation?
25 A Im a medical doctor employed by the Office of the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
230
1 Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Oklahoma.
2 Q Doctor, would you tell us, please, sir, your
3 premedical education?
4 A Yes. I am a graduate of Southern Nazarene University
5 where I have a degree -- an A.B. degree in history.
6 I also attended Lamar University for part of my
7 undergraduate work in Beaumont, Texas.
8 Q All right, sir. And what is your medical education?
9 A Im a graduate of the University of Oklahoma School
10 of Medicine where I received the M.D. degree in 1966.
11 Q And, Doctor, do you have any type of licensure or
12 certification?
13 A Yes. I am licensed to practice medicine in the state
14 of Oklahoma and have been since 1966.
15 A also have a year of internship, a year of
16 specialty training in internal medicine, two years of
17 specialty training in anatomic pathology, and two years of
18 specialty training in forensic pathology.
19 And based on that training and experience, I am
20 board certified as a specialist in both anatomic and
21 forensic pathology. Thats by the American Board of
22 Pathology.
23 Q Now, Doctor, tell us what is required in order to get
24 one to be certified in a particular area, and whats your
25 fields of certification and what that means.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
231
1 A Well, there are several grades --
2 THE COURT: Raise that mike a little bit
3 there, a little closer -- the neck itself. Yeah.
4 (THE WITNESS COMPLIED WITH THE REQUEST)
5 A Theres several ways that the American Board of
6 Pathology provides for certification in forensic
7 pathology.
8 The requirements under which I was certified
9 were two years of anatomic pathology and two years of
10 forensic pathology, plus at least one year of experience
1l in medical practice, and then sitting the examination for
12 board certification in both anatomic and forensic
13 pathology and successfully passing them.
14 Q What is anatomic pathology?
15 A Pathology in general is a medical specialty that
16 deals with the diagnosis of disease based on examination
17 of tissue specimens taken from a human being.
18 These may be specimens taken for laboratory
19 testing, such as blood specimens, urine specimens, things
20 like that.
21 They may be specimens taken during-surgery for
22 examination under the microscope.
23 Or they may be specimens taken at autopsy, which
24 is performed after death of course.
25 Anatomic pathology is that branch of pathology
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
232
1 which deals with the examination of tissue specimens
2 either taken at surgery or taken during an autopsy.
3 Forensic pathology is a subspecialty of
4 pathology which applies the disciplines and knowledge of
5 pathology to the area of death investigation.
6 And it does require additional training and
7 experience and a special certification test to be
8 certified in forensic pathology.
9 Forensic pathologist has to demonstrate ability
10 not only in the disciplines of pathology, the examination
11 of the body itself, but also knowledge about other things
12 related to death investigation, such as death scene
13 investigation, a knowledge of various types of mechanisms
14 whereby wounds may be produced, a knowledge of toxicology
15 or poisons, and other related areas.
16 Q Doctor, how long have you been certified in those two
17 areas?
18 A Since 1980.
19 Q And, Doctor, are you a member of any professional
20 associations?
21 A Yes. Im a member of the American Medical
22 Association, of the Oklahoma State Medical Association,
23 the Tulsa County Medical Society, and the National
24 Association of Medical Examiners.
25 Q Doctor, do you have any teaching experience?
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
233
1 A Yes. I have lectured in the Department of Pathology
2 in the past for several years at Oral Roberts University
3 School of Medicine and the Osteopathic College of Medicine
4 and Surgery in Tulsa.
5 Q And, Doctor, what is your medical experience?
6 A After my initial training in medical school and year
7 of internship, I spent about six years in the general
8 practice of medicine in Swaziland, Africa, at a mission
9 hospital.
10 During that time, I did a wide, general type of
11 clinical practice and also investigated deaths and
12 performed autopsies for the government of Swaziland.
13 In 1975, I returned from there permanently and
14 did my residency training in anatomic and forensic
15 pathology and then went to work for the Office of the
16 Chief Medical Examiner in Oklahoma. Ive been there
17 13-and-a-half years.
18 Q And what is your current position with them?
19 A Im the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the state
20 of Oklahoma.
21 Q What does that mean?
22 A It means Im second in command in the agency, which
23 is the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
24 It means that Im the administrative head of the
25 eastern division office of that agency, which is located
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
234
1 in Tulsa.
2 It means that I investigate deaths coming under
3 the jurisdiction of the medical examiner in 28 counties in
4 Oklahoma.
5 And I supervise the investigation of all medical
6 examiner deaths in that area that are not actually
7 directly performed by me.
8 Q Doctor, have you in the past been recognized by the
9 District Courts of the state of Oklahoma as an expert?
10 A Yes, I have.
11 Q And have you so been recognized by the District
12 Courts of Washington County?
13 A Yes, I have.
14 MR. CORGAN: Your Honor, at this time, wed
15 ask that Dr. Hemphill be so recognized.
16 THE COURT: Record so reflect.
17 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Dr. Hemphill, as part of your
18 duties as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, have you had
19 occasion to perform an autopsy in this case?
20 A Yes, I have.
21 Q And could you tell us on whom youve performed that?
22 A Yes. I performed the autopsy on a body identified to
23 me as Sandra Allen.
24 Q When was that autopsy performed?
25 A June the 12th, 1990.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
235
1 Q Doctor, I think maybe the first question I should ask
2 you is would you explain to the jury, please, what exactly
3 an autopsy is?
4 A The term autopsy is usually used to refer to the
5 major surgical procedure thats performed on a dead body
6 to determine cause of death and to shed light on the
7 circumstances surrounding death.
8 The postmortem examination, that is the
9 examination of the body, consists of other things.
10 That is an external examination, documentation
11 of any abnormalities or any things that the pathologist
12 may feel are significant on the external part of the body
13 and then the surgical procedure or the autopsy itself.
14 Q You use the term postmortem. What do you mean by
15 that?
16 A That just means after death.
17 Q Is there any type of term that you use to refer to
18 injuries sustained prior to death?
19 A Yes. The term antemortem, A-N-T-E-mortem, meaning
20 before death.
21 Q Doctor, I believe you said as a part of your autopsy,
22 you do both an internal and an external examination; is
23 that correct?
24 A Thats correct.
25 Q Would you tell us what you did in regard to your
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
236
1 external examination in this case and the observations you
2 made in that regard?
3 A I followed the usual and standard procedure that I
4 have for doing external examination.
5 That is, I carefully inspected the body as it
6 appeared when it arrived and made a dictated documentation
7 of the appearance of the body.
8 Q After removal of clothing and cleaning of the body
9 from blood and secretions and other foreign material, I
10 examined carefully all surfaces of the body with
11 particular attention to injuries which were present.
12 All of this is documented, first of all, by the
13 written report which is made by dictating into a
14 microphone with a foot pedal as I proceed with the
15 examination.
16 But also photographs were taken, and diagrams
17 were made to further document these findings.
18 Q Tell us what you observed in regard to your external
19 examination.
20 A To generally state that without at this point going
21 into great detail, there were multiple lacerations of the
22 scalp.
23 And there was fracturing of the skull, which was
24 visible even on the external examination because of the
25 extensive nature of the laceration or tearing of the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
237
I scalp.
2 There were also contusions and abrasions on the
3 trunk and the extremities and two small areas of contusion
4 on the inside of the lips.
5 There were some minor, very superficial cuts
6 one on the hand, the right hand, the palm of the hand, and
7 one on the back of the left wrist. And, in general, those
8 were the findings.
9 Q Doctor, when you use the term contusion, what do
10 you mean by that?
11 A Contusion is a medical term for a bruise.
12 Q And what do you mean when you use the term
13 abrasion?
14 A Abrasion is a type of injury that is produced by
15 scratching or scraping motion of some rough surface
16 against the skin. The outer layer of the skin is rubbed
17 or abraded away.
18 Fingernail scratches are a type of abrasion, for
19 example. Or if you fall and skin your knee on rough
20 ground, thats an abrasion.
21 Q And you used the term superficial cut.
22 A Yes.
23 Q What does that mean?
24 A A cut is sometimes called an incised wound, and I
25 have referred to those by that term in my report.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
238
1 But a cut or an incised wound is a wound that is
2 made by a sharp cutting instrument where the skin is
3 actually cut as opposed to being torn.
4 A laceration, which I referred to previously, is
5 also a break in the skin; but its caused by a tearing
6 type effect.
7 A laceration is a blunt injury that is produced
8 by something that doesnt cut, but tears. Whereas, a cut
9 or incised wound is a sharp force injury.
