Bedroom Socks

Pair of dark dress socks from the floor at the foot of Simpson's bed. Later found to contain blood matching Nicole Brown Simpson. Collected June 13, 1994 by Dennis Fung; no blood noted on June 29 examination; blood first observed by Yamauchi on August 4, 1994; RFLP and PCR DNA testing linked stains to Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson.

Series of blow-up photographs derived from Plaintiffs' Exhibit 716, showing the two socks as received at the expert's laboratory, close-ups of the ankle stain and cut-out, the rectangular piece cut from sock wall 1 during the experiment, and multiple microscope photographs of rounded blood particles and bridging fibers on wall 3 after cutting.

Eight autoradiographs from an RFLP gel run including sock stain A-3, the rear gate sample 117, and Simpson's reference sample, displayed on a light box and reviewed individually by jurors during Gary Sims's testimony.

Series of Polaroid photomicrographs taken through a stereomicroscope of the first stain area on sock 13-B, including close-up microphotographs of stain 42B2 before it was cut out for DNA testing, with annotated versions bearing witness-drawn circles and arrows indicating reddish staining areas.

Photomicrograph of the inner surface of the opposite side of the sock, showing small red spherical objects encasing individual fibers, taken during the April 2, 1995 examination at Technical Associates (Taylor's laboratory). Used by the defense to argue blood was applied to a flat sock; disputed between MacDonell and Lee as to who clicked the shutter, and challenged by the prosecution as an artifact of the cutting process.

Physical cuttings from the sock bearing blood stains, assigned FBI evidence numbers Q206 (cutting from the edge of the sock bloodstain, tested in positive ion mode) and Q207 (swatch from the center of the bloodstain, pre-cut before Martz received it). Martz combined both samples for his first EDTA test without precise knowledge of their exact origin within the sock.

Series of RFLP autoradiographs for LAPD item 13A (Rockingham sock A), displayed on a light box and reviewed individually by jurors during Gary Sims's testimony. The series showed a match between the sock stain and Nicole Brown's reference sample across multiple probes.

Combined charts depicting full daughter spectrum runs for evidence stains from the sock and the rear Bundy gate, formally marked at the close of Martz's examination and cited as the basis for his inability to identify EDTA definitively.

Photograph of the socks as found in Simpson's master bedroom, showing their position on the carpet. Used across multiple witnesses to establish where the socks were located at the crime scene; a marked version (167-A) annotated with position indicators was also introduced.

Hand-drawn sketch by Gary Sims documenting the locations of reddish stains observed under stereomicroscope on sock 13-B on November 11, 1994, with additional notations added November 21, 1994. Introduced, displayed on the ELMO, and used to orient the jury to stain designation areas including 42B2; a captured photograph of the annotated sketch was also introduced.

Board or chart documenting the DNA analysis results for LAPD item 13 (Rockingham socks), including stains 42A-1 through 42B-2, received by DOJ September 26, 1994. Used in both the criminal and civil trials to present RFLP and PCR typing results linking the sock stains to Nicole Brown Simpson.

Board documenting the history and examination of the socks, including notation of seven holes on one sock and three on the other, referenced in the civil trial during Dr. Henry Lee's testimony.

Photographs of the pair of rumpled socks found at the foot of the defendant's bed in his bedroom, displayed to the jury during opening statements. One spot on the socks was consistent with the defendant's blood and another with Nicole Brown's blood.

Photographic boards displaying sock A and sock B from LAPD item 13 with stain locations marked, used during testimony of Gary Sims and Colin Yamauchi. Sims used the board to orient the jury to the stain position designations; Yamauchi pointed out cut-out areas and used it to identify which sock was 'sock A' by matching item number 13 on the heel.

Photograph of the socks found in Mr. Simpson's bedroom showing the cut-out area, introduced through Professor MacDonell in the civil trial and displayed on the ELMO to show the staining pattern and location of the red spherical deposits.

Photomicrograph of the outer surface of the sock at the perimeter of the cut-out area, showing blood on top of fibers with visible voids consistent with contact transfer. Introduced by Professor MacDonell and used in both the criminal and civil trials to argue the stain was produced by compression rather than projected blood.

Notes from Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Wolf's June 24, 1994 visit to the LAPD crime laboratory, including an entry for item 13 reading 'two dark socks, no analysis yet' with no notation of blood absence. Introduced by the prosecution to challenge Baden's claim that the socks showed no blood during that visit.

Cocktail autoradiograph film for sock (item 13), displaying a four-probe RFLP result. Shown in court with Nicole Brown Simpson matching all eight bands while Simpson and Goldman were excluded; also displayed on a TV screen in the civil trial for visual comparison against Nicole Brown's reference sample.

Board titled 'History of socks, item 13, June 13th, 1994 at Rockingham' containing three photographs showing the socks as found on the bedroom carpet. Introduced by Dr. Henry Lee to establish the original condition and position of the socks; the defense also used it to argue the strap position change between photographs indicated repositioning.

Page from the June 29, 1994 evidence inventory sheet prepared by Greg Matheson, showing handwritten notes on item 13 (socks, with 'blood search, none obvious' notation) and item 17 (blood vial). Used in both the criminal and civil trials to establish the chain of custody and the timeline of blood detection on the socks.

Photograph of the socks presumably with a numbered identification card, offered by plaintiff in the civil trial through witness Willie Ford but blocked by a sustained objection before the witness could view it.

Two-page letter dated February 16, 1995 from prosecutor Rockne Harmon to FBI Agent Roger Martz, directing Martz to test the sock and back-gate samples for EDTA 'to refute' the defense planting theory, introduced and read into the record by Baker in the civil trial.

