📄 Recross-examination of Philip Vannatter — Wednesday, July 6, 1994
📅 Jul 6 — Day 4
🛡️ Robert Shapiro👮 Det. Philip Vannatter
broncobloodtimelineevidence_handlingpolice_procedurecrime_scene_security
Address:
C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUL\6\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-PHILIP-.DOC
TRIAL
▲ Day 4 of 6

Recross-examination of Philip Vannatter

Witness: Det. Philip Vannatter
Examiner: Robert Shapiro
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, July 6, 1994 • Lines: 29
Robert Shapiro questioned Detective Philip Vannatter about when the Ford Bronco became important evidence and what police did to protect it. He also raised possible contamination by media and coffee cups, then pressed Vannatter to define when and how he considered Simpson's residence "secure."
1 THE COURT:

Mr. Shapiro?

2 MR. SHAPIRO:

Yes, Your Honor, thank you.

3

RECROSS-EXAMINATION

4

BY MR. SHAPIRO:

5 Q:

Detective, regarding the Ford Bronco, at some point in time did that vehicle have some evidentiary value in and of itself?

6 A:

Yes.

7 Q:

When did you determine it had evidentiary value?

8 A:

After looking at all of the scene that I saw there and as it began to lighten up that morning, after seeing the blood trail in the driveway, I could see into the vehicle and see additional blood inside the vehicle, and at that point it became a very important evidentiary item.

9 Q:

What time was that?

10 A:

Probably around the -- right after I saw the blood trail in the driveway.

11 Q:

What time was that about?

12 A:

That would have been -- again, I will have to estimate. That would probably have been around 6:45 to 7:00 o'clock, something like that.

13 Q:

And what steps did you take to secure that vehicle and preserve the evidence?

14 A:

I instructed the detectives that the vehicle was to be impounded. It was to be guarded. And I told the criminalist who responded at 7:10 that it was of evidentiary value, to photograph, obtain any items of evidence that he could from the outside, and to protect the vehicle.

KEY QUOTE
15 Q:

Were your instructions followed?

16 A:

To the best of my knowledge, yes.

17 Q:

Did you have any reports that the media surrounded the car, they couldn't keep the media away from it, and coffee cups were put on the car and coffee spilled?

KEY QUOTE
18 A:

No, sir, I was not aware of that.

19 Q:

What do you mean by "securing the premises"?

20 A:

In what context, Mr. Shapiro?

21 Q:

The term you used. You used that all this morning, secured the -- "I secured the premises." What do you mean by that?

22 A:

Well, in a literal sense -- that's a police term that's used. In a literal sense, it can mean a couple of things.

23 Q:

What did you mean by it when you used it this morning?

24 A:

Okay. What I meant this morning is a check of the location to make sure that everything's okay, that there's no forced entry into the home, that there's nobody injured, that there's nobody down or nobody in need of assistance.

KEY QUOTE
25 Q:

What time did you make that determination that the residence was secure?

26 A:

What time did I make the determination that it was secured? That, again, would have been, I believe, after walking back outside and being notified that Mr. Simpson was in Chicago, that he had been talked to and that he was in route back to Los Angeles; that the maid was not present at the location and that nobody else was found there. And that would have been probably 6:45 to 7:00 in the morning.

27 Q:

You later determined that the bedrooms for the house itself -- not the guest bedrooms, but the main bedrooms -- were on the second story, did you not?

28 A:

Yes.

29 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you. Nothing further.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Det. Philip Vannatter
after seeing the blood trail in the driveway, I could see into the vehicle and see additional blood inside the vehicle, and at that point it became a very important evidentiary item.
Vannatter identified the observations that caused police to treat the Bronco as key evidence.
Det. Philip Vannatter
I instructed the detectives that the vehicle was to be impounded. It was to be guarded.
This states the measures Vannatter says he ordered to preserve the Bronco.
Robert Shapiro
Did you have any reports that the media surrounded the car, they couldn't keep the media away from it, and coffee cups were put on the car and coffee spilled?
Shapiro raised a possible breakdown in evidence security and potential contamination of the Bronco.
Det. Philip Vannatter
What I meant this morning is a check of the location to make sure that everything's okay, that there's no forced entry into the home, that there's nobody injured, that there's nobody down or nobody in need of assistance.
Vannatter clarified that "securing" the residence meant checking for people in danger or signs of entry, rather than merely establishing an evidence perimeter.

Evidence (4)

Informal
O.J. Simpson's Ford Bronco, which Vannatter considered an important evidentiary item after observing blood inside it.
discussed and challenged as to its security and preservation
Informal
A blood trail in the driveway that helped Vannatter recognize the Bronco's evidentiary importance.
discussed
Informal
Additional blood visible inside the Ford Bronco.
discussed
Informal
Coffee cups allegedly placed on the Bronco and coffee allegedly spilled on it while media surrounded the vehicle.
raised as alleged contamination but denied as within the witness's knowledge

Notable Exchanges (3)

Robert ShapiroDet. Philip Vannatter
Shapiro established that Vannatter recognized the Bronco's evidentiary value around 6:45 to 7:00 a.m. and ordered it impounded, guarded, photographed, and protected.
strategic
Robert ShapiroDet. Philip Vannatter
Shapiro suggested that media access, coffee cups, and spilled coffee compromised the Bronco, but Vannatter said he had received no such report.
challenging
Robert ShapiroDet. Philip Vannatter
Shapiro required Vannatter to define what he meant by repeatedly saying the residence was "secured" and fixed that determination at roughly 6:45 to 7:00 a.m.
probing

Credibility Attacks (2)

⚔ Det. Philip Vannatter
challenging evidence preservation and personal knowledge
Shapiro questioned whether Vannatter adequately protected the Bronco, raising reports that media surrounded it and that coffee cups and spilled coffee may have contaminated it; Vannatter said he was unaware of those reports.
⚔ Det. Philip Vannatter
probing terminology and timeline
Shapiro pressed Vannatter to define his repeated claim that he had "secured the premises," establishing that the determination was not made until approximately 6:45 to 7:00 a.m.

Objections

None recorded
Proceeding 9114 • 29 lines • Prosecution witness
Preliminary Trial
Department 103
📂 JUL 6, 1994 📄 Recross-examination of Philip
JUL 6, 1994