“Now, let’s discuss the blood evidence. You testified that Mr. Nelson was covered in the victim’s blood. Can you describe the pattern of that blood on his clothing?”
“It was extensive transfer blood. On his hands, his shirt, his jeans. The pattern indicated direct contact with the victim during a violent struggle.”
“Transfer blood,” Tony said. “Not spatter?”
“No. Transfer blood comes from direct contact or grappling, from being in close physical proximity during a struggle.”
“So if someone was in close contact with a victim while repeatedly stabbing him, for instance pulling him off another victim—”
“Objection, Your Honor,” Rosalind screeched.
“I’ll rephrase,” Tony said, waving her off.
“Would the wound pattern be consistent with the victim’s attention being directed toward another person when the stab wounds were inflicted?”
“Yes, that would be consistent with the victim’s attention being directed elsewhere at the time.”
“Dr. Wallace, you also found the defendant’s blood mixed with the victim’s blood on the knife. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Can you explain how the defendant’s blood came to be on the knife?”
“The defendant would have had to have direct contact with the blade. Most likely, he cut his hands while gripping the knife during the struggle.”
“So if someone was gripping a knife so firmly that they cut their own hands while repeatedly stabbing an attacker, would that explain the defendant’s blood being mixed with the victim’s blood on the weapon?”
“Yes. That’s consistent with a tight grip during a violent struggle.”
“You also mentioned partial fingerprints on the knife that were too smudged to identify. What would cause that?”
“Partial or smudged fingerprints can result from a number of factors. Movement during handling, the presence of blood or other fluids, pressure changes while gripping the object, or the surface texture of the knife itself can all interfere with the clarity of a print. In a violent struggle, it would not be unusual to recover prints that are incomplete or unsuitable for identification.”
“So Mr. Sanders may have tried to grab the knife as my client was stabbing him?”
“That’s possible, yes. The smudged prints are consistent with both parties fighting over the weapon.”
Tony turned slightly toward the jury. “Dr. Wallace, just so we’re clear about the forensic evidence: the defendant’s fingerprints were identified on the knife handle; the victim sustained multiple stab wounds to the back; there was significant blood transfer on the defendant’s clothing consistent with close physical contact; the defendant’s blood was found mixed with the victim’s blood on the knife; and investigators recovered partial smudged prints from the weapon that were unsuitable for identification. Have I summarized that correctly?”
“Yes,” Dr. Wallace said.
“In your professional opinion, is all of this evidence consistent with someone who arrived at a scene, found their sister being attacked, grabbed a knife, and repeatedly stabbed the attacker from behind to stop the assault?”
Dr. Wallace met his eyes.
“Yes,” she admitted. “It would be entirely consistent with that scenario.”
“Thank you. No further questions.”
“Redirect, Your Honor!”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Simon
“Dr. Wallace, defense counsel asked whether the evidence wasconsistent withthe defendant intervening to stop an assault. Forensic evidence can be consistent with more than one scenario, correct?” Rosalind asked.
“Yes.”
