Edta Testing

Collective admissibility ruling by the court on the full set of Defense EDTA chromatography slides numbered 1257-A through S, used with Dr. Rieders and Agent Martz. Several slides were admitted without objection, one required modification (1257-P, box showing Q207 location to be removed), and others were passed to an afternoon session.

Two LC-MS/MS chromatogram runs of Q206, the sock edge cutting: run 4088 (discovery page 4088, Defense 1259-A; civil Defendants' 1215) and run 4094 (discovery page 4094, Defense 1259-B; civil Defendants' 1216). Together they constitute the first and second confirmatory positive results showing EDTA presence in the sock stain, interpreted by Dr. Rieders as evidence of blood planting.

Four graphs depicting LC-MS/MS testing of the Q206 sock evidence blood in positive ion mode, showing attempted detection of the 160 daughter ion and the full daughter spectrum, plus known EDTA control samples on sock substrate. Interpreted by Martz as showing no EDTA daughter spectrum in the evidence blood.

Graphs of Agent Martz's own blood tested with and without added EDTA on May 11, 1995, introduced to establish a baseline comparison and confirm his extraction and detection methodology for the first supplemental test session.

Chromatograms of 50 parts per million EDTA reference standards run twice on February 22: at 9:32 AM (discovery page 4077, ion count approximately 319,561; Defense 1262-A) and at 1:48 PM (discovery page 4070, ion count approximately 49,393; Defense 1262-B). Introduced to demonstrate dramatic within-day instrument variability in the FBI controls, undercutting the reliability of Martz's quantitative conclusions.

Blood reference samples K67 and K68, drawn from OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson respectively into EDTA anticoagulant tubes, used as known positive controls showing high EDTA signal in Martz's testing, and discussed as EDTA-preserved collection tube comparators throughout the EDTA testimony.

The FBI's Quantico laboratory validation study of Agent Martz's EDTA detection methodology, including chromatograms from discovery pages 8419 and 8422 (Defense 1269-A and 1269-B). Blasier used the study to challenge Martz, who acknowledged working with Quantico on method development but said the study concerned extraction efficiency. The average extraction rate was approximately 93%.

Graphs of known FBI laboratory blood samples from 1993 containing EDTA, introduced to show EDTA stability over time and the strong signal produced by known preserved samples as a comparator to the evidence stains.

Graphs of Agent Martz's own blood tested with and without added EDTA on July 22, 1995, introduced to confirm the May results and show EDTA stability over time.

A February 16, 1995 letter from prosecutor Rockne Harmon to FBI Agent Roger Martz requesting EDTA testing, containing language asking Martz to 'refute the possibility' of planted blood. Read aloud by Martz during criminal trial testimony and re-referenced in civil proceedings; used by defense to raise bias concerns about the scope and framing of the testing request.

A defense-prepared chart purporting to compare EDTA ion count levels between preserved blood and the evidence stains, displaying same-day measurements on what Blasier labeled as 'the 28th.' Martz testified it did not reflect any test he conducted or any result he obtained; Clark objected that it misrepresented data from two different days.

Graph and underlying swatch of the Bundy rear gate substrate with known EDTA-preserved blood deliberately applied, serving as the reference positive control for the gate EDTA testing. Displayed in contrast to People's 544-E during criminal trial and again during civil trial closing argument to refute the planting allegation.

Composite slides displaying both Q206 sock stain chromatograms together, used with Dr. Rieders for jury visualization. Defense 1257-Q shows the combined display; Defense 1257-R is the same composite with EDTA peaks highlighted.

Same type of comparison chart as Plaintiffs' 2294, produced for the Q204 back gate and sock evidence sample, introduced and discussed by Terry Lee during civil trial testimony.

The pair of dark socks recovered from OJ Simpson's master bedroom at Rockingham, central to the blood-planting allegations. Examined June 22 by Baden and Wolf with no obvious blood, again June 29 with nothing obvious, then found August 14 with copious blood and subsequent EDTA-positive test results. The sock's interior blood transfer pattern and EDTA content were key defense evidence.

