Peterson case BBC coverage

[Planigale]

This does not seem to be covered here. I do not know if the BBC podcasts will be available to all, but usually they are. This is a well presented review of a problematic case. I have not finished listening but thought I would share the link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/art...e=article_beyondreasonabledoubt_contentcard20

 

[Chris_Halkides]

feathers of a bird

I am looking forward to how they treat the owl theory. IIRC there were small feathers found in Kathleen's scalp, but I don't believe that they were ever identified. DNA might have been able to do so.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

The reasons for the presence of red neurons

One of the issues that came up in this case was the existence and significance of red neurons. It's outside of my comfort zone, but this blog entry makes me wonder whether or not the prosecution might have been overinterpreting the pathology.

 

[Planigale]

To fill in now I have learnt more. The victim Kathleen Petersen fell or was pushed down stairs. The only person at home was her husband Michael Petersen.

There was significant concerns about the forensic blood spatter analysis that arose after Michael Petersen was convicted with the forensic scientist being sacked.

The husband was bisexual and his sexuality was used to blacken his character in the trial.

The death of a friend who fell down stairs and died when Michael Petersen was present was introduced to suggest that he may have been a serial murderer without any actual accusation.

It appears that there is good evidence that the actual assailant was an owl.

There are many dubious elements in the prosecution and investigation. It is possible that Michael Petersen was guilty, but it is difficult to be certain because of the errors originally made. Certainly the outcome with an Alford plea which is not an outcome that makes one confident that justice was done.

 

[Samson]

To fill in now I have learnt more. The victim Kathleen Petersen fell or was pushed down stairs. The only person at home was her husband Michael Petersen.

There was significant concerns about the forensic blood spatter analysis that arose after Michael Petersen was convicted with the forensic scientist being sacked.

The husband was bisexual and his sexuality was used to blacken his character in the trial.

The death of a friend who fell down stairs and died when Michael Petersen was present was introduced to suggest that he may have been a serial murderer without any actual accusation.

It appears that there is good evidence that the actual assailant was an owl.

There are many dubious elements in the prosecution and investigation. It is possible that Michael Petersen was guilty, but it is difficult to be certain because of the errors originally made. Certainly the outcome with an Alford plea which is not an outcome that makes one confident that justice was done.

Did he lose a prior wife to misadventure? I could easily google but feel this thread is interesting.

ETA I have been reading wiki and this is redolent of Queen vs Mark Lundy, maps with perfection

The prosecution maintained that the murder was most likely committed with a custom-made fireplace poker called a "blowpoke". It had been a gift to the Petersons from Kathleen's sister but was missing from the house at the time of the murder investigation. Late in the trial the defense team produced the missing blowpoke that they said had been overlooked in the garage by police investigators. Forensic tests revealed that it had been untouched and unmoved for too long to have been used in the murder. A juror contacted after the trial noted that the jury dismissed the idea of the blowpoke as the murder weapon.[11]

 

[Chris_Halkides]

NCSBI laboratory scandal

I seem to recall that the original conclusion about the friend (not a prior wife) who died was that it might have been from von Villebrandt's disease. The blood spatter "work" was done by Duane Deaver, who was later let go, IIRC. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation had a crime lab that was at the center of a large scandal. The Raleigh News and Observer had a series of articles on this laboratory, which had a poor culture (a training manual referred to people who testified for the defense as defense whores). The lab gave misleading or false testimony on presumptive blood testing in some cases, including that of Gregory Taylor.

 

[Whip]

Did he lose a prior wife to misadventure?

You might be thinking of Drew Peterson who was convicted of killing his previous wife named Kathleen after his then wife Stacey mysteriously went missing.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

I hadn't realised the podcast series linked in the OP isn't complete and seems to be ongoing, though there's no indication of when the next episode will be available or how many episodes are planned. 5 episodes so far and they haven't even got to trial yet. They're really milking it. If all the needless repetition was removed, the 95 minutes I've listened to so far might fit into about 20.

