Merged Jeffrey MacDonald did it. He really did.

[Henri McPhee]

Still waiting on that initialed lab note by Kathy Bond. Considering that you've failed to address any of my numerous challenges, my expectations for you meeting this current challenge are slim and Slim left town. The only thing your link proves is that the cognitive process of MacDonald advocates are in lock step.

For example, the author of the landlord's new favorite article also claims that Kathy Bond assisted Frier in the re-analysis of fiber evidence in this case. His lone source for this claim is Fatal Justice, yet as I mentioned in a prior post, Bost/Potter did not read the government's 1991 rebuttal to that false assertion. The totality of this guy's research material consisted of books and articles written by MacDonald advocates.

Let's talk turkey, none of MacDonald's various advocates have produced a single SOURCED evidentiary item that links the Stoeckley Seven or the New York Four to this crime. No DNA, fibers, hairs, prints, or bloody footprints matched exemplars obtained from these 11 suspects. The odds of 11 different people partaking in a home invasion and not leaving a trace of their presence at the crime scene are beyond astronomical.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

That's a lot of rot again from JTF. Sometimes there are no forensics at all in murder cases. There were forensics in the MacDonald case, but they were disregarded if they proved MacDonald to be innocent.

Whether Kathy Bond or Shirley Green were involved in the re-examination of the wooden club is not crucial evidence. The fact is that the expert FBI examiner Frier found black wool fibers on the wooden club with no known source, and that there were no pajama fibers on it. Frier was never called to testify at the trial. Only Shirley Green, who then spoke a lot of empty waffle. The point of this is that pajam fibers on the club were supposed to be conclusive evidence against MacDonald.

The matter is explained by Harvey Silverglate's paralegal, Murphy, at:

www.crimearchives.net/1979_macdonald/affidavits/1990-10-16_EDNC_aff_murphy.html

During Dr. MacDonald's trial in 1979, neither James Frier, Kathy Bond, nor Morris Clark were called by the government to testify as to what they found during the course of the re-examination of the evidence conducted pursuant to the directions of Murtagh in late 1978 and early 1979........

The government also called CID laboratory technician Dillard O. Browning to testify at trial about fibers found on the club. Browning testified that in examining the "vial" of debris taken from the club, he found only two fibers altogether, and that the two fibers were blue cotton fibers which, in his opinion, had come from Dr. MacDonald's blue pajama top. No mention was made by Browning of Frier's finding of black, green and white unmatched fibers found on the club.

 

[byn63]

roflmao! so what that Frier was not called? Why would they have called Kathy Bond since she was not involved? The prosecution gets to decide who they call just as the defense gets to do, you've been told before henri - they only presented about 60% of the available inculpatory evidence - that was all they needed to get the conviction!

 

[JTF]

Thank You

I want to thank the landlord for continually showing his hand. This is too easy, but I still derive enjoyment from squashing true crime trolls. The landlord again regurgitates the 27 year old defense claim that no pajama fibers were found on the club. That claim was debunked 25 years ago, but that doesn't stop some MacDonald advocates from giving it mouth to mouth.

In 1979, co-lead prosecutor Brian Murtagh requested an FBI re-analysis of the fibers found at the crime scene. Two dark woolen fibers were found on the club during this re-analysis. Considering the fact that these dark woolen fibers were not listed in the 1970 CID lab reports or the 1974 FBI lab reports, advocates for MacDonald felt that something was amiss. They ultimately concluded that the two fibers listed in the initial lab reports as coming from Jeffrey MacDonald's pajamas, were actually the two dark woolen fibers listed in the 1979 FBI fiber re-analysis.

In essence, advocates for MacDonald claimed that this was a classic case of fiber misidentification. The documented record says otherwise. In 1970, CID chemist Dillard Browning labeled the debris found on the club as CID Exhibit E-205. Browning noted that two pajama fibers were found adhering to the club in Colette MacDonald's blood and he subsequently placed the two fibers in a vial.