10 Q And that, as I understand, basically completed your
11 observations as far as external examination; is that
12 correct?
13 A In general, yes.
14 Q What did you do after that?
15 A Well, I took quite a bit of time to document in great
16 detail the appearance of these external injuries because
17 they were the most significant findings actually in the
18 case.
19 But after having done that, then I proceeded to
20 do the autopsy itself. That is, I opened the major body
21 cavities and examined all the major body organs and,
22 again, dictated a written documentation of my findings.
23 Q Would you tell us generally what you found in regard
24 to that internal examination?
25 A Yes. The internal findings of note were related to
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
239
1 the head and the skull and brain.
2 The rest of the body, the internal exam really
3 was not really relevant to the cause of death and was
4 essentially normal.
5 But at autopsy when the head was opened and the
6 brain was examined, I found that there were multiple
7 fractures of the skull, some of which I had already been
8 able to see externally.
9 But these involved not only the calvarium, or
10 the upper rounded part of the skull, but also the floor or
11 base of the skull on the inside.
12 And thats the part of the skull that lies just
13 below the brain and begins right behind the eyes and goes
14 back above the ear level and back to the back of the
15 skull.
16 The brain itself was also extensively injured.
17 There was a very large area of bruising of the brain on
18 the right side toward the back which corresponded to a
19 large area of injury on the scalp and skull where many
20 lacerations came together and produced a large, open
21 defect in the scalp.
22 There was also a large, open defect in the skull
23 in that same area; and the brain was bruised extensively
24 in that area.
25 There were some bone fragments that had been
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
240
1 driven inward into the brain and had cut or lacerated --
2 this really would be tearing, not cutting.
3 So there were lacerations of the brain surface
4 in the area where the bruising occurred.
5 In addition to that, there were scattered
6 bruises on other parts of the brain which were the result
7 of transmitted forces from multiple blows that had been
8 struck to the outside of the head.
9 Q Now, Doctor, I believe you say that you had occasion
10 to photograph your various findings; is that correct?
11 A Yes.
12 Q Doctor, Ill hand you now whats been marked as
13 States Exhibits 64 through 83 for identification
14 purposes.
15 Ask you, sir, if you would examine those and
16 state for the record what those are.
17 A These are photographic prints which have been made
18 from the 35 millimeter slide photographs that were taken
19 under my direction at the autopsy.
20 Q And would each of those photographs truly and
21 accurately depict what you observed at the time of the
22 autopsy?
23 A Yes.
24 Q And, Doctor, prior to court, did we have occasion to
25 match slides to those various exhibits in the numerical
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
241
1 sequence that we have them?
2 A Yes, we did.
3 Q And would it assist you in explaining to the jury
4 your findings if we could show those to the jury?
5 A Yes, it would.
6 MR. CORGAN: Your Honor, at this time, we
7 would move the admission of States Exhibits 64 through 83
8 and ask that Dr. Hemphill be allowed to show the slides to
9 the jury.
10 THE COURT: States 64 through 83 allowed.
11 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Doctor, I will leave the exhibits;
12 and you need to, if you would, as we go through slides, if
13 you would refer to the slides by exhibit number.
14 A The numbers are on the back? Is that --
15 Q The numbers on the back. Whenever youre ready.
16 A This is Exhibit Number 64.
17 JUROR: Your cant see very well from back
18 here. Can you pull the slide out a little bit, please?
19 (MR. CORGAN COMPLIED WITH THE REQUEST)
20 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Is that okay for you, Doctor?
21 A Uh-huh.
22 Q Do you I need to move it back?
23 THE WITNESS: Would anyone object if I
24 stood down where I can see it better myself? Its so
25 close to me, its a little hard to see.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
242
1 When I start talking about these injuries, I
2 think its going to be a problem.
3 THE COURT: Trying to figure how you can
4 get without blocking the jury as well. Can the jury all
5 see that where it is now?
6 MR. CORGAN: Judge, I think we can maybe --
7 THE WITNESS: Would I be in the way if I
8 stood close down here so I could see it a little better?
9 THE COURT: If he could stand to the side
10 here and have a pointer.
11 THE WITNESS: Just if I got even down on
12 that first step. Its going to be difficult for me to see
13 what Im --
14 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Doctor, my only concern is that
15 youre close to the microphone.
16 A Right.
17 Q How about if we put you here?
18 A Thats fine with me.
19 Q And that way youll have the microphone and you can
20 point whenever you need to. You can adjust that.
21 A Now, is everyone going to be able to hear me? All
22 right. This is Exhibit Number 64. Do you want to ask
23 specific questions, or do you want me to explain?
24 Q Doctor, why dont you just point out to us your
25 findings that you made in regard to each -- to Exhibit 64.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
243
1 And then I may have some additional questions
2 after youve completed your observations.
3 A This is a full-face view of the decedent; and, in
4 addition to being an identifying photograph for our
5 records, it also shows an abrasion on the cheek, which is
6 this scratch mark that you can see where Im showing with
7 the pointer, and a small abrasion just to the inside of
8 the left eyebrow up high on the bridge of the nose.
9 Q Now; Doctor, in your examination, can you make a
10 determination as to whether specific injuries occurred
11 before or after death?
12 A Usually.
13 Q And how are you able to make that determination?
14 A In general, injuries that occur either before death,
15 or during the dying period when theres still some blood
16 pressure, will have whats called a vital reaction.
17 There will be at least a little redness or some
18 bleeding into surrounding tissues.
19 For example, a postmortem abrasion, that is,
20 occurring after death, will often just have a yellowish
21 parchmenty look.
22 This mark up here has redness, the one on the
23 bridge of the nose, as you can all see.
24 If that had been done postmortem, it probably
25 would not have had that redness.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
244
1 It probably would have been very hard to see on
2 a photograph and almost the same color as her skin. So,
3 in general, thats the way we can tell.
4 Q What about the other injury that youve shown us?
5 A Well, the same thing applies. This dark color --
6 because of the light here, you cant see exactly what
7 color that is; but its kind of a reddish color.
8 And thats the result of a tiny amount of blood
9 coming to the abraded surface. And, again, it indicates
10 she probably was alive when this happened.
11 Q Doctor, do you have any opinion as to the type or
12 what type of things could cause those type injuries, the
13 abrasions, the observations you made?
14 A These, by definition, are blunt injuries. As to what
15 could cause them, there are many things.
16 Anything, for example, this small abrasion up
17 here on the bridge of the nose, any rough object that
18 struck that area -- a fingernail could do it.
19 A pair of glasses if a blow struck and broke or
20 pressed the sharp edge of the frame against that area
21 could do it. She could have fallen against something
22 during a scuffle.
23 Probably in the environment where she died,
24 there are many things we could look around and pick that
25 could have caused something like that.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
245
1 Q The long abrasion on her cheek was produced by some
2 semi-sharp, rather narrow object striking or dragging
3 across there.
4 It could be a fingernail. Could be some
5 semi-sharp object, a very sharp corner of a table or
6 something like that, for example, could do it.
7 Q Does that complete then your observations as to
8 States Exhibit 64?
9 A Yes.
10 Q Would you proceed then to Stateres Exhibit 65.
11 A This is 65, and this is a photograph of the left side
12 of the decedents face, neck, and shoulder as she -- as
13 the body was laying on the autopsy table.
14 This shows the linear abrasion on the cheek that
15 weve been talking about.
16 You can also slightly see the little abrasion up
17 there on the bridge of the nose where Im showing with the
18 pointer.
19 There are one or two small, abraded areas
20 visible on the side of the cheek, tiny, circular scratch
21 mark.
22 And then theres an area of reddish-purple
23 bruising or contusion on the left forehead in that
24 hairline, which Im pointing to just now.
25 Q In regard to that bruising, do you have an opinion as
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
246
1 to whether that particular bruise occurred before or after
2 death?
3 A It occurred before death.
4 Q Would you have any other observations as to States
5 Exhibit 65?
6 A No, I dont believe so.
7 Q Please move on to 66.
8 A This is Exhibit 66. It shows a photograph taken with
9 the decedents body lying face down on the autopsy table.
10 Q Let me put that in there better.
11 A Okay. You can see a part of the left side of the
12 face with the little abrasions weve already talked about.
13 But the thing of a special note is the back
14 surface of the left shoulder which has several abrasions
15 with some bruising or contusion around one of them
16 especially.
17 One is a long, curved abrasion that Im showing
18 you with my pointer here. It has surrounding bruising or
19 contusion on either side of it.