 

[Planigale]

Whilst I do not want to get all Hitchcockian and get the thread moved to CT, following on from a homicidal owl, I now read about a criminal crow that fled with the knife from a crime scene http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40436177.

 

[Planigale]

I hadn't realised the podcast series linked in the OP isn't complete and seems to be ongoing, though there's no indication of when the next episode will be available or how many episodes are planned. 5 episodes so far and they haven't even got to trial yet. They're really milking it. If all the needless repetition was removed, the 95 minutes I've listened to so far might fit into about 20.

Apologies on behalf of the BBC this seems a bit of a filler. Radio 5 is mainly for sport enthusiasts so they probably need lots of reinforcement, with a bit of luck it will become a thirty minute program on radio 4 where the less intellectually challenged hang out.

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

Here is a Dateline series you can watch:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/dateline/52063577

There was also a very good series, "The Staircase," but you might have to get that on Netflix or something similar.

I think the owl theory is ridiculous, but that's just me.
They didn't use his bisexuality to blacken his character; it was part of the theory of the crime. Kathleen had discovered his shenanigans with male prostitutes that night (there was evidence she received a fax and went into the office and turned on the computer, if I remember correctly). Supposedly this initiated an argument, which was motive, according to the prosecution.

Peterson blew it in the 911 call when he claimed Kathleen was still breathing. When emergency personnel arrived minutes later, the blood was congealed and some had even dried. That was just the beginning of getting to the truth.

 

[Planigale]

Here is a Dateline series you can watch:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/dateline/52063577

There was also a very good series, "The Staircase," but you might have to get that on Netflix or something similar.

I think the owl theory is ridiculous, but that's just me.
They didn't use his bisexuality to blacken his character; it was part of the theory of the crime. Kathleen had discovered his shenanigans with male prostitutes that night (there was evidence she received a fax and went into the office and turned on the computer, if I remember correctly). Supposedly this initiated an argument, which was motive, according to the prosecution.

Peterson blew it in the 911 call when he claimed Kathleen was still breathing. When emergency personnel arrived minutes later, the blood was congealed and some had even dried. That was just the beginning of getting to the truth.

Not sure I understand the relationship. I have banged my head, it bled and the blood congealed and dried, I am still breathing.

 

[Planigale]

I seem to recall that the original conclusion about the friend (not a prior wife) who died was that it might have been from von Villebrandt's disease. The blood spatter "work" was done by Duane Deaver, who was later let go, IIRC. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation had a crime lab that was at the center of a large scandal. The Raleigh News and Observer had a series of articles on this laboratory, which had a poor culture (a training manual referred to people who testified for the defense as defense whores). The lab gave misleading or false testimony on presumptive blood testing in some cases, including that of Gregory Taylor.

One problem seemed to be suspect centred investigation. The forensic scientists sought evidence to convict suspects and ignored or failed to report exonerating evidence. The crime should be investigated not the suspect, the evidence should be neutrally interpreted.

Blood spatter seems to me to be in danger of becoming a pseudoscience with convincing experts over interpreting evidence and becoming popular with prosecutors by providing incriminating testimony. Duane Deaver, seems to have concealed exonerating evidence over interpreted evidence and was strongly pro-prosecution.

 

[Planigale]

Not sure I understand the relationship. I have banged my head, it bled and the blood congealed and dried, I am still breathing.

I suspect Chris's red neurones are relevant here.

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

Not sure I understand the relationship. I have banged my head, it bled and the blood congealed and dried, I am still breathing.

She couldn't have still been breathing at the time of the call, as the blood was an hour or more old. It didn't fit Peterson's narrative.

There were other things at the scene that did not add up too, but honestly it's been a long time since I delved into that case and I can't remember much.

 

[Ampulla of Vater]

What Chris is referring to...

In this case, rare red neurons, consistent with acute ischemic neuronal necrosis, are present in cerebrum and cerebellum. These findings are consistent with the decedent having a significant episode of widespread brain ischemia at least a few hours prior to death.

