 |
 |
to fill out a simple form to connect to DUI Lawyers in your area.
|
|
|
|
|
State v. Henderson3/7/2001
did not begin in the engine compartment because the engine components were essentially intact. Rather, burn patterns indicated that the fire had started in the front seat area and that an accelerant had been placed on the floor to make it burn hotter and faster. Clabo concluded that the fire had been set by human hands with the use of an outside ignition source.
Clabo then testified that he had investigated the fire that destroyed Griffin's trailer. After explaining his method of investigation, Clabo opined that the trailer fire had also been set by human hands and that a liquid accelerant had been used. He stated that he had checked the electrical system and appliances and concluded that there was no evidence of any electrical-caused fire from those items.
On cross-examination, Clabo admitted that he took samples from the vehicle to be tested for accelerants, but the report he obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation ("TBI") lab did not reveal any petroleum distillate. However, Clabo stated that it was not unusual to get a negative report from the TBI lab due to consumption and evaporation. Clabo also stated that the high whistling sounds heard by James Gordon could have been caused by contents of aerosol cans in the trunk leaking out or by the burning of the seats or a tire . Clabo admitted that none of Griffin's neighbors had noticed the smell of any petroleum-based product during or after the fire. Clabo also admitted that he had not sent any samples from the trailer to the TBI lab to be tested for accelerants.
Dr. Eric Ellington testified that when he conducted an autopsy of Griffin's body on February 25, 1992, he immediately noted that Griffin only had one leg and he had incurred a wound to the back of his head that was an inch and a half in diameter. Dr. Ellington testified that the cause of death was massive trauma or injury to the brain stem which was completely destroyed by a gunshot. Dr. Ellington testified that he removed the brain from the skull and retrieved two metal pellets and two objects which he concluded to be wadding. He stated that he gave those objects to Deputy Larry Muncy.
On cross-examination, Dr. Ellington testified that because he was not trained in forensic pathology, he had not attempted to determine the time of death. However, Dr. Ellington stated that the emergency technician's report indicated that rigor mortis was present in Griffin's body when it was recovered at 5:50 p.m. on February 24, 1992. Dr. Ellington stated that according to textbooks he had studied, rigor mortis sets in about thirty minutes after death and lasts from twenty- four to thirty-six hours after death.
James Widener, criminal investigator for the Blount County Sheriff's Department, testified that he executed a search warrant for Dellinger's trailer and surrounding property on February 28, 1992. Widener stated that the purpose of the search was to look for shells, shotgun shell casings, and a shotgun. He stated that several expended shotgun shells were recovered in both Dellinger's yard and in an adjacent yard. He stated that a .303 rifle and a Mossberg shotgun barrel were found in Dellinger's bedroom. On cross-examination, Widener admitted that it appeared that Dellinger was a gun trader or collector and that various people he interviewed had stated that shooting and target practice often took place in Dellinger's yard.
Don Carman, special agent with the TBI, testified that after an extensive investigation, his office concluded that the .303 rifle shell recovered from the scene of the burned vehicle was fired from the rifle that was found in Dellinger's home. He also testified that shotgun shells found in Dellinger's yard and the
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Tennessee DUI Attorneys
DUI Lawyers
|
| |
to fill out a simple form to connect to DUI Lawyers in your area.
|
|