20 Theres another long scratch-type abrasion down
21 over the shoulder blade. There are smaller scratch-type
22 abrasions on the upper part of the back of the left arm.
23 And just below those areas are some faint areas
24 of bruising where Im showing here.
25 And then down lower on the left upper arm,
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
247
1 theres a faint, bluish discoloration which was also
2 bruising.
3 Q Doctor, as to those injuries, do you have an opinion
4 as to whether they occurred before or after death?
5 A They occurred before death.
6 Q And, Doctor, again, if I were to ask you the type
7 things that would cause those type injuries, would your
8 answers be any different than what you told us previously
9 about things such as a sharp edge of the table or a
10 fingernail, those type things?
11 A No. The answer would be the same.
12 Q Is there anything more that you need to point out on
13 States Exhibit 66?
14 A No, I dont think so.
15 Q Please continue to 67.
16 A Sixty-seven is a photograph of the right hand and
17 wrist showing whats called the ulnar surface.
18 The ulna is one of the bones in the forearm, the
19 one that makes the little knobby part of our wrist here.
20 And were looking at that wrist like Im holding
21 my arm as Im showing you here.
22 And the only thing thats important here is that
23 there are some reddish-purple bruises which, again, are
24 blunt injuries and are the result of some blunt object
25 impacting this, not scuffing the outer surface off, but
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
248
1 impacting and rupturing tiny blood vessels beneath the
2 skin causing some bleeding under the skin. Thats what
3 gives the red-purple color.
4 You can also see on here the end of a little
5 wound here. Let me refer to my notes. I wanted to be
6 sure that I was not seeing the end of a superficial
7 incised wound.
8 No. This is a superficial abrasion, which I
9 think well see better in a few minutes. But it was on.
10 the inside surface of the right wrist.
11 Q Again, Doctor, do you have an opinion as to whether
12 these particular injuries occurred before or after death?
13 A They occurred before death.
14 Q And, Doctor, do you have an opinion as to the type
15 things that could have caused that particular injury?
16 A As I said, this is a blunt injury. Its different
17 from the abrasions weve been talking about because it was
18 not produced by a scraping motion of something rough on
19 the surface, but by a blow of some blunt object to this
20 area.
21 Almost any object could do that. Some object
22 swung like a club which struck that would do it, but also
23 falling against some stationary object could do it.
24 Q Would that complete your observations of States
25 Exhibit 67?
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
249
1 A Yes.
2 Q Please proceed to Number 68.
3 A Sixty-eight is a view showing the left -- Im
4 sorry -- the right upper arm and elbow area and the right
5 side of the chest.
6 And the things of interest here are some
7 abrasions that are visible in this photograph.
8 And faintly visible -- and perhaps from where
9 you are, you cant see this. I can faintly see it here-.
10 But there is some bruising, bluish bruising
11 around this one abrasion over the biceps area here.
12 There is also some bruising that is faintly
13 visible in the shadowy area down here by the side of the
14 elbow.
15 But the primary reason for this photograph is to
16 show these two areas of abrasion, and then there is
17 another smaller area of abrasion up on the front part of
18 the extreme upper right arm.
19 Q In that regard, Doctor, do you have an opinion as to
20 whether those injuries occurred before death?
21 A They occurred before death.
22 Q Would that complete your observations as to States
23 Exhibit 68?
24 A Yes.
25 Q Please continue to 69.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
250
1 A Sixty-nine is a photograph of the inside or underside
2 of the left arm showing the armpit or axilla, as its
3 called medically, part of the left side of the chest, part
4 of the left side of the face.
5 And weve already seen some of the things that
6 are depicted here, so Ill not mention them.
7 But the one thing that we havent seen is this
8 area of bluish bruising, which is fairly faint in this
9 photograph, on the inside of the arm in the upper area
10 near the armpit.
11 Q Would that also be characterized as a blunt injury?
12 A Yes, it would.
13 Q And do you have an opinion as to whether that
14 occurred before or after death?
15 A It occurred before death.
16 Q Would that complete your observations as to Number
17 69?
18 A Yes.
19 Q Please continue on to 70.
20 A Seventy is a photograph of the right hand and wrist
21 showing the palm surface of the hand and the wrist.
22 Youll see a gloved hand holding a shiny metal
23 forceps sort of pulling down the skin on the palm at the
24 area below the little finger and near the wrist.
25 Thats to demonstrate this wound that Im
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
251
1 showing here with the pointer.
2 That was a very superficial incised wound, a cut
3 as opposed to a scratch or a scrape. So it is a sharp
4 force injury and not a blunt injury.
5 Also visible in the photograph is an abrasion,
6 and I believe this is the abrasion we saw the tip end of
7 in one of the other photographs.
8 Now, this -- and the photograph may look very
9 similar to the incised wound; but careful examination made
10 it clear that this on the wrist is an abrasion. Its a
11 scratch, a blunt injury.
12 This on the palm of the hand is a very
13 superficial cut where the outer surfaces of the skin were
14 actually cut by some sharp instrument or object.
15 Q Doctor, do you have an opinion as to whether those
16 injuries occurred before or after death?
17 A Its my opinion that they occurred before death.
18 Q Would that complete your examination as to Number 70?
19 A Yes.
20 Q Please continue.
21 A Number 71 is a photograph of the left hand and wrist
22 showing whats called the radial surface of the wrist.
23 Thats because the radius is the bone that runs
24 along the forearm down to the wrist in this area.
25 For the record, this is also an area thats
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
252
1 sometimes referred to as the anatomical snuff box because
2 of the little boxlike depression that can be formed if you
3 flex your thumb.
4 And this shows an abrasion, another
5 scratch-type -- No. Im sorry. Im going to have to
6 correct this from my report here.
7 That looks just like the abrasions in this
8 photograph, but careful examination of that one also
9 revealed that it was a very superficial incised wound. -
10 The surface of the skin was cut by some sharp
11 object, so it is a sharp injury and not an abrasion.
12 Q Now, Doctor, when you -- you first said abrasion
13 and then you said sharp injury, youre referring to
14 something; is that correct? I mean, youre referring to
15 some notes?
16 A Yes. Im looking at my report of autopsy and my
17 diagram where Ive detailed and labeled each of these
18 injuries based on the way they appeared as I was looking
19 directly at them.
20 Q And was that from when you were looking at that and
21 physically doing the autopsy?
22 A Yes, it was.
23 Q Do you have an opinion as to whether those -- that
24 injury occurred before or after death?
25 A It occurred before death.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
253
1 Q Did that complete your observations as to 71?
2 A Yes.
3 Q Please continue.
4 A Seventy-two is a photograph that shows the feet and
5 ankles with primary attention to the top part of the left
6 foot and ankle.
7 And it shows an abrasion or actually two
8 abrasions very close side by side on the front surface of
9 the left ankle.
10 Q And would that be a before or after death injury?
11 A In my opinion, this is probably before death also.
12 Q Would that complete Number 72?
13 A Yes.
14 Q Please continue.
15 A Seventy-three is a photograph. I want to be sure
16 that I dont say right when I mean left or left when I
17 mean right here because weve zoomed in so closely on this
18 that I need to be very cautious about this.
19 This is the left forearm and wrist area showing
20 the surface adjacent to the little finger.
21 This would be the little finger down here, and
22 this is the hand held like Im holding my hand here.
23 And on the ulnar surface of the left wrist,
24 which is right here on myself where Im showing with the
25 pointer, is an abrasion.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
254
1 And then there are two other very superficial
2 abrasions more toward the -- whats called the ventral
3 surface of the wrist.
4 But the main reason for showing this photograph
5 was to show this small abrasion that Im pointing at right
6 here.
7 Q And would you have an opinion as to whether that
8 injury occurred before or after death?
9 A It occurred before death.
10 Q Please continue.
11 A Seventy-four is a photograph showing the left hand.
12 This photograph was taken to demonstrate bruising on the
13 back of the knuckles.
14 Also some tiny areas of abrasion like this
15 little circular area Im showing here on the index finger.
16 But primarily the bruising over the knuckles
17 here of the middle and ring fingers and some small areas
18 of bruising on the back of the hand.
19 Q Doctor, do you have an opinion as to how those
20 particular injuries on the knuckles could have occurred?
21 A Well, they are blunt injuries; and theyre not
22 scrape-type injuries, with the exception of this one
23 little circular area.
