Part 8 (2/2)
”Was it still affixed to the body when you first observed it?”
”It was.”
”Did you remove it?”
”No. The coroner, at the time of the autopsy, removed it.”
”Was there anything unique about this particular cable tie?”
”It was an industrial tie, if that's what you mean. It was heavy-duty. Used for bundling things together. Almost anything,” he says. ”Old newspapers. Stacks of rags. Industry uses them a lot. Electricians would use these particular ones for bundling heavy loads of wire before they run 'em into a chase on large jobs. As I recall, that particular tie had a high tensile strength. Two hundred or two hundred and fifty pounds.”
”I believe Dr. Schwimmer said it was two hundred and fifty pounds.”
”Then that would be right.”
”So this was not something that the average consumer could find in your ordinary hardware store. Is that what you're telling us?”
”That's right. You'd probably have to order it from an industrial supply house.”
”Do you know where this particular cable tie was purchased? The one found around the neck of Kalista Jordan?”
”No.”
”Were there any other similar cable ties found on the victim's body?”
”No.”
”Did you have occasion to find other similar cable ties during the course of your investigation in this case?”
”I did.”
”And where did you find these?
”I found two other cable ties. The same length, and width. In fact, after examining them we determined that these two ties appeared to be identical in all respects to the cable tie found around the neck of the victim, Kalista Jordan. We found these in the pocket of a sport coat belonging to the defendant, Dr. David Crone.”
There are a few murmurs in the audience, and the judge slaps his gavel.
Tannery treks to the evidence cart and comes back with two clear plastic bags. He has the witness identify the first one.
”Do you recognize the contents of that bag?”
”I do. It's the cable tie that was removed from around Kalista Jordan's neck during the autopsy, the ligature used to strangle her.”
”Are those your initials on the evidence bag?”
De Angelo takes a closer look. ”They are. And the date that I placed it in the bag and sealed it, at the coroner's office.”
”This second bag, I ask you to look at it. Are those your initials on the bag?”
”They are.”
”And what is in this bag, Lieutenant?”
”The cable ties that we found in the pocket of Dr. Crone's sport coat.”
”And where was that coat when you found these two ties?”
”It was hanging in a closet near the front door, the entrance to the defendant's house.”
De Angelo tells the jury about the search, that they'd turned the house upside down, found the cable ties in the pocket of what they later discovered from co-workers was Crone's favorite coat, a herringbone tweed with large patch pockets, and leather on the elbows. Tannery produces the sport coat from the evidence cart, and the witness identifies it.
”Now when you found this sport coat, which pocket were the cable ties in? You found this yourself, I take it?”
”I did. The nylon ties were in the left side pocket.”
”Did you find anything else in the coat?”
”A set of keys. To the defendant's car.”
”What else?”
”A cash register receipt.”
Tannery takes another trip to the evidence cart, fumbles with a few envelopes until he finds the one he wants, looks inside, then asks the judge if he can approach the witness.
Coats motions him on.
”Lieutenant, I would ask you to look at the receipt in this envelope and tell us whether you recognize it?”
De Angelo takes out a small white slip of paper, looks at it, then nods. ”It's the one I found in the defendant's sport coat pocket.”
”Can you tell the jury what that receipt is for?”
”It's a cash register receipt from the university dining room. U.C.” he says. ”Dated April third for . . .”
”Stop right there. April third. Isn't that the day before Kalista Jordan disappeared?”
”That evening,” says de Angelo. ”The receipt is time-stamped at seven fifty-six P.M. We checked, and the clock in the cash register is accurate. It is maintained.”
Tannery has closed the loop, made the connection between the earlier testimony of Carol Hodges, who saw Crone arguing with the victim in the faculty dining room the night before she vanished. He has done this in a way that causes maximum damage, with a doc.u.ment that puts Crone there, date- and time-stamped, sharing the same garment with the incriminating cable ties.
Several jurors are taking notes. Like a dazing blow to the chin, Tannery has scored points and he knows it. He takes his time, allowing the testimony to settle in for full effect.
”Now when you searched the defendant's house, did you find anything else?”
”We did. We found a tensioning tool.”
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