Chris recaps the Defense case and the State's rebuttal from the Salinas Courthouse
You're listening to a special bonus series of the your own backyard podcast titled people versus Flores, a weekly recap of the murder trial of Paul and Ruben Flores.
Since filming and audio recording aren't currently allowed inside the courtroom, these episodes will recount handwritten notes taken by host Chris Lambert, breaking from our typical documentary format in an effort to get updates out as regularly and succinctly as possible.
These recaps will likely contain subject matter that may be graphic and disturbing to some listeners.
Listener discretion is advised.
On Wednesday, September 21, defense attorney Robert Sanger called his first witness, Doctor David Carter, to the stand.
Carter is a professor of forensics at Chaminade University in Honolulu and holds a PhD in microbiology.
After 45 minutes of voir dire going over Doctor Carter's education and publications in peer reviewed journals, the court designated Doctor Carter an expert in human decomposition.
Carter testified that he reviewed photographs of the excavation area below Ruben Flores's deck, as well as the heme direct test results of forensic DNA analyst Angela Butler.
Sanger asked, based on everything you saw, do you have an opinion as to whether or not those areas appear to be consistent with the burial spot of a human being?
Carter answered, I don't see anything in the data that confirms the presence of human remains.
Sanger responded, what also is associated with the place where human remains have been deposited?
If a body had been buried and exuded blood or any other kinds of liquids, is this the kind of location where you would expect to find other things left behind?
Pavrel objected that it was an improper hypothetical and judge Okeefe, I'm going to sustain.
I couldn't follow that.
Sanger rephrased.
My point is what I'm getting at.
When a body is pumping blood, the heart's still beating, they can exude a lot of blood, right?
Carter answered.
I don't know.
I don't really deal with people who are alive.