In 1974, FBI physical science technician Shirley Green labeled the debris from the club as FBI Exhibit Q89. Green placed the pajama fibers in a pillbox, and Paul Stombaugh later matched the fibers to the seam threads from Jeffrey MacDonald's pajama top. In 1989, the FBI took two color photographs of the seam threads in the pillbox and the photographs were labeled as FBI Exhibits 76 and 77. The documented record clearly indicates that both pajama fibers and dark woolen fibers were found on the club. Dark woolen fibers were also found on Colette MacDonald's bicep and near her mouth.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

 

[Henri McPhee]

In essence, advocates for MacDonald claimed that this was a classic case of fiber misidentification. The documented record says otherwise. In 1970, CID chemist Dillard Browning labeled the debris found on the club as CID Exhibit E-205. Browning noted that two pajama fibers were found adhering to the club in Colette MacDonald's blood and he subsequently placed the two fibers in a vial.

In 1974, FBI physical science technician Shirley Green labeled the debris from the club as FBI Exhibit Q89. Green placed the pajama fibers in a pillbox, and Paul Stombaugh later matched the fibers to the seam threads from Jeffrey MacDonald's pajama top. In 1989, the FBI took two color photographs of the seam threads in the pillbox and the photographs were labeled as FBI Exhibits 76 and 77. The documented record clearly indicates that both pajama fibers and dark woolen fibers were found on the club. Dark woolen fibers were also found on Colette MacDonald's bicep and near her mouth.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

Not true. Browning of the Army CID lab presented to the court at the trial in 1979 that there were only two fibers on the club and in his opinion those fibers were MacDonald pajama fibers. That was false evidence. Murtagh and Blackburn knew it was false evidence because the expert examiner at the FBI lab, Frier, had reported to Murtagh in 1979 that there were no pajama fibers on the club and instead there were black wool fibers and other fibers with no known source.

An aggressive criminal defense attorney would have torn the prosecution's case apart if the defense had been told that information. Murtagh knew it . That's why Murtagh covered it up in violation of the Brady law on disclosure of exculpatory evidence to the defense.

The MacDonald lawyers need to subpoena Frier's lab notes and lab reports to get to the heart of the matter.

Shirley Green was never involved in the microscopic examination of the wooden club. Stombaugh just blindly followed Browning's false analysis. Stombaugh never discovered any black wool fibers with no known source.

Regarding Shirley Green:

www.crimearchives.net/1979_macdonald/fbi/1991-01-17_fbi_file_re_1990-12-18_green.html

She explained her examination was a "general catalogue" examination and was "macroscopic" and not" microscopic" as this type examination would have been conducted by the expert examiner, SA James Frier.

 

[JTF]

Fantasy Narrative

In the landlord's fantasy world, the documented record is not true and uncorroborated claims are the most important facet of any murder investigation. Fantasy narratives aside, the chain of custody for the two pajama seam threads is beyond dispute.

1970 Dillard Browning concluded that two blue threads found adhering to the club in Type A blood were microscopically similar to inmate's pajama top. He subsequently placed those blue threads in a vial.

1974 Paul Stombaugh concluded that these same two threads were microscopically similar to inmate's pajama top. Shirley Green then placed those threads in a pillbox and she stored the remaining Q89 debris in vials/on slides.

1979 Lab notes constructed by James Frier reveal that the totality of his Q89 examination involved fibers stored in vials. There is no mention in his notes of examinations of fibers that were stored in a pillbox. The two dark woolen fibers found on the club were stored in a vial.

1989 The FBI photographed the two blue threads in the Q89 pillbox. The color photographs were labeled FBI Exhibits 76 and 77. The two dark woolen fibers remained in a vial and several animal hairs found on the club were stored in vials and on slides.

I realize that the landlord will regurgitate debunked claims on this issue, but this chain of custody timeline clearly demonstrates that two pajama seam threads, two dark woolen fibers, and multiple animal hairs were present on the club on 2/17/70.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

 

[Henri McPhee]

Dillard Browning the so-called forensic chemist at the Army CID lab was biased. Sometimes these forensic experts make it up depending on whether they are being paid by the prosecution, or the defense. The forensic evidence needs to based on a scientific rock. The point is that Browning said there were MacDonald pajama fibers on the wooden club murder weapon when there were no pajama fibers on the club. Like corrupt bankers, these forensic experts think they will never be caught or punished. It's unethical. The MacDonald defense were never allowed to test the wooden club, or any pill boxes, for pajama fibers themselves.

