Marcia Clark continues her direct examination of Detective Tom Lange, walking through the arrival and activities of Coroner's Investigator Claudine Ratcliffe at the Bundy crime scene. Lange describes how he guided Ratcliffe through the scene, pointing out evidence to avoid disturbance, how they identified both victims using personal items, and how they navigated around blood on the walkway. The examination ends at a sidebar after Cochran successfully sustains a hearsay objection.
# 1 THE COURT: THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. PLEASE BE SEATED. ALL RIGHT. LET THE RECORD REFLECT WE HAVE BEEN REJOINED BY ALL THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF OUR JURY. DETECTIVE TOM LANGE IS STILL ON THE WITNESS STAND UNDER OATH. GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, DETECTIVE. YOU ARE REMINDED YOU ARE STILL UNDER OATH.
# 2 DET. TOM LANGE: YES, YOUR HONOR.
# 3 THE COURT: MISS CLARK, YOU MAY CONTINUE WITH YOUR DIRECT EXAMINATION.
# 4 MS. CLARK: THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR.
# 5 Q: BY MS. CLARK: ALL RIGHT. SIR, AT SOME POINT, DID THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATOR ARRIVE AT 875 SOUTH BUNDY?
# 7 Q: AND WHO WAS THAT, SIR?
# 8 A: THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATOR'S NAME WAS CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE.
# 9 Q: WHAT TIME DID SHE GET THERE?
# 10 A: SHE ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 9:10 A.M.
# 11 Q: NOW, PRIOR TO THAT, SIR, HAD YOU DIRECTED DETECTIVE PHILLIPS TO MAKE A SECOND CALL TO THE CORONER'S OFFICE?
# 13 Q: AND WHEN DID YOU MAKE -- DIRECT HIM TO MAKE THAT CALL?
# 14 A: I BELIEVE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 8:10 A.M.
# 15 Q: AFTER INVESTIGATOR RATCLIFFE ARRIVED, WHAT DID SHE DO?
# 16 A: SHE REQUESTED A BRIEF RUN-DOWN, SYNOPSIS OF WHAT I HAD AT THE SCENE.
# 17 Q: WHEN -- BY THE TIME SHE ARRIVED AT ABOUT -- WHAT DID YOU SAY 9:05, 9:10?
# 18 A: I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND 9:10.
# 19 Q: BY THE TIME SHE ARRIVED, WAS THE FIRST OFFICER ON THE SCENE, OFFICER RISKE, STILL THERE?
# 21 Q: WOULD IT REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, SIR, IF YOU WERE TO SEE THE CRIME SCENE LOG?
# 22 A: YES. ACCORDING TO THE LOG --
# 23 MR. COCHRAN: YOUR HONOR, JUST A MOMENT. THERE'S A PROPER WAY TO HANDLE IT.
# 24 THE COURT: CORRECT. WE'RE JUST REFRESHING RECOLLECTION HERE.
# 25 Q: BY MS. CLARK: HAVE YOU REFRESHED YOUR RECOLLECTION AS TO WHEN OFFICER RISKE LEFT THE SCENE?
# 27 MR. COCHRAN: JUST A MOMENT. IT'S STILL IMPROPER. THE QUESTION IS, DOES THAT RECORD REFRESH HIS RECOLLECTION. NOT THAT IT AUTOMATICALLY DOES.
# 28 MS. CLARK: I ASKED --
# 29 THE COURT: IT'S A MATTER OF SEMANTICS. HE'S LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT, IT'S INDICATED IT REFRESHES HIS PERSONAL RECOLLECTION. PROCEED.
# 30 MS. CLARK: THANK YOU.
# 31 Q: BY MS. CLARK: AND IS YOUR MEMORY REFRESHED, SIR?
# 33 Q: CAN YOU TELL US WHAT TIME OFFICER RISKE LEFT THE SCENE?
# 35 Q: AND -- SO HE WAS GONE BY THE TIME CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE GOT THERE?
# 37 Q: WHO IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE BODY OF THE VICTIMS AT A HOMICIDE SCENE, SIR?
# 38 A: THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATOR OR CORONER'S HELPER.
KEY QUOTE # 39 Q: ARE YOU ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE BODIES OF THE VICTIMS?
# 41 Q: SO WHEN CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE GOT THERE, WHERE DID YOU MEET WITH HER?
# 42 A: INITIALLY I MET WITH HER IN THE STREET, IN THE PARKWAY AREA IN FRONT OF THE LOCATION.
# 43 Q: DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER?
# 45 Q: WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?
# 46 A: IT WAS A BRIEF CONVERSATION TO TELL HER BASICALLY WHAT I HAD AT THE SCENE.
# 47 Q: AND WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
# 48 A: TO GIVE HER AN IDEA WHAT WE HAD AND WHAT SHE WOULD NEED AND HOW TO PROCEED.
# 49 Q: WHO IS IT THAT IS REQUIRED -- DOES SHE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHO THE VICTIMS ARE WHEN SHE COMES OUT TO THE SCENE?