Photograph of the Rockingham socks showing them substantially inside out, introduced during Dr. Henry Lee's cross-examination. Jurors reviewed it individually; Lee said he could not determine any bloodstain from this photograph.

Approximately 15-minute infrared video of LAPD item 13 (the socks) taken at the DOJ laboratory, used to document and contrast-enhance bloodstain locations. Gary Sims narrated the stain locations in real time as it was played for the jury.

Sixteen-page document containing a series of photographs documenting an expert's August 14 examination of Simpson's sock and cutting experiments, introduced in the civil trial; only ten pages were testified to by the witness.

Photograph taken without a microscope of sock 13-A showing the ankle stain with the cut-out area visible. Introduced by Professor MacDonell in both the criminal and civil trials to display the transfer pattern surrounding the cut-out portion and support volume and compression analysis.

Close-up photograph of the socks found at the foot of O.J. Simpson's bed, introduced by Detective Vannatter and later shown to MacDonell during cross-examination to establish the socks' position and appearance on the bedroom floor.

Videotape of LAPD videographer Willie Ford walking through Simpson's master bedroom at approximately 4:13 PM on June 13, 1994, showing no socks at the foot of the bed. The defense used this to argue the socks were planted after the video was taken but before Fung logged collection at approximately 4:35 PM.

Blow-up photograph of the socks as found in Simpson's bedroom, introduced during Dr. Henry Lee's civil trial testimony and examined for inside-out orientation.

Photograph of the foot of O.J. Simpson's master bedroom showing a rug over carpeting with a pair of socks visible, introduced by Detective Vannatter.

Diagram of the sock showing where cuttings Q206 and Q207 were allegedly taken from, discussed during Martz's testimony; Martz confirmed he did not know exactly where cutting Q207 originated, only that it came from a labeled blue-green area.

Board titled 'History of Socks, Item 13, April 2nd, 1995 examination at Taylor's laboratory,' documenting the defense experts' examination at Technical Associates in Altadena.

Board titled 'History of Socks, Item 13, close-up view of bloodstain on item 13-A (42-A),' containing six photomicrographs of exterior and interior surfaces; Dr. Lee circled ball-shaped stains on the photographs.

Board titled 'History of the Socks, Item 13, February 16, 1995 examination at LAPD lab,' containing nine photographs in three columns documenting the condition of the socks at the time of the defense's first physical examination.

One-page handwritten report, specifically the page referring to item 13 (dress socks), introduced during Kestler's testimony and displayed on the ELMO; the notation 'dress socks, blood search, none obvious' was central to the defense's argument that no blood was present when the socks were first examined.

Packet of documents provided by the defense to the court including MacDonell's notes and drying experiment materials, marked as a court exhibit for identification during argument over discovery sanctions.

Six test charts from Roger Martz's positive ion LC-ES-MS/MS analysis, including chromatographs for evidence item Q206 (sock blood) and its positive control K67, displayed during Dr. Rieders's testimony in the civil trial and the subject of extended cross-examination.

Photograph of the sock taken by FBI Agent Roger Martz upon receipt at the FBI laboratory, introduced during Martz's testimony to show the location of the Q206 cut and Q207 hole at the time the sock arrived at the FBI.

Photo board depicting Dr. Henry Lee examining the sock at the LAPD laboratory, used during Yamauchi's testimony to probe Lee's glove-changing behavior between sock examinations.

Photograph of the second sock (sock B) from item 13, introduced and discussed during Matheson's testimony.

Photograph of sock A from item 13, showing Matheson's handwritten notation '13-A' and an arrow marking the cutting location near the heel, introduced during Matheson's testimony.

Photograph of the sock (item 13) briefly displayed before sock DNA analysis began during Robin Cotton's testimony about the Cellmark RFLP results.

Photograph of the sock with a Q-tip, showing the sampling phase prior to the phenolphthalein presumptive blood test conducted August 4, 1994, used by Clark to establish a timeline anchor for the sock's condition before the test.

Missing page of People's 265, documenting the transmittal of DNA extracted from sock item 13 to Cellmark Diagnostics for further analysis, introduced during Gary Sims's testimony.

Diagram from Colin Yamauchi's notebook showing the approximate area of the phenolphthalein presumptive blood test on the sock ankle, marked for identification and examined during Yamauchi's civil trial testimony.

MacDonell's contemporaneous notes and three-page laboratory worksheets from the April 2, 1995 sock examination at Technical Associates, containing two diagrams and a description/receipt page. The notes contained no description of the 'little balls' MacDonell later testified about and were the subject of a discovery sanctions argument.

Notes from a sock drying-time experiment conducted by Professor MacDonell on June 6, 1995, turned over to the prosecution approximately six weeks later on July 17; also described as 'sanitized' by the prosecution, which challenged them as lacking underlying methodology. A separate sock was used as the drying experiment subject.

Typewritten expert report by Professor Herbert MacDonell dated July 11, 1995, summarizing conclusions from his sock examination including the drying experiment and blood transfer analysis. The report described the transfer type as a 'swipe' and contained no mention of voids, little balls, or the full daughter spectrum later testified to.

Dr. Fredric Rieders's report dated July 17 documenting EDTA findings in the sock and rear gate stains, initially stating 'one parent and one daughter ion' on the stains; the prosecution challenged that the report did not document a 'full daughter spectrum' until after Martz's blood results became available.

Board or chart showing the timeline of sock examinations and notations regarding the presence or absence of blood, displayed during opening statements and subsequently. The 'blood search none obvious' language was challenged and partially stricken before being permitted in modified form.