The matter was discussed in the cross-examination of Browning by MacDonald lawyer Eisman at the Article 32 proceedings in 1970:

MR. EISMAN: But he is giving a chemical analysis saying that the thread was grossly similar to that found in the pajama top. This line of questioning merely goes to the fact that this could have been grossly similar to thread found on any other piece of clothing manufactured anywhere else. Since this witness does not know the name of the manufacturer, does not know whether or not there could have been other garments in the house that night, who had this thread, he cannot say to a scientific certainty that this particular thread came from this particular garment.

 

[Henri McPhee]

1989 The FBI photographed the two blue threads in the Q89 pillbox. The color photographs were labeled FBI Exhibits 76 and 77. The two dark woolen fibers remained in a vial and several animal hairs found on the club were stored in vials and on slides.

I realize that the landlord will regurgitate debunked claims on this issue, but this chain of custody timeline clearly demonstrates that two pajama seam threads, two dark woolen fibers, and multiple animal hairs were present on the club on 2/17/70.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

Browning and the CID lab were not quite correct about animal hairs at the crime scene:

www.thejeffreymacdonaldcase.com/html/aff-segal-1990-10-13.html

45. I have been shown by Dr. MacDonald's present counsel what have been represented to me as being handwritten laboratory notes of FBI lab technicians Kathy Bond and James Frier. (Attached hereto as Exhibit 30) These notes, which document the FBI's laboratory examination of the debris taken from the blue sheet that was found on the floor of the master bedroom (designated by the FBI as exhibit Q-125), document the FBI's conclusion that the CID had misidentified the hair found in this debris as being an animal hair when, in fact, it was a human hair. I have carefully reviewed these handwritten notes and state with certainty that I never saw them prior to, nor during, the trial of Dr. MacDonald's case.

 

[byn63]

Dillard Browning DID NOT claim that there were only 2 fibers on the club. Dillard Browning DID say that he had removed, examined and stored in a vial 2 fibers that were from inmate's pj top. There were also dark woolen fibers that were never sourced - mainly because inmate rid himself of everything that had belonged to Colette, Kimberley, and Kristen as soon as he was allowed access to the apartment. His consciousness of guilt was showing.

 

[Henri McPhee]

The matter was discussed at the 1979 trial at the cross-examination of Browning. That's enough to get anybody's head spinning. There was an unseemly wrangle with Segal because Browning kept saying the fibers on the club murder weapon were identical to the pajama top, when in fact they were only similar black wool fibers from an unknown source.

www.crimearchives.net/1979_macdonald/trial/1979-08-06_trial_browning.html

Q**Now, on the piece of wood up there -- I think that is 306 that you have in front of you?
A**Yes.
Q**You did tell us you found one or more blue fibers; is that correct?
A**Yes; that is correct.
Q**Can you tell me, please, first of all, how many fibers did you find altogether on E-306?
A**When I received the fibers, they were actually in a vial.**My information was that they had been removed from Exhibit E-306.
Q**I assume you counted the number of fibers?
A**Yes, I did.**The number of fibers present in the vial were two.
Q**There were two in the vial?
A**Yes, that's two purple cotton fibers.
Q**Could you tell from the markings on the vial or any other labeling where on 306 those fibers had been located?
A**No, I don't believe so.
Q**Is there any possibility that you might be able to examine it and determine that or are you fairly confident there is no marking at all that gives the location of 306 where the blue fibers were located?
A**To the best of my knowledge, there were no markings on the vial indicating exactly where they originated.
Q**Do you recall, or can you tell from your records, who it was from the CID agents at the laboratory who collected the blue fibers off of the club?
A**Yes, I believe it was Larry Flinn.
Q**He was a laboratory --
A**(Interposing) chemist.