# 50 A: THAT'S PART OF HER DUTIES, YES.
# 51 Q: DO YOU ASSIST HER IN THAT?
# 53 Q: AND DID YOU IN THIS CASE?
# 55 Q: AND HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
# 56 A: AS TO VICTIM NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON, I ENTERED THE RESIDENCE WITH CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE BEDROOM, THE MAIN BEDROOM, WHERE WE OBSERVED -- I OBSERVED THE -- A PURSE BELONGING TO NICOLE BROWN AND IN THE PURSE WAS IDENTIFICATION WITH HER PICTURE, DESCRIPTION AND NAME. AND THIS I SHARED WITH RATCLIFFE.
# 57 Q: WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WERE YOU ABLE TO DO TO ASSIST HER TO IDENTIFY THE OTHER BODY, THE BODY OF RON GOLDMAN?
# 58 A: WHEN MR. GOLDMAN'S BODY HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE POSITION THAT I FIRST OBSERVED IT, HIS POCKETS WERE CHECKED AND A CALIFORNIA DRIVER'S LICENSE WAS FOUND IN ONE OF HIS POCKETS.
# 59 MR. FAIRTLOUGH: YOUR HONOR, MAY THIS PHOTOGRAPH BE MARKED PEOPLE'S NEXT IN ORDER, PEOPLE'S 85?
# 60 THE COURT: PEOPLE'S 85.
# 61 (PEO'S 85 FOR ID = PHOTOGRAPH) # 62 Q: BY MS. CLARK: SEE PEOPLE'S 85, SIR?
# 64 Q: AND DO YOU RECOGNIZE THEM?
# 66 Q: ARE THESE THE ITEMS YOU JUST DESCRIBED THAT WERE PULLED OUT OF THE POCKET OF RON GOLDMAN?
# 68 Q: AND WHO PULLED THEM OUT OF HIS POCKET?
# 69 A: CORONER'S INVESTIGATOR RATCLIFFE.
# 70 Q: AND THAT CARD THAT'S UNION BANK, DID YOU SEE THAT ITEM, SIR?
# 72 Q: WAS THAT A CREDIT CARD?
# 74 Q: NOW, WHAT -- WHERE DID YOU TAKE MISS RATCLIFFE AFTER -- WHEN YOU TOOK HER UP TO NICOLE BROWN'S BEDROOM, DID YOU GO IN THROUGH THE FRONT OR THROUGH THE REAR?
# 75 A: I BELIEVE PRIOR TO THAT, SHE OBSERVED --
# 76 MR. COCHRAN: THIS IS NONRESPONSIVE, YOUR HONOR.
# 77 THE COURT: SUSTAINED.
# 78 Q: BY MS. CLARK: WHERE DID -- AFTER YOU MET WITH CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE IN THE STREET, WHERE DID YOU GO WITH HER OR DID YOU GO ANYWHERE WITH HER?
# 79 A: PROCEEDED TO THE LOCATION OF THE BODIES.
# 80 Q: AND HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
# 81 A: ACROSS THE SIDEWALK TO THE SOUTH OF THE ENTRANCE, ACROSS A -- THE AREA JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE WALKWAY AND WE ANGLED UP TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE STAIRS.
# 82 Q: DID YOU WALK WITH HER UP THAT FRONT WALKWAY WHERE THE BLOOD WAS?
# 84 Q: AND BY THAT FRONT WALKWAY, I MEAN THE ONE THAT INTERSECTS WITH THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE LOCATION.
# 85 A: YES. NO, WE DIDN'T WALK UP THAT WAY.
# 86 Q: HOW DID YOU WALK UP?
# 87 A: AGAIN, IT WAS THE KNOLL AREA, THE AREA JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE WALKWAY.
# 88 Q: OKAY. THAT GRASSY AREA, ACTUALLY, IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT A PHOTOGRAPH OF IT, WOULD BE TO THE LEFT OF THE WALKWAY?
# 90 MR. COCHRAN: HE SAID THIS THREE TIMES, YOUR HONOR.
# 91 THE COURT: OVERRULED.
# 92 Q: BY MS. CLARK: THEN YOU WALKED -- DID YOU STEP OVER THE BODY OF NICOLE BROWN WITH HER, WITH CLAUDINE?
# 93 A: I DON'T RECALL IF I STEPPED DIRECTLY OVER HER.
# 94 Q: HOW DID YOU GET TO THE TOP STEP?
# 95 A: AT THAT TIME -- I DON'T RECALL. AT THAT TIME, WE MAY HAVE STEPPED OVER AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE SHE GOT TO THE TOP STOOP.
# 96 Q: OKAY. DO YOU RECALL IF CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE GOT TO THE TOP STOOP BY WALKING UP THE -- UP THE FRONT WAY OR IN THROUGH THE GARAGE?
# 97 A: I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FRONT WAY.
# 98 Q: OKAY. WERE THERE AREAS ON THE LANDING AREA AROUND THE BODY OF NICOLE BROWN AND ON THE STEPS ABOVE HER THAT WERE FREE OF BLOOD?
