DNA From George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin Examined and Identified in Evidence

Don't forget that this jury is sequestered.  If the DA had finished today, everyone would have had Friday off and a long weekend,  but No.   They will probably rest on Friday morning.

Before the jury came in, Defense said they want to call the attorney for the Martin family but they they can't  take his depo.   Ben Crum (sic?) won't submit during 4th of July holiday.  

Court:  

You've had your chance since June 10.   You never requested an early recess for the purpose.  This jury is sequestered and you are using our time.  Bring in the jury.  Oops.

Witness:  

Anthony Gorgone -  He's a lab analyst in the DNA/Biologic section.  Job is to find biologic traces of fluids and DNA and give probability statistics.  He's scientifically up to date.  Qualified as an expert 28 times.

Question:  

What's DNA?  

Answer:  Genetic blueprint.  Used in a forensic setting, a  person may leave stuff behind during an event which can give a DNA profile.  Other uses are medical, for research, transplant evaluations, test for abnormalities in a fetus.  It's reliable.  His lab is accredited.   Protocols and controls for preventing contamination explained.    Step one, find the stain.  Swab and extract.  He "opens the cells" and derives DNA.  Step two:  Quantification i.e. how much stuff did you get in the sample.   He needs 1.5 nanograms for analysis.    Step three:  Amplification;  he make millions of copies of extracted pieces so he can have enough to analyze.    Step four:  Electro-foresis:  Separates wheat from chaff for analysis.    With too little matter he cannot assign to an individual.  Testing is a Question Sample compared to a Known Sample from an individual.   Tests them both the same way.  Samples must match down the line to include an individual.  With mixtures, tries to separate the contributors.  One might stand out, that's the Major contributor, and another might be partially present and be a mInor contributor.  Where there's a buncha folks he can take  a sample and see if it there's a representation of a known person.  With blood, he swabs or rubs on filter paper and applies fluid, if it turns pink it's blood.

A preliminary Match then requires that  a "relevance" be applied.  One location's "relevance" is the random match possibility.  Would a random person match?  There's a statistical population data base to use to see how rarely or frequently the race of the person is present.  Product Rule, frequency in two events, random match probability.   New data base used includes black, white and hispanic data.  He made three reports.  He received two samples, one from mouth swab of George Zimmerman and a "blood card" from Trayvon Martin, the Known Samples.  He then proceeds with steps listed above to test 13 locations on the DNA molecule.

He swabbed and tested the weapon.   Swab A is from the gun grip.   There was blood.  MIxed sample.  Major profile was George Zimmerman.  Couldn't get minor contributor but Trayvon Martin was excluded.    Sampled the trigger but no results.   Sampled the slide, no blood and no mixture.  Sample too limited to match or exclude by comparison.   Holster - no blood but got a major profile which was George Zimmerman.   Trayvon Martin not included or excluded.

Fingernail scrapings from Trayvon Martin.:  He swabbed the scraper point used to remove fingernail debris.    Right hand showed blood and it matched Trayvon Martin.  No one else.  Left hand showed no staining and so no results from that swab.  Skittles and flashlight tested.   Skittles:  Positive for possible blood, partial sample only but matched Trayvon Martin.    Flashlight negative for blood and no results.

Sweatshirt:   Saw stains, took cuttings and tested for blood.    Stain A:  Lower left side of front lower part of hoodie,  positive for blood, no mixture, blood matched Trayvon Martin.    Stain B, from hoodie,  no blood.  Stain C from back of hoodie positive for blood but no results possible.    Asked to find DNA foreign to Trayvon Martin on cuffs of hoodie, negative on both cuffs.   On undershirt, he pretty much knew who's blood was on the undershirt so he left area in tact for future testing.  Stain D is big stain in middle and E is from the one side of garment. Test was not resolvable per se.  But he got that both George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin were included as possible contributors.   No stains on back tested.  Stain E showed nothing foreign to Trayvon Martin.   On sleeve there was a foreign contributor and Zimmerman could not excluded.