 

[JTF]

Predictable

The landlord's response to my timeline was remarkably thorough. Smell that sarcasm. His stock responses are further proof that posting on true crime boards is a game to him and has NOTHING to do with inmate's guilt or innocence.

http//www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

 

[byn63]

Notice that he is trying to claim that Browning said there were ONLY blue fibers on the club, but Browning specifically states that he received the fibers that he examined IN A VIAL and that there were 2 blue fibers. That does not exclude that other dark fibers were still left on the club AND no where in that section of cross examination was Dillard Browning asked about other fibers. He was asked if he could tell specifically where on the club they were located and he could say that to the best of his knowledge Larry Flynn was the Chemist who removed them from the club and placed them in the vial. NONE of that excludes other fibers and NONE of that diminishes the FACT that the fibers were from inmate's pj top and they were on the murder club in Colette's blood. FACT!

 

[Henri McPhee]

This is highly technical. I don't suppose the average reader understands what we are talking about. The point is that Browning of the Army CID lab said there were pajama fibers on the wooden club, which convicted MacDonald, while Frier of the FBI lab said there were black wool fibers with no known source.

Murtagh got round this problem by saying he took no notice of Frier's report until Gunderson raised the matter in 1988, and that there are photos of Colette once wearing a black dress and so it is of no forensic significance, and the crook Malone of the FBI lab did a re-examination of the wooden club!

There is some legal waffle about this matter in an affidavit by Murtagh:

www.themacdonaldcase.com/html/1991-02-19_aff_murtagh.html

 

[JTF]

Classic

I had forgotten about this little gem in Murtagh's affidavit.

The Gunderson report claimed at Volume I page 196A that alleged murderer Mazerolle was "not in custody at the time of the murders," but free on bail. The FBI investigation revealed that this was incorrect and that Gunderson and would-be author Bost had both blundered...

I love it. Brian's classification of Bost as a "would-be author" and stating that Bost/Gunderson had "blundered" is a classic ant meets boot scenario.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

 

[Henri McPhee]

The problem is that Browning of the Army CID lab, and the expert examiner Frier at the FBI lab were in disagreement with each other. This was covered up by Murtagh and Blackburn at the 1979 trial, when the prosecution never mentioned black wool fibers on the wooden club murder weapon.

The matter was mentioned at the Grand Jury in 1975 when Browning was being questioned:

JUROR: I have a question. Did you find any fibers on the club that couldn't be identified?

A Yes. On 205 we found two purple cotton fibers that were identical to the seam. You know the cotton fibers, the kind used to sew the seam on this. There were also numerous small blue/green/yellow single strand nylon fibers which were identical to the fibers of the rug, the multi-colored rug at the foot of Mrs. MacDonald in the master bedroom.

 

[Henri McPhee]

There is some background to this Frier of the FBI lab matter in an affidavit by Gunderson:

www.crimearchives.net/1979_macdonald/affidavits/1990-10-12_EDNC_aff_gunderson.html

 

[JTF]

Ant Meets Boot

The landlord is wrong for the, oh, I don't know, 150th time in the past 13 years? As evidenced by the documented record, the alleged disagreement between Browning and Frier is a fantasy narrative. The simple fact of the matter is that Browning never examined the vial containing the two dark woolen fibers and Frier never examined the pillbox containing the two pajama seam threads. Nuff said.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

 

[Henri McPhee]

The landlord is wrong for the, oh, I don't know, 150th time in the past 13 years? As evidenced by the documented record, the alleged disagreement between Browning and Frier is a fantasy narrative. The simple fact of the matter is that Browning never examined the vial containing the two dark woolen fibers and Frier never examined the pillbox containing the two pajama seam threads. Nuff said.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com

You can't just manufacture forensics, like DNA and fingerprints, in a murder case just because you have decided somebody has done it and your job is to 'find' the evidence. That's like the Irish have no principles.