24 The major areas are bruising. Theyre the
25 result of a blow struck to this area by some blunt object.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
255
1 The location of these, as well as some on the
2 other hand, which I think well see in a few minutes, are
3 fairly characteristic in injuries, blunt injuries to the
4 head in the cases I have seen.
5 And though, of course, I didnt witness any of
6 these assaults myself, but Ive seen so many with injuries
7 like this that I strongly suspect that they occurred when
8 the victim threw his or her hands up on top of the head in
9 an effort to protect the head from blows.
10 Not with the palms up like trying to catch the
11 object, but with the palms down on the head in a sort of
12 dont-hit-me kind of posture.
13 And the blows that were aimed at the head then
14 will often hit the fingers.
15 And Ive seen fingers actually broken from those
16 impacting the finger against the skull by the object.
17 So that would be my guess that this is probably
18 how these happened.
19 Q Do you have an opinion as to whether those injuries
20 occurred before or after death?
21 A They occurred before death.
22 Q Please continue.
23 A Seventy-f ive is a photograph showing the front part
24 of the right lower leg area of the shin.
25 And just to the right of the shin bone, there is
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
256
1 an area of abrasion right here. Its just a small
2 scuff-type injury.
3 Q What type of injury would that be?
4 A Its a blunt injury. It occurred before death. Its
5 a scrape-type injury from some rough object scraping
6 against the skin.
7 Q Please continue. Now, Doctor, I notice you keep
8 referring to your report itself as you look at the
9 photographs. Why is that?
10 A Well, because the report has a diagram. It has
11 several diagrams.
12 But is has one total body diagram on which I
13 labeled each of these wounds as I looked at them and as I
14 directed someone to photograph them.
15 And on a photograph like were looking at here
16 where we can see such a small area of the object, its
17 hard for me to identify exactly what Im looking at.
18 This is a small abrasion. It appears to be on
19 one of the legs, and Im not certain that I can identify
20 precisely which leg it is on.
21 I think its a different view of this -- the one
22 that we looked at.
23 As a matter of fact, Im certain now. I can
24 compare the two by looking at the photograph in my hand
25 and this other one on the screen.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
257
1 This is a closeup view of that abrasion on the
2 right lower leg, the front part of the right lower leg.
3 And it is the same injury as was depicted in
4 Exhibit Number 75.
5 Q Would that complete your observations as to that?
6 A Yes, it would.
7 Q Please continue.
8 A Seventy-seven is a photograph showing the front part
9 of the right arm, the inside of the forearm, and the
10 inside of the right elbow.
11 If the head is off to your right, this is the
12 elbow.
13 And right here, this little red dot that Im
14 pointing at inside the front of the elbow is a needle
15 puncture, probably associated with attempts to treat and
16 resuscitate her.
17 But here on the midpart of the forearm is a very
19 faint reddish-purple bruise that Irem showing with the
19 pointer.
20 Q And, again, would you have an opinion as to whether
21 that occurred before or after death?
22 A It occurred before death.
23 Q Please continue.
24 A Exhibit 78 is a photograph of the right hand showing
25 the fingers, and it shows multiple bruised areas over the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
258
1 tips of the fingers beginning at the knuckle area -- not
2 the knuckle that joins the finger to the hand, but the
3 next knuckle out toward the end of the fingers on the ring
4 finger that you can see a bruise there.
5 And then the ring ringer, the middle finger, and
6 the index finger has areas of bruising further out toward
7 the tips of the fingers.
8 And this is the photograph I mentioned briefly
9 earlier when we were looking at the other hand.
10 The bruises are very similar, except theyre
11 more extensive on this hand.
12 And, again, theyre very consistent with a
13 defensive-type posture of the hands during the assault.
14 Q Would that also be an injury that occurred before
15 death?
16 A Yes, it would.
17 Q Please go on to 79.
18 A Seventy-nine is a photograph of the top part of the
19 left shoulder.
20 The head is over here to the right. You can see
21 some of her hair here.
22 This is the top of the left shoulder, and this
23 is an area of bruising. Its irregular in shape.
24 Its got some what we call linear or elongated
25 and then narrow areas of more intense bruising scattered
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
259
1 through it. I think thats really all I can say about it.
2 Q What type injury is that?
3 A Well, this is a blunt injury. Its due to impact by
4 some blunt object which ruptured blood vessels beneath the
5 skin.
6 Q Would that be an injury that occurred before death as
7 well?
8 A Yes.
9 Q Please continue, Doctor.
10 A Number 80 is a view of the inner surface of the right
11 wrist. Weve seen this same area from a different view.
12 Up here in the palm of the hand just below the
13 gloved finger is this red streak, which I told you before
14 was a cut, a superficial incised wound.
15 And then down here on the wrist and lower
16 forearm area is this abrasion or scratch-type mark across
17 the wrist.
18 Q Does that complete your observations as to 80?
19 A Yes.
20 Q Please continue.
21 A Eight-one is a photograph of the decedents right
22 shoulder. Shes lying face down on the table in this
23 photograph.
24 Her head is to the right. This is the edge of
25 her hair. You can see here her neck, and this is the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
260
1 right shoulder.
2 The right shoulder has an irregular-shaped area
3 of reddish-purple bruising, not exactly the same but very
4 similar to the one we saw on the other shoulder.
5 It also has at least one linear area of
6 bruising. That is, a long narrow portion in the midst of
7 just a lot of irregular bruised appearing tissue.
8 Q Doctor, do you know the bruises or the injuries as to
9 either the right shoulder or the left shoulder -- or do
10 you have an opinion as to whether they have any
11 relationship to the head injuries that well see later?
12 A Well, they certainly could. They are blunt injuries,
13 and so are the injuries to the head.
14 And so they could have been caused by the same
15 object that caused the other injuries.
16 Their location on the top of the shoulders might
17 suggest that they were caused by blows that were aimed at
18 the head that either missed and struck the shoulders or
19 possibly hit the head in a glancing fashion and the object
20 went on down and impacted the top of the shoulders.
21 Thats a possible explanation.
22 Q Proceed to Number 82, please.
23 A Exhibit 82 is a photograph of the right side and part
24 of the back of the decedents head after quite a bit of
25 the hair has been shaved away so that I could examine the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
261
1 wounds and see exactly what they looked like.
2 It shows a large, irregular torn area of scalp
3 with broken skull visible where Im pointing here through
4 the defect.
5 The shiny, pearly-gray material Im pointing at
6 here is whats called the dura mater, which is a fibrous
7 membrane between the skull and the brain.
8 This material that Im showing you here that has
9 a kind of a yellowish and pink-modeled color is brain
10 tissue thats coming out of a tear in the dura.
11 And this is a very irregular area of laceration,
12 and it is caused by multiple blows repeatedly struck to
13 this area tearing the scalp extensively, breaking the
14 skull, and even lacerating the brain.
15 Q Doctor, when you say multiple blows, can you put
16 any -- can you quantify that in any way?
17 A Well, not very easily because, number one, we dont
18 know exactly what the object was; so we dont know how
19 large its striking surface might have been.
20 But because of the many different branches and
21 shapes here and because some of the isolated injuries
22 which are on other parts of the scalp -- and one of which
23 you can see here on the back -- because many of them are
24 not more than an inch or an inch and a half in length, it
25 would be my best opinion that were dealing with -- Id
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
262
1 hesitate to even estimate, but possibly as many as 10 or
2 maybe even 15 or 20 different blows to this area on -- so
3 many of them occurring on top of or partly on top of the
4 one that preceded it.
5 Q Doctor, you mentioned that sometimes when someone
6 received wounds to the head and they put their hands up in
7 a defensive-type manner -- and we saw the bruising on the
8 fingers -- depending on the force, can you still receive
9 injury to the head as we see in this exhibit?
10 A You mean with the same blow that struck the hand --
11 Q Yes.
12 A -- could it also -- Well, probably not unless it
13 broke the fingers in the process.
14 Q All right. Do you have an opinion as to whether
15 these particular injuries that you have observed to the
16 head occurred before or after death?
17 A In my opinion, they occurred before death.
18 Q Please continue to 83.
19 A Eighty-three is another photograph of the decedents
20 head. In this photograph, shes lying face down on the
21 autopsy table; and were looking at the head from above
22 the head looking down on it.
23 We see the top of the head here and the back
24 part on the right side of the back and the right side that
25 we were looking at before where all these injuries were
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
263
1 Im showing with my pointer.
2 And then there are other injuries that are
3 visible here over in the midline of the back of the head
4 down in the left side and back and up at the top near the
5 midline going across down on to the left side.