A 1954 study by Foreman and Trujillo using radioactive carbon-labeled EDTA administered to human subjects to measure oral absorption rates and pharmacokinetics. Cited by both Rieders and Martz in dispute over baseline EDTA levels in healthy uninjected persons and the percentage of dietary EDTA absorbed into blood. The last page was introduced as Defense 1268 to challenge the five-percent oral absorption figure.

Transcript pages from Agent Roger Martz's criminal trial testimony, referenced in civil proceedings both as a foundational exhibit (Defense Exhibit 1264 in civil, July 25 page 38649) and for impeachment purposes comparing his statements at pages 38641 and 38711–38712 regarding the quantitative nature of his methods and his work with the Quantico validation study.

Dr. Fredric Rieders' written report dated approximately July 17, 1995, summarizing his evaluation of Agent Martz's EDTA test results on the Bundy gate stain (Q204) and sock stain (Q206). Introduced in criminal proceedings; disclosure timing was disputed as a potential discovery violation.

A paper introduced as People's 537 and used with both Dr. Rieders and Agent Martz regarding EDTA concentration levels, described variously as a one-page EPA report and as an abstract from the British Veterinary Journal. Martz characterized it as being about food preservation rather than human blood levels and 'completely out of context.' Rieders had previously cited the contested 2 mg/ml figure contained within it.

FDA Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, listing food additives permitted for direct addition to human food, including EDTA in carbonated soft drinks, mayonnaise, French dressing, salad dressing, frozen potatoes, and cereals. Introduced to establish that EDTA is commonly ingested and may therefore be present at low levels in human blood as a dietary trace element.

Chart comparing Martz's ion count measurements for evidence samples, used to challenge his claim of a thousand-fold difference between preserved and non-preserved blood, and to show the actual difference between the can positive control (~3 million ion count) and the gate evidence stain (~221,000) was approximately 14-fold, not 1,000-fold.

Demonstrative slide illustrating how the 293 parent ion is fragmented into 160 daughter ions by the mass spectrometer's collision cell. Used on direct examination by Dr. Rieders and revisited on cross to probe whether the full daughter spectrum was actually present in the stain evidence.

Photograph of five-microliter blood drops prepared by Agent Martz on two different substrates, used to establish the minimum detectable amount of bloodstain and to contextualize the quantity used in testing.

Full daughter ion scan chromatogram of the Q206 sock stain cutting spanning a broader mass range of 130–295, less focused than the standard 160/293 runs. Used both on direct examination by Rieders and on cross to probe whether the 132 ion signal rose meaningfully above noise levels.

Red bar chart summary of the July 22, 1995 EDTA analysis comparing blank, known EDTA standards, 1993 stains, and Martz's blood with and without EDTA, prepared by Martz and used both as a visual summary and to elicit an admission from Martz that ion counts can vary by approximately four-fold due to instrument variability.

An additional EPA paper discussed during cross-examination of Dr. Rieders concerning whether the 2 mg/ml EDTA concentration standard derived from animal rather than human studies.

An article on food iron absorption and the effect of EDTA on dietary iron uptake, used to establish that approximately 5% of dietary EDTA is absorbed orally, yielding roughly 60 parts per billion in blood.

A bar chart derived from FBI paperwork showing EDTA ion counts for multiple samples including the blood-stained dress swatch (K65) and the unstained dress swatch (K65C), introduced and displayed on the Elmo projector during Dr. Rieders' testimony.

The Cambridge Isotope Laboratories stable isotopes catalogue for 1994–1995, page 49, showing a commercially available EDTA internal standard that could have been used for quantitative testing. Martz confirmed it could have been used and cost as little as $115.

Demonstrative slide illustrating the general principle of chromatographic separation as part of Dr. Rieders' LC-MS/MS educational series for the jury.

Demonstrative slide with a color-coded diagram (red square for EDTA, green and yellow for other compounds) illustrating the separation of analytes through the chromatography column.

A chart originally labeled 'Operator blood, no EDTA added, red top' that was subsequently corrected by hand after Martz failed to update the label between test runs. Introduced by Blasier to demonstrate a sample labeling error.