Frier the expert examiner at the FBI lab was given the job of re-examining Q89, or E306, or the debris from the wooden club murder weapon. Frier did not report two purple cotton fibers like Browning did. Browning has this story which he presented to a court that two purple cotton fibers, supposedly from the pajama top, were detached from the wooden club and put in a pillbox. It's a bit too convenient for me. It's ridiculous for JTF to say that Browning never examined the vial containing the dark woolen fibers. That was the so-called forensic evidence which convicted MacDonald. I don't know what Frier would have to say about all this pillbox business if he is still alive.

Browning had pajama fibers on the brain. He was seeing them in his head or inventing them.

This is Frier's side of the story in an affidavit, though he was careful not to be severe in his criticism of Browning or Murtagh and Blackburn:

www.themacdonaldcase.com/html/1991-02-08_frier_aff.html

7. "Q-89" contained debris originally removed from a piece of wood which included TWO BLACK WOOLEN FIBERS and one green woolen fiber. I was unable to make comparisons for these due to a lack of known sources available to me at that time. I also found synthetic fibers of different colors which matched "K-30", the multi-colored throw rug which I reported. Two of these synthetic fibers were green lobed, three were blue lobed, and one was a gold lobed fiber, all of which were rayon. I also found a number of white cotton fibers which were not sufficient for comparison, as well as several animal fur hairs which I could not further identify.

 

[desmirelle]

Once more.....if Jeffrey Macdonald disposed of the comparison samples, he (and you) have lost any right to complain about the lack in finding matches. It does not mean that there was any conspiracy against Macdonald. It means that your man crush can whine like a little bitch about how the fibers weren't found even though he himself disposed of the source material.

 

[Henri McPhee]

Once more.....if Jeffrey Macdonald disposed of the comparison samples, he (and you) have lost any right to complain about the lack in finding matches. It does not mean that there was any conspiracy against Macdonald. It means that your man crush can whine like a little bitch about how the fibers weren't found even though he himself disposed of the source material.

That's ridiculous. MacDonald was never allowed anywhere near the crime scene for months on end. The Army CID had every chance to find comparison samples without interference from anybody else. The fact is that the CID and FBI never found any black wool fibers with no known source to compare with the crime scene, or any blond synthetic hair -like fibers to compare with the crime scene, so they just made up a source. That pillbox business is distinctly fishy. The Army CID were totally corrupt and the FBI were not much better. The real culprits could not remember where they were on the night of the MacDonald murders.

 

[Henri McPhee]

This is what Fred Bost wrote about the fibers on the wooden club murder weapon and it makes sense to me:

CLAIM 15 -- THE FIBERS ON THE CLUB

When the weathered, splintery stick found in the back yard was examined it was bloodied and had debris adhering to it, including animal hairs and some fibers. The prosecution says that among those fibers were two purple threads matching threads from Jeffrey MacDonald's pajama top. Prosecutors at trial emphasized those two fibers, and in closing arguments they decreed them to be the most damaging of all evidence brought against MacDonald. One prosecutor asked how it was possible for pajama fibers to be stuck on that club if, as MacDonald insisted, he had not torn his pajama top from his arms until after the club was outside.

The question proved effective with the jury. Unknown to them, though, the government had already determined that the fibers introduced on the club as pajama fibers were in reality a case of poor laboratory work. Initial conclusions by the CID in 1970 and the FBI in 1974 found two pajama fibers in the debris from the club. However, problems arose when an FBI lab technician just before trial reanalyzed the evidence. He determined that the two fibers, instead of being dark blue cotton pajama fibers, were actually dark wool of undetermined origin (SHORT #71). He also found dark wool on Colette's mouth and bicep area, and again, the source could not be identified. The prosecution managed to keep this technician from testifying at the trial by stipulating that his knowledge was unimportant to the case. Independent FBI studies made years later reconfirmed that no pajama fibers were found on the club (SHORT #72 & #73). The government took pains to keep the prejudicial conclusion from being baldly stated in official reports. Reports were written in a manner to hide the failure to find pajama fibers. This was done with general remarks such as "No other fibers of apparent significance were found."

The records, however, are clear. MacDonald was convicted using false evidence, false testimony, and false prosecutorial accusations. There were no pajama fibers on the club.