On George Zimmerman's jacket he saw 13 stains to test for blood.  Using alternate light source, because George Zimmerman's jacket was red, 31 stains seen altogether.   Took cuts off jacket.  Ran the steps.  When there's a positive for blood, he tested it and if no blood, he did not test.  Each cutting has a tube of its own.     Stain A, positive for Zimmerman's blood.  Stain B, George Zimmerman's blood.  If there's "something foreign" he would note it as a contributor.  Stain C is George Zimmerman's.  Stain D  neg for blood.  Stain E, taken from back right shoulder of jacket, pos for blood mixture,   Major was George Zimmerman's but could not find Trayvon Martin as contributor.    Stain F negative.  Stain G possible blood but limited results.  Stain H negative.  Stain I positive for blood mixture, major contributor was George Zimmerman's, could not profile minor contributor but excluded Trayvon Martin.  Stain J was George Zimmerman's blood.  Stain K, positive for George Zimmerman's blood.  Stain L Zimmerman's blood.  M same.  Stain N on front right shoulder,positive for blood, mixture.  Major contributor was George Zimmerman, minor was Trayvon Martin.    Stain O was George Zimmerman's blood.  Stain P same.  Stain Q negative,  R negative,  S negative,  T negative,  U positive for blood mix but able to resolve to any source, Trayvon Martin included as possible contributor, no George Zimmerman.  Stain U on bottom of right cuff of George Zimmerman's jacket, blood.  Stain  V positive for blood but no determination.  W neg,  X neg, Y neg  Z positive for blood but no results.  AA neg, BB positive for blood mix with George Zimmerman included.  BB located on back surface of  shoulder below the neck.  CC  neg  DD neg  EE neg.  whew!

On Zimmerman's shirt, 16 stains.  Stain A is George Zimmerman's blood,  B is also George Zimmerman's blood, C is Zimmerman's blood, D is same,  E is same, F is same, G is neg for blood, H is negative, stain I is George Zimmerman's blood, J same, K same, L is same, M same, N same, O same, P same.

Cross Examination:  

Witness does not collect evidence from scene, ever.  Sometimes he gets a swab and sometimes he gets the jacket to swab.  He just reports what he finds.  He doesn't seek a reason why there's no DNA.  Can rain wipe away DNA?  Yes.  And handling removes touch DNA from a hard surface?  Yes.   On this gun, not enough info to include but maybe could exclude.  Excluded means there's no contribution to the data by someone, doesn't mean someone never touched the thing or looked at it.   Collection is critical.  So many things can degrade the DNA.

The little wooden sticks used for scraping under fingernails given for testing.   Trayvon Martin's blood was under his nails on right hand.  Doesn't know when Trayvon Martin got the blood on his nails.   No DNA on left hand.  One stick is used to scrape all five fingers on one hand, he thinks.  Label says "Right hand" so he thinks all five fingers are scraped with the one stick.  All gun parts are swabbed separately.    No tests on pants of Trayvon Martin.  Standards are established by NIST.  National Institute of Standards and Technology.  ASCLD is lab and examiners standards accreditation.  MUST DRY all wet evidence before packaging to prevent degrading from mold and bacteria.   Samples were tested for "trace" before this guy got them.  i.e. packages were opened and re-closed.

Brown paper bags allow things to breath and dry.   The hoodie was in a plastic biohazard bag inside a paper bag.  When the hoodie package was opened, it smelled strongly of mold or amonia  like sports bag in a trunk.  The hoodie  and the undershirt were packaged wet.   Result of process of DNA testing is opinion.   Went to the hoodie and identified stain A in front,  B and C on back.   Stains on back negative for blood.  Was also looking for skin and saliva.   Same run for under shirt.  Didn't smell as bad.  A through E tested. Stain A lower right  of front positive for  Zimmerman's blood.  B is on bottom in center front is Trayvon Martin's blood.  On and on again, stain by stain, same as before, with locations on garments and sizes of stains.     Then as to George Zimmerman's jacket, Trayvon Martin's DNA found in Stains E "not on the front,"  N on front right shoulder, and U, the right cuff.  On back  of George Zimmerman's jacket, stain E  right shoulder and  EE in which Trayvon Martin was "not excluded."

RE-Direct:  

Stain U, on George Zimmerman's jacket's right cuff included DNA of Trayvon Martin.  DA wants witness to comment on locations of blood while DA re-enacts the fight.  Objection,  Back to the bench.   How Trayvon Martin's fluid got on Zimmerman's jacket is speculation.  Then "Had to come from somewhere, right?"    George Zimmerman's DNA is not on the hoodie.

RECESS TILL FRIDAY July 5th at 0830.