An internal memo from prosecutor Kevin Denoce to supervisors Michael Bradbury and Harvey Giss regarding Rieders' reconciliation of conflicting EDTA test results in the Sconce case. Clark attempted to introduce it; Blasier objected and requested a sidebar.

A memo written by prosecutor Denoce documenting alleged conversations with Dr. Rieders about reconciling his oleandrin findings with Dr. Henion's negative results in the Sconce case. Marked for identification and used in attempted impeachment; Rieders denied the contents.

Dr. Terry Lee's handwritten notes including observations that EDTA interpretation was 'problematic' and a notation about finding a 'convincing argument' if the blood was not planted. Marked for identification and read from during Baker's cross-examination to challenge Lee's objectivity.

Cotton swabs soaked with blood and EDTA preservative, collected by the Coroner's office during autopsy as EDTA reference swatches for both OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson. Received in the evidence chain but never unsealed by the receiving analyst.

Demonstrative slide showing the full chemical name and molecular structure of EDTA (ethylenediamineacetic acid), introduced by Dr. Rieders and displayed to the jury as part of the EDTA educational slide series.

Demonstrative slide showing EDTA's molecular weight of 292 and the corresponding parent ion at mass 293, used to explain the mass spectrometry detection approach during Dr. Rieders' testimony.

Graph of EDTA-preserved reference blood used as a positive control for the sock EDTA testing, contrasted with the actual sock evidence results to show what an EDTA-positive result should look like.

A document faxed directly from the EPA containing the same 2 mg/ml EDTA concentration figure as People's 537, introduced to corroborate the underlying report and confirm the contested number was not a transcription error in Rieders' copy.

Demonstrative slide related to the FBI's testing of specific stain swatches, introduced as part of the EDTA educational slide series with Dr. Rieders.

Demonstrative summary slide listing the five detection parameters used by Dr. Rieders to identify EDTA in the mass spectrometry data, constituting the criteria for a positive identification.

Full daughter spectrum chart labeled 'Control for dress for K65 dress,' introduced to show that the 132 ion signal barely exceeded noise levels, undermining Martz's claimed EDTA identification standard.

Graph of actual evidence blood extracted from the sock (Q206) tested for EDTA, confirmed by Martz as the result he actually obtained, showing no EDTA signal.

Graph depicting EDTA testing of the evidence blood from the Bundy rear gate (Q204), showing no EDTA signal. Contrasted with the reference positive (People's 544-F) to refute the planting allegation.

Demonstrative slide used to display ion count data for cross-reference with the 50 ppm standard chromatograms (Defense 1262-A and 1262-B), part of the Rieders EDTA slide series.

Bar graph prepared by FBI Agent Roger Martz dated February 19, 1995, showing EDTA test results in negative ion LC-ES-MS/MS mode, with large peaks for known EDTA-preserved reference samples and no EDTA detected in evidence samples. Used to confront Dr. Rieders on cross-examination.

Chart dated February 23, 1995, presenting Martz's HPLC test results showing no EDTA detected in the evidence samples; the third round of testing confirming absence. Dr. Rieders disputed plaintiff's characterization of the HPLC test's purpose.

Chart prepared by Agent Martz comparing ion counts across samples, labeled 'ion count' but actually using peak area. Blasier challenged Martz on the distinction between peak area and ion count measurements during cross-examination.

Graph showing ion counts comparing K67 and K68 reference EDTA-preserved blood (high EDTA signal) against Q204 and Q206 evidence stains (no EDTA signal) and a 100 ppm standard, introduced and discussed extensively during Agent Martz's testimony.

Demonstrative slide illustrating the first stage of the tandem mass spectrometer's ion-weighing and filtering function, introduced during Dr. Rieders' explanation of the LC-MS/MS methodology.

Mass spectrum of Benfluralin, an environmental compound obtained by Martz the morning of his testimony as a possible alternative explanation for the EDTA-like ion findings. Martz admitted he had never previously tested it.

A chart labeled 'control from Q204' that was designated as a negative control but anomalously showed EDTA presence. Dr. Rieders testified that the positive and negative labels had been accidentally switched by the analyst.

Demonstrative slide showing the first mass spectrometer filter stage allowing only the 293 parent ion to pass, as part of the EDTA detection methodology explanation.