# 100 Q: AND WERE YOU ABLE TO -- WERE THOSE AREAS LARGE ENOUGH FOR YOU TO STEP IN TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE TOP LANDING?
# 102 Q: DID YOU STEP IN THOSE AREAS?
# 104 Q: AND DID YOU DIRECT MISS RATCLIFFE TO DO THE SAME?
# 106 Q: AND AFTER YOU GOT TO THAT TOP LANDING AREA ABOVE THE BODIES AND THE EVIDENCE, WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
# 107 A: I POINTED OUT TO INVESTIGATOR RATCLIFFE THE VARIOUS PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT I HAD OBSERVED WHILE THERE.
# 108 Q: WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
# 109 A: IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT SHE KNOW WHERE THE EVIDENCE WAS SO THAT IT WOULDN'T BE TRAMPLED OR DISTURBED IN ANY OTHER WAY.
KEY QUOTE # 110 Q: OKAY. AND AFTER YOU DID THAT, THEN WHAT?
# 111 A: THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT BLOOD ON THE BODIES.
# 112 Q: WERE YOU POINTING SOMETHING OUT TO HER?
# 115 A: I POINTED OUT SOME BLOOD THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN ON THE BACK OF NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON.
KEY QUOTE # 116 Q: AND DID YOU EXPLAIN TO HER HOW THE BODY OF NICOLE BROWN WAS FOUND, WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF HER BODY?
# 117 MR. COCHRAN: THAT'S LEADING AND SUGGESTIVE. HE CAN TELL US WHAT HE TOLD HER. I THINK IT'S LEADING AND SUGGESTIVE.
# 118 THE COURT: OVERRULED.
# 119 DET. TOM LANGE: YES.
# 120 Q: BY MS. CLARK: NOW, WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO TELL HER THAT?
# 121 MR. COCHRAN: YOUR HONOR, I OBJECT TO THE FORM OF THE QUESTION.
# 122 THE COURT: OVERRULED.
# 123 DET. TOM LANGE: AS PART OF HER INVESTIGATION, SHE WOULD WANT TO KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE VICTIMS WERE DISCOVERED.
# 124 Q: BY MS. CLARK: AND THEN I INDICATED -- YOU INDICATED I BELIEVE THAT AT SOME POINT, YOU AND SHE -- YOU AND MISS RATCLIFFE WENT INTO THE CONDOMINIUM?
# 126 Q: AND RETRIEVED THE IDENTIFICATION FROM -- OF NICOLE BROWN; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 128 Q: AFTER THAT, WHAT DID YOU DO?
# 129 A: I BELIEVE AGAIN IT WAS AFTER THAT WE CAME DOWNSTAIRS TO THE LOCATION OF THE BODIES AND AGAIN, VISUALLY EXAMINED WHERE EVIDENCE WAS, IT WAS POINTED OUT TO RATCLIFFE AND SHE FIRST WENT TO VICTIM SIMPSON AND MADE A CLOSER EXAMINATION AND BEGAN TO REMOVE THE VICTIM FROM THE LOCATION.
# 130 Q: SO WAS MISS BROWN -- BROWN'S BODY REMOVED FIRST?
# 132 Q: NOW, PRIOR TO HER -- MISS RATCLIFFE REMOVING THE BODY OF MISS BROWN, DID YOU COME OUT -- WERE YOU OUTSIDE WITH HER? DID YOU BOTH EXIT THE CONDOMINIUM TOGETHER?
# 133 A: NO. I BELIEVE SHE REMAINED IN THE ROOM TO CHECK FOR FURTHER IDENTIFICATION AND I RETURNED DOWNSTAIRS TO COMPLETE WHAT I WAS DOING.
# 135 A: DOCUMENTING THE BODY POSITIONS, THE SCENE IN GENERAL, THE CONDITION THAT I FOUND THE SCENE TO BE IN AS WELL AS THE BODIES.
# 136 Q: AT SOME POINT, DID MISS RATCLIFFE COME BACK OUTSIDE?
# 138 Q: AND DURING THAT TIME WHEN YOU WERE DOING THE MEASUREMENTS AND MAKING THE OBSERVATIONS THAT YOU'VE INDICATED AT THE CRIME SCENE, YOU INDICATED BEFORE THAT YOU WERE WEARING GLOVES; IS THAT RIGHT?
# 140 Q: WHEN MISS RATCLIFFE CAME BACK OUT, DID SHE THEN PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO THE BODY OF MISS NICOLE BROWN?
# 141 A: SHE FIRST ASKED ME IF --
# 142 MR. COCHRAN: OBJECTION. THIS IS HEARSAY, YOUR HONOR.
# 143 MS. CLARK: QUESTION?
# 144 THE COURT: IT'S NONRESPONSIVE ACTUALLY.
# 145 Q: BY MS. CLARK: DID MISS RATCLIFFE MAKE AN INQUIRY OF YOU?
# 148 MR. COCHRAN: HEARSAY.
# 149 THE COURT: SUSTAINED.
# 150 MS. CLARK: MAY WE BE HEARD, YOUR HONOR?
# 151 THE COURT: SURE. WITH THE COURT REPORTER, PLEASE.