📄 Direct examination of Det. Tom Lange (part 9) — Tuesday, February 21, 1995
📅 Feb 21 — Day 22
🏛️ Marcia Clark👮 Det. Tom Lange⚖️ Lance A. Ito
chain_of_custodycrime_scenepolice_procedure
Address:
C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\21\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-DET-TOM-.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 22 of 167

Direct examination of Det. Tom Lange (part 9)

Witness: Det. Tom Lange
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Tuesday, February 21, 1995 • Utterances: 38
The final segment of Lange's direct examination wraps up two loose ends: the movements of Claudine Ratcliffe and the limo driver at the Bundy crime scene, and the actions of criminalist Dennis Fung upon his arrival. Most notably, Lange admits he cannot recall whether Fung was wearing gloves or booties when he arrived at the scene before the bodies were removed.
1 THE COURT:

THANK YOU. COUNSEL, CONTINUE.

2 MS. CLARK:

MAY I HAVE A MOMENT, YOUR HONOR?

3 THE COURT:

CERTAINLY.

4 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)
5 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: NOW, WHILE YOU WERE PRESENT AT 875 SOUTH BUNDY, SIR, DID YOU EVER SEE CLAUDINE RATCLIFFE OR THE DRIVER GO WEST ON THE WALKWAY LEADING BACK TO THE REAR ALLEY?

6 A:

NO.

7 Q:

WHERE IN THE FRONT OF THE CRIME SCENE DID YOU SEE THEM -- WELL, DID YOU SEE THEM MOVE AROUND?

8 A:

THE INITIAL APPROACH WAS FROM THE YARD AREA JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE WALKWAY. I OBSERVED THEM ON THE STOOP ABOVE THE SCENE AND I OBSERVED THEM IN THE VICINITY OF BOTH THE VICTIMS.

9 Q:

AND OTHER THAN THAT, DID YOU EVER SEE THEM -- YOU DID NOT SEE THEM IN THE WALKWAY LEADING BACK TO THE REAR ALLEY. DID YOU SEE THEM IN THE REAR DRIVEWAY?

10 A:

NO. THE CLOSEST I SAW THEM TO THAT WOULD BE INSIDE THE RESIDENCE.

11 Q:

DID YOU EVER SEE EITHER ONE OF THEM GO IN OR OUT OF THE GARAGE DOOR?

12 A:

NO.

13 MS. CLARK:

MAY I HAVE A MOMENT?

14 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)
15 Q:

BY MS. CLARK: OH, LASTLY, SIR, WERE YOU PRESENT WHEN THE PHOTOGRAPHS CONTAINING THE NUMBERED TAGS WERE BEING TAKEN BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER?

16 A:

I WAS IN THE AREA.

17 Q:

OKAY. AND THE NUMBER TAGS THAT WE SAW IN SOME OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, DO YOU KNOW WHO PLACED THOSE ITEMS?

18 A:

PLACED THE TAGS?

19 Q:

PLACED THE TAGS, YES.

20 A:

YES. THAT WOULD BE THE CRIMINALIST, MR. FUNG.

KEY QUOTE
21 Q:

AND THE TAGS THAT HE WAS PLACING ON EVIDENCE, WAS THAT EVIDENCE THAT YOU DIRECTED HIM TO HAVE -- TO SPECIFICALLY DIRECT HIS ATTENTION TO?

22 A:

YES.

23 Q:

YOU INDICATED THAT HE ARRIVED BEFORE THE CORONER LEFT.

24 A:

YES.

25 Q:

AND BEFORE THE BODIES WERE REMOVED?

26 A:

THAT'S CORRECT.

27 Q:

WHAT DID HE DO BEFORE THE BODIES WERE ACTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE LOCATION, IF ANYTHING?

28 A:

NOTHING.

29 Q:

HAD HE JUST ARRIVED AT THAT POINT?

30 A:

YES.

31 Q:

AND WAS HE WEARING GLOVES, SIR?

32 A:

I DON'T RECALL.

33 Q:

WAS HE WEARING BOOTIES?

34 A:

I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT I DON'T RECALL.

KEY QUOTE
35 Q:

YOU DON'T REMEMBER?

36 A:

NO.

37 MS. CLARK:

THANK YOU. I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

38 THE COURT:

MR. COCHRAN.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (3)

Tom Lange
I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT I DON'T RECALL.
Lange's inability to confirm Fung wore protective gear when arriving at the scene opens the door to contamination arguments the defense will exploit.
Tom Lange
NOTHING.
Fung did nothing at the scene before the bodies were removed — establishing a timeline gap in evidence collection that could be challenged.
Tom Lange
YES. THAT WOULD BE THE CRIMINALIST, MR. FUNG.
Establishes Fung as the person who placed numbered evidence tags, at Lange's direction, linking the two men's actions at the scene.

Evidence (1)

Informal
Crime scene photographs with numbered evidence tags placed by Dennis Fung
discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Marcia ClarkTom Lange
Clark probes whether Fung wore gloves and booties upon arrival; Lange twice says he does not recall, leaving the contamination question unanswered.
strategic

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 4953 • 38 utterances • Prosecution witness
Criminal Trial
Department 103
⚖️ Start
📂 FEB 21, 1995 📄 Direct examination of Det. Tom
FEB 21, 1995 KRT DvH TD