(Neuropathologist, Dr. Thomas Bouldin told jurors one particular item stood out when he examined Kathleen Peterson.

"This brain had experienced a period of decreased blood flow approximately a few hours before death.")

 

[Chris_Halkides]

Owl right

I am going to post a few links about the owl theory. "Her autopsy revealed seven lacerations, including very deep ones in the back of her scalp, and pine needles stuck to one of her hands, which both held clumps of her own hair. As Pollard discovered, the strands in the victim’s left hand contained three small feathers. Also, as Pollard and several ornithological experts noted, the pattern and shape of the cuts on Kathleen Peterson’s head suggest a weapon quite unlike a fireplace tool." link.

"Dr. Alan van Norman, in the first affidavit, wrote that two lacerations on Kathleen Peterson's scalp appear to be a pair, with each laceration having "the appearance of a trident with three limbs converging to a point at roughly 30 degrees from each other and a fourth limb converging to the same point at nearly 180 degrees from the center limb of the other three limbs. link2

"Although this hypothesis has been scoffed at and made into a joke by those who believe in Mr. Peterson's guilt, it is supported by some of the physical evidence found at the scene," the motion states, such as drops of blood on the front walk, hair pulled out by the roots in Kathleen Peterson's hands and bloody twigs and two feather fragments in her hair." link3

 

[Chris_Halkides]

There are two causes for red neurons

"You're half right, Vosbeck, and you made the error I was hoping for!

First, this is an acute cortical contusion. Contusions typically occur at the crest of a gyrus, which is one way you can differentiate them from ischemic injuries, such as strokes (strokes tend to occur at the base of a sulcus).

Second, the lesion is surrounded by hypereosinophilic neurons. The 'red' neurons look identical to those caused by hypoxia. However, they are not the result of hypoxia. For some reason, neurons adjacent to regions of physical trauma turn red, probably because they are physically injuries themselves. The big lesson here is: do not confuse 'red' neurons close to a contusion for hypoxic injury! This distinction is important because it takes time for hypoxic neurons to turn red. The literature varies, but the timeframe is somewhere between 1 and 3 hours for neurons to turn red. So, if you call this hypoxic injury you imply survival after the head injury and that may cause a number of difficulties with the case." link

 

[Chris_Halkides]

That's a wrap, baby

"The judge also agreed that comments by Deaver captured on video were “unbecoming.” In May 2009, the judge wrote, Deaver was recorded saying, “Beautiful. That’s a wrap, baby,” after a fellow agent managed to replicate a stain on a T-shirt.

SBI officials said the comment was unprofessional and hurt the credibility of the SBI for the jury in a Davie County murder trial. Deaver was not fired for the underlying experiment, which many bloodstain pattern experts have derided as pointless and unscientific." link to Raleigh News and Observer article

From Joseph Neff, a reporter whom I respect: "Joseph Kennedy, an expert on criminal law at UNC law school, found Deaver's misconduct "mind-boggling" and was especially troubled because Deaver was an expert witness in a circumstantial case with no confession and no eyewitnesses. Peterson's guilt or innocence turned on forensic expert testimony, Kennedy said." link2

I didn't look at the motive very carefully when I first heard about this case, but my impression was similar to the writer of the Audubon piece: "The motive presented at trial in 2003 was an unlikely mélange of Peterson’s desire to cash in on his wife’s life-insurance policy and a furious fight between the couple—after she discovered he was having a long-term affair—that led to her fatal beating." No eyewitnesses, no murder weapon, no confession, and a mish-mash of a motive. I am not sure that Mr. Peterson is innocent, but the case against him fails to rise to the level of BARD IMO.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

murder most fowl

Mr. Peterson's neighbor Larry Pollard was probably the first proponent of the owl theory. Here is his statement. Was Kathleen's temperature body taken? That might have helped establish the TOD.