6 It just shows multiple blunt injuries, most of
7 which are lacerations with some areas of abrasion and
8 bruising around the edges.
9 Q Doctor, do you have an opinion as to whether those
10 injuries occurred before or after death?
11 A Yes. They occurred before death.
12 Q Now, Doctor, as we look at the various injuries, is
13 there any way for you to determine of the manner in which
14 as far as which came first?
15 I dont know if Im asking my question very
16 well. Do you understand what Im trying to ask you?
17 A Which of these many blows may have been first?
18 Q Yes.
19 A No, I cant tell.
20 Q And as to the other injuries, say, to the shoulders
21 or various areas, can you make any determination as to
22 when those occurred?
23 A No.
24 Q Would that then complete your observations as to
25 these slides?
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
264
1 A Yes, I think, unless you want me to elaborate on the
2 lack of specific patterning here. I think that is an
3 important observation.
4 Q What do you mean by that, Doctor?
5 A Well, theres nothing about these lacerations that,
6 to me, anyway, are characteristic and typical of some
7 specific instrument.
8 Most lacerations of the scalp in my experience
9 are not typical of any specific instrument.
10 But, occasionally, you see something that, you
11 know, that would tip me off and make me say, hey, this is
12 probably this or that.
13 In this case, I dont see anything thats --
14 that would indicate that.
15 Q So what does that mean? What are you telling us?
16 A Well, it means that I just dont know what the object
17 was; and I dont see anything here that gives a very clear
18 indication of what it was.
19 Q Doctor, let me show you whats been marked as States
20 Exhibit Number 62 for identification purposes.
21 Ill just -- I know you have your hands full.
22 Ill go ahead and hand you the contents. Would you State
23 what that is?
24 A Well, this is a what I believe is usually called a
25 ball-peen hammer.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
265
1 Q Doctor, do you have an opinion as to whether that
2 hammer could have caused the injuries to the head that you
3 have observed when you did the autopsy to Mrs. Allen?
4 MR. CARLSON: Object to the form of the
5 question, Your Honor. Not a proper predicate.
6 THE COURT: Rephrase your question.
7 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Doctor, based on your autopsy and
8 the observations you made, can you do you have an
9 opinion as to whether that particular hammer could have
10 been used for those injuries?
11 MR. CARLSON: Same objection, Your Honor.
12 Not a proper predicate.
13 THE COURT: You may answer. You may
14 answer.
15 A The question is could it have caused them?
16 Q (By Mr. Corgan) Yes.
17 A My opinion is, yes, it could have.
18 Q Can you exclude that as being used to cause those
19 injuries?
20 A No, I cannot.
21 Q Doctor, if I might have that back. And if youll go
22 ahead and take your seat, I have a few additional
23 questions for you.
24 Now, Doctor, without displaying these to the
25 jury, Ill hand you whats been marked as States Exhibits
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
266
1 84 through 89 for identification purposes and ask you to
2 examine those and state what those are.
3 A Im sorry. Weve got a leaky cup here. You want me
4 to state what these are; is that correct?
5 Q Yes.
6 A Eighty-four is a photograph or a photographic print
7 made from a 35 millimeter slide that was taken at the
8 autopsy.
9 And all of these -- without saying that again
10 and again, all of these are photographic prints made from
11 the slides taken under my direction on this particular
12 autopsy.
13 So 84 is a photograph showing the right side of
14 the decedents head before any of the hair has been shaved
15 away.
16 It shows the large injury that weve been
17 looking at with the lacerated scalp, the fractured skull
18 fragments.
19 Most of the things we could see here, but
20 without the hair being shaved away to see the exact detail
21 of the lacerations and their shape.
22 Q What does 85 show?
23 A Eighty-five is a photograph of the decedents brain
24 after it was removed for examination, and it shows
25 bruising of the left side and the inferior surface of the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
267
1 left frontal lobe, several scattered bruises in those
2 areas.
3 Q Now, Doctor, in regard to States Exhibit Number 85,
4 how are those bruises shown or evidenced by the
5 photograph?
6 A By dark, reddish-black patches on the brain surface,
7 which and the brain surface in general is reddish-pink
8 with small blood vessels being visible.
9 Q In that regard, does that indicate any manner whet-her
10 the injury to the brain occurred before or after death?
11 A It occurred before death.
12 Q Would that complete your observations as to 85?
13 A Yes, it would.
14 Q Continue on to 86.
15 A Eighty-six is a photograph of the bottom side or
16 inferior surface of the brain. It shows areas of bruising
17 on the inferior surfaces of both frontal lobes, on the
18 tips and inferior surfaces of both temporal lobes, and on
19 the inferior surface of the left lobe of the cerebellum.
20 Q And would that bruising be evidenced as the same way
21 that it was in Number 85?
22 A Yes, by reddish-black patchy discoloration.
23 Q Would that also indicate that those were before death
24 injuries?
25 A Yes, they were.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
268
1 Q Please proceed to 87.
2 A Eighty-seven is a photograph of the top surface of
3 the brain taken from kind of behind the brain as it was
4 laid on the examining table.
5 And it shows patchy areas of bruising on the
6 right and left occipital lobes.
7 It also shows the -- part of the area of intense
8 bruising in the right posterior part of the brain in the
9 area called the right parietooccipital lobe area.
10 Thats the area immediately beneath where the
11 large area of laceration and fracturing were present on
12 the scalp and skull.
13 Q Now, Doctor, in regard to the blunt injury there to
14 the brain, would you tell us the surfaces that the object
15 would go through in order to get to the brain?
16 A Yes. It would have to go through hair. We sometimes
17 forget that, but sometimes theres quite a bit of hair in
18 the way.
19 Go through hair. It has to go through scalp,
20 which is the skin on -- overlying the skull.
21 It has to go through the skull, which is the
22 bone, of course.
23 It has to go through the dura, which is the
24 heavy fibrous membrane covering the brain between the
25 surface of the brain and the inside surface of the skull.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
269
1 Q Then it reaches the brain?
2 A Then it reaches the brain surface.
3 Q And would that indicate that that injury occurred
4 before death?
5 A Yes, it did.
6 Q Would you proceed to 88.
7 A Eighty-eight is a photograph of the right side of the
8 brain.
9 And it shows the large area of bruising and
10 laceration on the right side of the brain that was
11 immediately beneath the area of injury that weve looked
12 at on the other photographs the area of laceration and
13 skull fracture on the right side of the head.
14 Q And, again, would that indicate the injury occurred
15 before death?
16 A Yes.
17 Q And Number 89, what does that show?
18 A Number 89 is a photograph showing the interior of the
19 skull taken from directly above after the top of the skull
20 has been removed and the brain has been lifted out.
21 This shows the base of the skull, and it shows
22 some areas of fracturing of the base of the skull that
23 were associated with the blows to the top and side part of
24 the head.
25 Q What do you mean by fracturing?
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
270
1 A Breaking of the bone.
2 Q And do you have an opinion as to whether that
3 occurred before or after death?
4 A It occurred before death.
5 Q Doctor, based upon your examination and autopsy, do
6 you have an opinion as to the cause of death in this case?
7 A Yes, I do.
8 Q What is that, please?
9 A That the cause of death was blunt head injuries.
10 Q And do you have an opinion as to the manner of death?
11 A Yes. Ive categorized this death as a homicide.
12 MR. CORGAN: I believe thats all.
13 THE COURT: Is there anyone in the jury
14 that needs a break before we start with other questioning?
15 Anybody? Mr. Carlson.
16 MR. CARLSON: Your Honor, we need to
17 approach the bench for a minute.
18 (AN OFF-THE-RECORD DISCUSSION WAS HELD AT
19 THE BENCH BETWEEN COURT AND COUNSEL)
20 MR. CARLSON: If you could give me a
21 minute, Your Honor, to get organized. Just one second,
22 and then well be ready.
23 THE COURT: Certainly.
24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
25 CROSS-EXAMINATION
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
271
1 BY MR. CARLSON:
2 Q Dr. Hemphill, Im going to need you -- if you dont
3 mind standing a little while longer, I need you to step
4 down and run that carousel. We have ours organized in a
5 little bit different fashion.
6 If you would pull up that first one for us, if
7 you would, please.
8 A (The witness complied with the request).
9 Q Now, that is photo number 9, which is Exhibit Number
10 70. Let me ask you, Doctor, that indicates, as I
11 understand it, a cut; is that correct?