A photograph of the label affixed to the EDTA (purple-top) serology tube, introduced and discussed during Dr. Lakshmanan's testimony to establish the chain of custody and identity of the blood-collection tube.

Photograph of Q207, the sock center stain swatch that was sent to the FBI laboratory for EDTA testing, introduced and displayed on the Elmo projector during Agent Martz's testimony.

A printed hardcopy of an EDTA test results chart that had previously been displayed on screen during Dr. Rieders' testimony, marked for identification.

Composite slide displaying both Q204 Bundy back gate chromatograms together, introduced with Dr. Rieders for comparison to the sock stain results.

A billing document on Dr. Rieders' company letterhead submitted to the prosecution in the Sconce case, referencing services including examination and shipment of tissue samples to Dr. Henion. Introduced to challenge Rieders' memory of tissue chain of custody and his financial relationships in prior cases.

A compilation of six charts collectively summarizing both the evidence stain results and the control results from the LC-MS/MS EDTA testing, introduced and explained by Dr. Rieders during the civil trial.

Demonstrative slide showing the second mass spectrometer filter stage isolating the 160 daughter ion for final measurement and quantitation.

Demonstrative slide showing the second mass spectrometry stage used to detect the 160 daughter ion produced by fragmentation of the 293 parent ion.

A second photograph from Agent Martz's dilution experiment, with substrate and blood quantity unrecorded. Objection to its admission was sustained and it was not shown to the jury.

Summary bar chart of HPLC results from February 23rd showing all samples alongside a 5 ppm EDTA standard, introduced to visually summarize the third round of testing confirming the absence of EDTA in the evidence samples.

Summary comparison bar chart of all February 22nd LC-MS/MS results, including K67 and K68 reference EDTA-preserved samples, sock evidence (Q206), gate evidence (Q204), and Nicole Brown Simpson's dress (K65). Used by Martz to visually demonstrate the magnitude difference between preserved and non-preserved blood EDTA response.

Comparative chart prepared by Detective Terry Lee of the City of Hope placing the known EDTA-preserved sample peak (a 'mountain') and the evidence sample peak (a 'molehill') on the same graph to illustrate the magnitude difference. Central visual for cross-examination of Dr. Rieders.

Slide showing ion count charts for two positive controls — a cloth swatch (approximately 8 million ion count) and a metal can (approximately 3 million ion count) — run on different days, used to expose an approximately 3-fold discrepancy between controls and undermine the precision of the FBI methodology.

General references across criminal and civil proceedings to the body of FBI EDTA mass spectrometry testing results conducted by Agent Martz on crime-scene blood swatches, encompassing the broader evidence-planting argument. Includes discussion that two evidence items tested positive and testing stopped, argument that Martz erased a computer run, and general references to the FBI test graphs and forensic samples without citation to a specific chart or exhibit.

Blood drawn from FBI Agent Roger Martz and tested both with and without added EDTA across multiple sessions (May 11 and July 22, 1995) to establish a baseline and validate his extraction methods. Martz's unpreserved blood showed EDTA in the parts-per-million range, which Dr. Rieders characterized as 'absurd' and which Clark argued undermined Rieders' conclusion. The same results were cited to show a similar parent/daughter ion profile to the gate and sock evidence stains.

Two fabric swatches from Nicole Brown Simpson's dress: K65, a blood-stained swatch showing higher EDTA ion counts than the cloth alone, and K65C, an unstained swatch showing only background EDTA levels. Both tested by Martz, who attributed the readings to manufacturing dyes in the garment. Used by Rieders for comparative analysis of EDTA background levels.

Technical literature from Finnegan and Hewlett Packard on MS/MS instrumentation and single parent/daughter ion identification standards, referenced by Rieders to defend his identification methodology. Clark requested Rieders produce them; Rieders was unable to locate them over the lunch break.

Transcript of Dr. Rieders' prior sworn testimony in the Sconce preliminary hearing (October 1990), pages 828–829, containing his earlier statements about oleandrin findings. Used by Clark during cross-examination to impeach Rieders' credibility and his characterization of EDTA's uses, and to question whether oleandrigenin was included in his formal report.