All right. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Let the record reflect that we have been rejoined by all the members of our jury panel. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
THE JURY: Good morning.
Your Honor. Good morning.
Henry C. Lee, the witness on the stand at the time of the evening adjournment, resumed the stand and testified further as follows:
The record should reflect that Dr. Henry Lee is again on the witness stand. Good morning, Dr. Lee.
Doctor, you are reminded that you are still under oath. And Mr. Goldberg, you may commence your cross-examination.
Now, Dr. Lee, I just wanted very briefly to ask you a few questions about some of the qualifications that you went over with Mr. Scheck when you began your testimony. Just so we are clear, you are an expert in forensic DNA technology; is that correct?
All right. And Mr. Scheck was asking you about some of the things that your laboratory does in the forensic area. Is this laboratory exclusively a forensic laboratory?
Dr. Lee, are you using PCR technology in criminal cases both to include and exclude people as having committed a crime?
All right. Now, you were asked about some of the cases that you and your lab people have participated in involving the identification of human remains. Do you remember that?
Now, most of the cases that were referred to happened abroad, I think one in South America and then there was a number of instances in Europe; is that correct?
What were the technologies that are being used in the cases that you referred to on direct examination for purposes of human identification?
Human identification basically bone technique, depends on the bone sample. Smaller sample, we have to use PCR, no other choice. If no high molecular weight DNA, with extract from the sample, we will have to do the best we can do. If have a large amount of sample, of course RFLP is a choice.
Okay. And sir, when you are saying that you used PCR technology, does that include the cases that you were referring to in--as a result of the conflicts in Europe to identify people that have been killed as a result of the war there?
Yes. Those are victim was found on an unnamed grave or masked grave, unidentified human remains. For humanity reason we want to find out what is the loved one, so we try to help those country identify those human remain.
And Dr. Lee, is it your stated position that forensic scientists are in the best position to evaluate whether PCR technology is ready to make the technology transfer into the forensic field?
I think forensic scientists should have a good say about what method we should do, what is the reliable procedure, what kind of applications. Certain sample, doesn't matter what we do, we have problems. Other samples, forensic scientists, we should have a choice not dictated by molecular biologist or other scientists tell us what to do.
KEY QUOTEOkay. Now, Dr. Lee, I wanted to just mention very briefly or ask you very briefly about one of the matters that you just alluded to a few moments ago.
Regarding identification of human remains in cases here in the continental United States.
Your most famous such case where you were personally involved at the crime scene, not at the time of the crime, but afterwards.
Okay. And was that a case, sir, where the victim in that case, Helen Crafts, was killed by her husband and she was--he disposed of her by putting her body through a wood chipper machine?
I know something about DNA. Little bit; not everything.
Forensic scientists should have a good say about what method we should do, what is the reliable procedure...not dictated by molecular biologist or other scientists tell us what to do.
A little tired.
For humanity reason we want to find out what is the loved one, so we try to help those country identify those human remain.