12 A Im sorry. What was the question? It indicates --
13 Q It indicates a sharp cut; is that correct?
14 A Yes, this does. Its a very superficial injury, but
15 it is a sharp force injury.
16 Q Would you agree with me, Doctor, that that type of
17 cut could be consistent with a knife?
18 A Yes, it could.
19 Q And its not the same type of injury as a scratch or
20 tear, is it, sir?
21 A No, it isnt.
22 Q Can you give us the next one?
23 A (The witness complied).
24 Q Now, this I think you said dealt with the left
25 anatomical snuff box; is that correct?
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
272
1 A It appears to be, yes.
2 Q And this also is a cut, is that not correct, Doctor?
3 A Yes. This is the one I said looking at the
4 photograph, its hard to tell.
5 But when I looked at it with the -- with my own
6 eyes, I documented it and diagramed it as a cut.
7 Q Would it also, Doctor, be consistent with a knife?
8 A Yes.
9 Q And if you would give us the next one, please.
10 A (The witness complied).
11 Q Now, as I understand it, this has a sort of a sharper
12 protruding area at one point; is that correct?
13 A Which are you referring to? This?
14 Q Yes. Could you describe that particular --
15 A That is, that is a scratch. Its an abrasion.
16 Thats not the cut we were looking at before. And what
17 are you referring to? The fact that it sort of tapers
18 down?
19 Q Yes.
20 A Yes. You can see back here where Im showing with
21 the pointer, its a little wider. Its not a wide wound
22 anywhere along, of course; but its a little wider here.
23 Then it gets narrow at one place, and then it
24 widens out slightly and gets narrow and then widens out
25 and then trails off into a very, very sharp, it appears,
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
273
1 scratch.
2 Q If that particular mark were made with an instrument,
3 it would have to be a semi-sharp type instrument.
4 Wouldnt you agree?
5 A Well, it wouldnt have to be any sharper than a
6 fingernail, for example; but, yes, I suppose we could say
7 semi-sharp in that sense.
8 Q Im talking about if it were some type of a steel
9 object, it would have to be somewhat of a semi-sharp
10 object, wouldnt you agree?
11 A Yes, at least as sharp as a screwdriver, for example,
12 or something like that.
13 Q If we could go to the next one.
14 A (The witness complied).
15 Q With regard to this particular photograph, it widens
16 out at the bottom, Ill say the bottom, down toward the
17 armpit; is that correct?
18 A Are we talking about this long abrasion here?
19 Q Yes, sir.
20 A Yes, thats correct. There is a widened, very
21 superficial abrasion and with some contusion. beneath it
22 down toward the armpit area.
23 Q And with regard to that particular type mark, if it
24 were made with an object -- with an instrument, it would
25 have to be also a semi-sharp type object, would it not,
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
274
1 Doctor?
2 A Well, it appears -- Im looking at the narrowest part
3 now because that would be the part that would indicate how
4 sharp the object or how narrow it may have been.
5 And its not nearly as narrow as that little
6 scratch we were looking at on the arm.
7 So semi-sharp in the sense that the sharp edge
8 of a table or something, maybe sharper than this -- its
9 hard to tell exactly how sharp it was. It didnt cut.
10 It made a fairly broad, if I could say fairly
11 broad for a narrow mark. Its fairly broad in its
12 scratching area here.
13 Then some part of it appears to have been wider.
14 I really dont know what kind of object were talking
15 about here.
16 Q If it were made with an object, though -- I guess my
17 point is, Doctor, that it would have to be something,
18 although it may be somewhat wide, it would have to have a
19 semi-sharp quality, wouldnt you agree?
20 A Somewhere along, it appears, yes, that it has a
21 semi-sharp edge.
22 Q If you would give us the next one, please.
23 A (The witness complied).
24 Q Although that ones upside down, I think we can cover
25 with what we need.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
275
1 As you look at that, that is a particular mark
2 which you designated it could be consistent with the mark
3 made by glasses, is that correct, the one right on the
4 bridge of the nose?
5 A This one right here, yes.
6 Q I guess what were talking about is the pad part of
7 the glasses; is that correct?
8 A Well, its not in the right location for the nose
9 pad. I was just simply saying that one thing you could
10 think of would be if a person were wearing glasses and
11 something -- they fell against something or something hit
12 them and maybe the frame was bent or broken, a part of the
13 frame, some part above the nose pad might do that.
14 That -- Im not suggesting that thats what it
15 was. Thats just one thing that comes to mind.
16 It could very easily be something that scratched
17 or struck her there either as she fell or during the
18 assault.
19 Q But it would be consistent with the top part of the
20 glasses if driven into the face.
21 MR. CORGAN: Its been asked and answered.
22 THE COURT: You may answer.
23 A Yes, it would be.
24 Q (By Mr. Carlson) Now, let me ask you a question. We
25 do know, do we not, from medical science that bruising
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
276
1 will occur even though youre unconscious? Isnt that
2 correct, Doctor?
3 A Yes, thats true.
4 Q And, obviously, the reason that we know that is
5 because although you may be unconscious, why, your heart
6 would still be pumping; is that correct?
7 A Yes. And as long as blood pressure in the those
8 vessels that are rupture, blood can, and usually will,
9 ooze out under the skin. Thats where you get a bruise-.
10 Q If you could give us the next slide, please, Doctor.
11 A (The witness complied).
12 Q If you could go to the next one.
13 A (The witness complied).
14 Q With regard to this particular slide, I notice that
15 this appears to me to be the left ankle; is that correct,
16 sir?
17 A Yes.
18 Q And this is either, one, a small abrasion or scratch.
19 Would you characterize it as a scratch?
20 A Well, a scratch is sort of a lay term for certain
21 kinds of abrasions. These are all abrasions as far as the
22 medical description.
23 I usually think of scratch, but this is just my
24 colloquialism maybe as being an elongated thing, a mark
25 made like some of these others weve seen like the end of
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
277
1 a screwdriver or a fingernail or something might make.
2 But, yes, you could call this a scratch.
3 Actually, what it looks like is that there are
4 two little abraded areas right side by side. Im not-sure
5 how to explain that, but they are abrasions.
6 Q Would you say if we characterize it as a scratch, it
7 would be consistent with like a fingernail would cause,
8 Doctor?
9 A Well, consistent with, but not really characteristic.
10 It certainly couldnt be ruled out.
11 Q If you would give us the next one, please.
12 A (The witness complied).
13 Q Now, with regard to this particular photograph, there
14 appears to be a large, irregular area about, what, three
15 to three-and-a-half inches in greatest dimension? Is that
16 correct?
17 A It appears to me that thats correct, about three
18 inches.
19 Q With -- intermingled within that, if I understand
20 your testimony correctly, there are scratch marks also,
21 are there not?
22 A Well, I havent called these scratch marks. They are
23 actually not abrasions. Theyre linear contusions, and
24 they are bruising like the other.
25 But they appear to be the result of some ridged
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
278
1 type object either pressing very hard against this during
2 impact causing a little bit more bleeding where the ridge
3 is impacted, or possibly by a dragging -- as the blow was
4 struck, a dragging across there which didnt scuff the
5 skin to make it an abrasion but did rupture a few more
6 blood vessels and capillaries in that area so that you get
7 an elongated, series of elongated little bruises overlying
8 the other major bruised area.
9 Q If you would go to the next one, please, Doctor.
10 A (The witness complied).
11 Q We have what is -- although thats upside down, we
12 can see the bruising in the area underneath the arm, can
13 we not, Doctor?
14 A Yes, right here.
15 Q And is that type of bruising -- it would appear that
16 thats a relatively protected area of the arm, is it not?
17 A Yes, it is.
18 Q And in order for that to happen, that would be
19 consistent with the particular person having their arm up,
20 would it not?
21 A Yes. That would be one explanation.
22 Q Okay. If you would give us the next one, please.
23 A (The witness complied).
24 Q Here we have a picture, if I understood your
25 testimony correctly, Doctor, the knuckles of the hand; is
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
279
1 that correct?
2 A Yes.
3 Q And thats the left hand?
4 A Yes.
5 Q Would you agree with me that if a person were to
6 swing backhanded at a perpetrator that those type marks
7 could be consistent with swinging and hitting something or
8 swinging and missing? That those could be consistent with
9 that type of a swing.
10 A Well, they are consistent with the hand swinging and
11 hitting something. Theyre not consistent with it missing
12 something. It had to hit something to cause this.
13 But if you mean missing the perpetrator and
14 hitting something else instead, yes.
15 Q Next photograph.
16 A (The witness complied).
17 Q Likewise, with these particular photographs, we can
18 see the bruising on the fingers also.
19 And those also would be consistent or could be
20 consistent with a backhanded swing where either you hit
21 the perpetrator and missed and hit some other object,
22 would you agree with that, Doctor?
23 A Yes, I would.
24 Q Give us the next one, please.
25 A (The witness complied).
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
280
1 Q Doctor, this is -- you need to orient. This is,
2 what, the right side and slightly the back of the head; is
3 that correct?
4 A Yes. I showed this from a different -- in the way
5 that we took it reversed around; but its the same.
6 This is with the decedent in an upright
7 position. Actually, shes lying on the table.
8 But if we imagined her standing upright, this
9 would be the top of her head.
10 And this is the back of her head. The midline
11 is about right here.
12 The face is turned to her right somewhat, and
13 this large area here that Im showing is the right side
14 and right back and side of her scalp.
15 Q Give us the next photograph, please.
16 A (The witness complied).
17 Q Now, this particular photograph shows also the back
18 of the head, does it not?
19 A Yes. I need to move. Just one second. Not that
20 far. The reason Im moving around is I think this thing
21 is reversed so that I cant -- I think what looks like
22 right on here is actually left.
23 Since I havent just looked at it with these
24 other photographs, Im having to kind of orient myself
25 from my --
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
281
1 Q If I actually hand you the photograph, would it help?
2 A Yes. This is reversed in there, but that may not be
3 of any great importance for what you want to ask. This is
4 the back of the head with the multiple lacerations.
5 Q When you say reversed, can you tell me what you
6 mean?
7 A Well, the way this is in there, this -- the yellow
8 color here was light leakage.
9 This was a first shot on the end of the film,
10 and so it wasnt a very good photograph. Except half of
11 it is certainly okay.
12 The front of the face is over here where the
13 yellow area is. This is the back of the head.
14 The way this is in here, this suggests that this
15 is the right ear over here; but in actuality, that is the
16 left ear.
17 And this thing is -- no, okay. Lets turn it
18 this way. This will do.
19 All right. If we look at it like this, this
20 represents the back of the head with the right ear not
21 visible but down here.
22 The large area of injury to the right side and
23 the back of the scalp is just barely visible here at the
24 bottom of the picture.
25 The left ear is up here where Im showing with
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
282
1 the pointer. okay. Thats all right. We can do it that
2 way.
3 Q We' re in there okay?
4 A Were re in there all right now.
5 Q And that, again, shows the injury pattern, does it
6 not, sir?
7 A Yes, it does.
8 Q If you could go ahead and take your seat and let me
9 talk to you just a minute.
10 Doctor, as you viewed the particular injury
11 pattern in regard to this particular case, you would agree
12 with me, would you not, that you saw nothing that was
13 particularly characteristic of the injury pattern of a
14 ball-peen hammer; isnt that correct?
15 A Thats correct.
16 Q All right. We know from experience that when you
17 have a hammer, one of the characteristic marks that you
18 may well get from any type of hammer with a driving
19 surface is a half-moon indentation; isnt that correct?
20 A Thats right. If the driving surface actually
21 strikes the scalp, you often do get that.
22 Q By the same token, we know also that another type of
23 injury pattern that is specifically characteristic of the
24 use of a hammer is what we call a star-shape, is it not?
25 A Yes.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
283
1 Q Would you explain to the ladies and gentlemen of the
2 jury what you mean by star-shaped pattern?
3 A This is a pattern of laceration which is more likely
4 to occur if the striking surface of the hammer hits flat
5 as opposed to any angle, flat against a relatively flat
6 part of the scalp.
7 What happens is the skin is split between the
8 hammer and the skull, and the splitting may take a three-
9 or four-pronged shape.
10 And then between the prongs, there will often be
11 an area of bruising or abrasion thats almost circular and
12 about the same size as the striking surface of the hammer.
13 Ive seen those once or twice in cases where it
14 was almost certain that a hammer had been used.
15 So if you see that, you have a pretty good
16 indication that something like a hammer, either the
17 striking surface of a hammer or the squared-off end of a
18 large metal rod or something like that, might have caused
19 the injury.
20 Q We saw none of that star-shaped type of injury
21 pattern in this particular case, did we, Doctor?
22 A No, we didnt.
23 Q Now, we talked about being unconscious. Doctor,
24 would you agree with me that in this particular case when
25 almost all of the blows were struck to the back of this
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
284
1 particular individuals head that that particular
2 individual, in all likelihood, was unconscious?
3 A Yes. It would be my opinion that after probably no
4 more than one or two blows of those really hard blows in
5 that area where so many were struck that after the first
6 one or two of those, she probably lost consciousness.
7 The fact that theres a fairly concentrated area
8 of striking in the same area suggests that she was not
9 moving and trying to protect herself or moving around when
10 the rest of the blows were struck.
11 So that -- all of that would suggest to me that
12 she was rendered unconscious very quickly and then hit
13 repeatedly after that after shed already lost
14 consciousness.
15 Q Doctor, you have been a medical examiner for some 13
16 years; is that correct?
17 A In Oklahoma, yes.
18 Q And, Doctor, in your 13 years of experience, youre ye
19 had occasion to be involved in various and different types
20 of violent crimes, Ill say -- use those words -- have you
21 not?
22 A Yes.
23 Q And, Doctor, would you agree with me from your
24 experience, you have seen cases where an individual has
25 come in and surprised someone particularly completely
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
285
1 unknown to them and yet that particular person has
2 rendered the type of damage we see in this particular
3 case.
4 A Yes, I have.
5 Q Even though they didnt know them.
6 A As far as anyone was able to determine, yes, thats
7 correct.
8 MR. CARLSON: Your Honor, we would move for
9 the admission of Defendants Exhibit 6.
10 MR. CORGAN: We have no objection.
11 THE COURT: Defendant 6 allowed.
12 MR. CARLSON: Thats all we have at this
13 time.
14 Q (By Mr. Carlson) Thank you, Doctor.
15 THE COURT: Redirect?
16 ---------------------------------------------------------------
17 REDIRECT EXAMINATION
18 BY MR. CORGAN:
19 Q Now, Doctor, if I understand correctly, you didnt
20 see this, what I believe you characterized as a star-shape
21 or a round-type thing thats characteristic of a hammer?
22 A Thats correct.
23 Q Does that mean because you didnt see that, you must
24 exclude the hammer?
25 A No.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
286
1 Q Why not?
2 A Well, the problem with excluding an instrument just
3 because you dont see a characteristic pattern is that
4 instruments often have various surfaces that can be used
5 or can impact a person when wounding occurs.
6 For example, a hammer does have the ordinary
7 striking surface or surfaces.
8 A ball-peen hammer, for example, has the what
9 Ill call the driving surface. Although, I think
10 ball-peen hammers are usually designed to shape metal.
11 Q Doctor, let me hand you the hammer since youre
12 talking about a hammer. Tell us what you mean.
13 A Well, all hammers have this ordinary striking surface
14 that Im pointing to here. If its a carpenters hammer,
15 its intended to drive nails.
16 If its a ball-peen hammer, I think this is
17 usually intended to shape metal or something.
18 But, anyway, Ill refer to it as the usual
19 striking surface.
20 Ball-peen hammers have another striking surface,
21 the ball area, which Im not a metal worker, but I believe
22 is used for shaping metal or peening rivets and things
23 like that.
24 So it has two striking surfaces that when its
25 used as intended as a tool and not as a weapon, one or the
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
287
1 other of those surfaces would be -- would strike whatever
2 youre striking.
3 But -- and if either one of those is used in an
4 assault, they are likely to leave fairly characteristic
5 marks.
6 And if Im looking at a case and I see nice
7 circular or half-moon shaped marks in the skull -- scalp
8 and/or skull or a star-shaped mark or a round area of
9 indentation in the skull that looks like it would match- a
10 hammer or either surface of a hammer, then I can say this
11 is likely to be either a hammer or something with a
12 similar striking surface.
13 But if I dont see those things, I have to be
14 very careful that I dont jump to the conclusion, well, it
15 cant be a hammer.
16 Because if you look at a hammer, hammers
17 actually have several different surfaces that can be used
18 quite effectively as weapons.
19 In the first place, if the hammer is grasped in
20 the usual manner, it may not only be struck by one of the
21 intended striking surfaces, but it can be struck against
22 the side, some portion of the side.
23 And since nobody really knows in any individual
24 case, even if the hammer is thought to be the weapon,
25 nobody knows how the perpetrator may have been holding it.
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
288
1 We have to be careful because if the side, some
2 portion of the side of this hammer strikes a skull, its
3 not going to leave the typical round or crescent-shaped
4 marks that we associate with hammer injuries.
5 As a matter of fact, it may leave marks that
6 cant be distinguished from a mark left by a two by four,
7 a tire iron, a piece of pipe or something like that.
8 In addition to that, the handle of the hammer
9 makes a very effective club.
10 And grasping a hammer by the head like this and
11 using it like a club can produce blunt injuries which are
12 indistinguishable from injuries caused by a pipe or the
13 edge of a two by four or something like that.
14 Another thing, if were just thinking about
15 possibilities, is that a hammer can be grasped like this
16 and can be used to pound in the same way that a person
17 might pound another in the head with a rock in his hand or
18 something.
19 And if that were done, then this surface here or
20 some part of it would cause the splitting of the skin and
21 wouldnt be expected to leave any kind of a typical nice
22 little circular mark.
23 And I guess while were at it, we also could say
24 that -- and Im not suggesting how probable this would
25 be -- but even the butt of a hammer handle could be used
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
289
1 just like Ive seen people bludgeoned with the butt of a
2 gun when it was being held in the usual shooting position
3 and hammered into somebodys head.
4 Of course, in that case, you would expect -- or
5 1 would expect to see some circular marks from the butt of
6 the handle similar to a driving surface.
7 But I think Ive talked about probably six
8 different surfaces that are present on this particular
9 instrument, any one of which could cause blunt injuries to
10 the head.
11 Three of those surfaces would not be expected to
12 produce circular or crescent-shaped marks that are usually
13 associated with hammer injuries.
14 So Im not suggesting that a hammer was or was
15 not used here. I dont know.
16 All Im saying is that I do not believe that I
17 can logically and scientifically exclude this instrument.
18 I think it could have caused these injuries.
19 Q Doctor, as to this issue of unconsciousness, what
20 area of injuries were you referring to?
21 A In relation to the question of was she unconscious
22 when most of these -- I was referring to this large area
23 of injury on the right side and back of the head.
24 And what I said or meant to be saying was that,
25 in my opinion, she was probably unconscious when most of
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
290
1 these repeated blows were struck because they all -- you
2 know, they were so forceful, it would appear that after
3 one or two had been struck, she probably could not have
4 stayed conscious.
5 And then the fact that theyre all concentrated
6 in one area suggests that she wasnt moving around trying
7 to get away.
8 That she may have been unconscious maybe face
9 down with the perpetrator standing over her or kneeling
10 over her.
11 Q Now, do we have other head injuries?
12 A Yes, we did.
13 Q And where were those located?
14 A We saw some of them in these photographs, but there
15 were quite a number of lacerations on the back of the
16 head, the scalp.
17 There were -- and Im just looking at my diagram
18 for reference here -- what appears to be 10 or 11 separate
19 points of impact separate from this big area.
20 These were located on the back and slightly
21 around to the left on the head.
22 Q Is there anything about those particular injuries
23 that would indicate to you that Mrs. Allen would
24 necessarily have been unconscious when she received those?
25 A Not that she necessarily would have been. They did
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
291
1 not produce any fracturing of the skull. They did split
2 the scalp.
3 And so though they were not as hard blows as
4 these that ultimately broke the skull on the other side,
5 they wouldnt have done her any good.
6 And its possible that one or more of those --
7 one or some combination of those could have rendered her
8 unconscious.
9 So she might have been -- if those blows came
10 first, she might have been unconscious from one or more of
11 those before any of these were struck on the right side.
12 MR. CORGAN: I believe thats all.
13 ------------------------------------------------------------------
14 RECROSS-EXAMINATION
15 BY MR. CARLSON:
16 Q Doctor, would you agree with me that it would be
17 particularly unusual for somebody to have struck the
18 victim in this particular case as many times as she was
19 struck and yet not have struck her at some point with the
20 driving surface or one of the driving surfaces of this
21 particular instrument were talking about?
22 A Well, I cant agree with you because I dont know
23 how -- if this were the instrument, I have no way of
24 knowing how the perpetrator may have been holding it.
25 So, you know, that -- it would be easy for me or
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
292
1 for you or for some member of the jury to think, well,
2 that just makes sense. It probably would have to be that
3 way.
4 But its that kind of reasoning that I have been
5 trained to avoid and I try to avoid.
6 That would be speculation, and I just really
7 dont have any way of answering that.
8 Q Wouldnt you agree with me, Doctor, that the normal
9 way that you pick up a hammer of this nature would be you
10 grasp it by the handle?
11 A Well, again, I dont know the answer to that because
12 a hammer is not intended to be used as a weapon. Its
13 intended as a tool.
14 And I dont know how to answer that. Anyone who
15 would beat someone to death with a hammer is not an
16 average person.
17 So even if I knew what the average person would
18 do when he picked up a hammer, it wouldnt apply here.
19 And even if I knew what the average hammer
20 murderer does, you know, if Id interviewed 100 and asked
21 them how they prefer to hold the hammer while they beat
22 people to death, I still wouldnt know how to apply that
23 information to any specific case. So I dont know the
24 answer to that.
25 Q You wouldnt agree with me that if youre a normal
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
293
1 person that if youre going to pick up the hammer, youd
2 pick it up like that?
3 A Im sorry. I cant agree with that because this
4 person was not a normal person I think we could say by
5 definition. And even then, I dont know.
6 I have personally seen hammers used as clubs
7 to -- by using the handle by grasping it with the head.
8 Ive seen it used when I was a teenager among
9 domestic rabbit raisers, they use that as a means of
10 quickly and painlessly killing rabbits for slaughter.
11 And I have no way of knowing whether, you know,
12 a person might like to use a hammer that way. So I just
13 cant answer the question.
14 Q Do you recall testifying at the preliminary hearing
15 in this matter?
16 A Yes, I do.
17 Q Do you recall the discussion between you and I in
18 that regard?
19 A I think I recall that question related to what a
20 normal person might do was asked.
21 But I dont remember exactly how it was asked,
22 and I dont remember what I answered.
23 Q Arent there a number of blows that struck in this
24 particular case that would certainly, if a person were
25 holding a hammer by the handle, that would certainly give
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
294
1 us an opportunity to see a characteristic mark by one of
2 the driving surfaces if we assume, since youre here as an
3 expert, if we assume that they were holding it by the
4 handle?
5 A If we assume that he was holding it by the handle and
6 if we assume that he was not intentionally striking with
7 the flat side, then I would expect in all of these blows
8 to see one or more that had a characteristic shape of a
9 striking surface.
10 Q Thats what we didnt see, correct?
11 A Thats --
12 0 Thats --
13 A We didnt see, yes. We did not see those
14 characteristic marks.
15 Q So you cannot give us any opinion then, if I
16 understand you, as to how likely it is that somebody would
17 hold a hammer like this and hit with this side.
18 A No, I really cant.
19 Q Would you agree with me that would be somewhat
20 awkward to hold it across the handle like that?
21 MR. CORGAN: Judge, I think were getting
22 into speculation now.
23 THE COURT: If you can answer it.
24 A Well, I really cant. My answer -- you know, Im
25 here as an expert, not as an ordinary person whos trying
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
295
1 to say whether its awkward to hold a hammer.
2 It would depend on the person. You know, some
3 people maybe like to hold hammers that way. I dont know.
4 I think thats out of my area of expertise. I
5 think it would just be speculation.
6 And I wouldnt want to give an answer that would
7 somehow carry some credibility that it shouldnt just
8 because Im here qualified as an expert. I cant answer
9 that. I dont know the answer.
10 MR. CARLSON: Your Honor, we would like to
11 mark and introduce the hammer at this point.
12 MR. CORGAN: Judge, its already been
13 marked as States Exhibit 62. We have no objection to it
14 being admitted.
15 MR. CARLSON: We go ahead and move its
16 admission at this time.
17 THE COURT: Sixty-two allowed then.
18 MR. CARLSON: Thats all we have, Your
19 Honor.
20 MR. CORGAN: I have nothing further.
21 THE COURT: Thank you very much. Doctor,
22 you may step down.
23 THE WITNESS: Thank you.
24 THE COURT: Counsel.
25 (AN OFF-THE-RECORD DISCUSSION WAS HELD AT THE
DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT