Redirect examination of Mark Fuhrman (part 1)

📄 Redirect examination of Mark Fuhrman (part 1) — Wednesday, July 6, 1994

Address:

C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUL\6\REDIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-MARK-F.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 4 of 6

◀ Cross-examination of Mark Fuhrman Recross-examination of Mark Fuhrman ▶

Witness: Det. Mark Fuhrman
Examiner: Marcia Clark
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Wednesday, July 6, 1994 • Utterances: 67

Marcia Clark conducts a brief redirect of Detective Fuhrman, focused on two areas: the significance of a radio call Officer Riske received (possibly reporting suspects near the scene) and Fuhrman's detailed account of finding the glove at Rockingham, including the routes he walked with each detective to show them the discovery. Fuhrman candidly describes his adrenaline spike and emotional reaction upon realizing the glove likely matched the one found at the Bundy crime scene.

# 1 THE COURT:

Miss Clark, do you have any additional questions?

# 2 MS. CLARK:

A few. Thank you, your Honor.

# 3

REDIRECT EXAMINATION

# 4

BY MS. CLARK:

# 5 Q:

The note that was pointed out to you by defense counsel just now concerning Officer Riske, that was a radio call that was given to Officer Riske?

# 6 A:

I believe so. I just -- I heard him indicate that he heard the call. I don't know if it was directed at his police unit or another unit and he picked up the audio part of the call. He just informed me of that situation. I didn't know if it was related at that time.

# 7 Q:

Did you ever determine how a burglary call came to be placed concerning a murder investigation?

# 8 A:

No. Once I was no longer part of the primary investigative team, I was at the direction of Vannatter and Lange; and they pretty much dictated the investigative path we were going to take. And that's why I gave them my notes and just followed their direction for the remainder of the time.

# 9 Q:

What, if any, impact did that information concerning the radio call received by Officer Riske have on your actions or your decisions on that night or early morning of June 13?

# 10 A:

Well, it would lend to the possibility there were people other than the two victims at the scene, which corroborated the footprints leading away from the scene. It would say that someone -- a victim, a suspect -- or I believe there was a call that said "suspects" -- it could have been one -- could also have been in the struggle in front of the house. I had no idea because I never took it any farther.

KEY QUOTE

# 11 Q:

So did that radio call received by Officer Riske have any impact on the decisions you made later concerning the case, what to do as the events unfolded through the early morning hours of June 13?

# 12 A:

At the Bundy location?

# 13 Q:

Right.

# 14 A:

For me, no, because I was relieved of the responsibility of decision making at that point; and, as I said, I was just going at the direction of detective Vannatter and Lange.

# 15 Q:

Do you know whether they ever knew of that radio call that Officer Riske got concerning a burglary in progress?

# 16 A:

I know they received my notes; so I assume they read them and they did talk to Officer Riske. I was not privileged to be there when they talked to Officer Riske; so --

# 17 Q:

You don't know what they found out about that?

# 18 A:

No.

# 19 Q:

all right. With respect to finding the glove, after you found the glove, what did you do? You saw the glove on the walk. Then what did you do?

# 20 A:

I continued eastbound on the path that went to the rear of the property; and I spent -- I am not going to say a considerable amount of time -- I am going to say about 15 minutes looking for a person that could have left that glove there, which indicated somebody was injured. I looked in all places I believed a human could secret himself or collapse in that area, and then I returned to the front of the residence.

# 21 Q:

So you walked all the way back to that back area that you have indicated earlier on the diagram, shown here behind what is marked on the defense diagram as "Arnelle's room"?

# 22 A:

Behind that location, yes.

# 23 Q:

Then you walked all the way back up this path? Is that what you are saying?

# 24 A:

Yes.

# 25 Q:

And all the way around through the driveway and into the front?

# 26 A:

I believe detective phillips was standing in front of the residence, and I spoke with him.

# 27 Q:

And when you got inside, you said you spoke to the detectives?

# 28 A:

Yes. I believe detective Phillips informed detective Vannatter and Lange of the discovery, and they came out to me in the front.

# 29 Q:

Did they come out one by one or altogether?

# 30 A:

One by one.

# 31 Q:

So did you go with them each time?

# 32 A:

Yes.

# 33 Q:

And who did you go with first?

# 34 A:

Detective phillips.

# 35 Q:

And what was the route you took with him?

# 36 A:

The same route that I took originally from the front entrance: directly south in front of the garage and then entering the path going eastbound, continuing down, explaining the areas and how and why I determined that the main house was separated by this corridor from the bungalows and how the architecture changed, how -- I was describing that to them -- And then how I looked down and saw the dark object 15, 20 feet from me and, as I got closer, I realized what it was and it was right almost exactly where Mr. Kaelin described a crashing noise.

# 37 Q:

And the area on the wall where he described the crashing noise, was there any window near to the area he described hearing the noise come from?

# 38 A:

no.

# 39 Q:

So, then, after taking detective phillips down to that area and describing everything that you saw, who did you take next?

# 40 A:

Detective Vannatter.

# 41 Q:

And did you do the same thing with him?

# 42 A:

Yes; exactly the same thing.

# 43 Q:

And so each time you went, you took the detective all the way down to where the glove was and brought them all the way back?

# 44 A:

Yes.

# 45 Q:

And then did you do the same with detective Lange?

# 46 A:

Yes.

# 47 Q:

Did you take any of the detectives all the way back to the area behind Arnelle's room that you described going to yourself earlier?

# 48 A:

I don't believe so. I described to detective phillips -- I am almost positive I did to both the other detectives -- I scooted underneath the air conditioner -- it pretty much covered the path. it was elevated, but it covered the path -- I ran into the spider webs; and I told them that -- that I looked in the area but I didn't see anything that would lead us to believe anybody was back in that area.

# 49 Q:

When you say you scooted under the air conditioner, did you have to stoop down? Is that what you are saying?

# 50 A:

Yes; Scoot down. You don't have to get on your hands and knees, but you have to get down low. It goes on an angle. It is an air conditioner that sticks out a foot and a half, 2 feet and has braces that go at a 45-degree angle from the air conditioner, that attach to the wall at the bottom, below it.

# 51 Q:

After you took the last detective all the way back to show the glove, did you come back to the front of the house?

# 52 A:

Yes.

# 53 Q:

And what did you do then?

# 54 A:

I didn't do anything. I just stood there and waited. And I went in and I heard a discussion by detective Vannatter, a comment made shortly Thereafter, "we are going to have to handle this like a crime scene."

# 55 Q:

Do you know approximately what time that was when you heard that discussion?

# 56 A:

No. After that I came out front. To be honest with you, I was a little taken back by what had transpired. We didn't enter with any intention of finding anything there, and I just kind of stood out there and I was really kind of collecting my thoughts. When I found the glove back here on this pathway, I will have to -- I have to admit to you that the Adrenalin started pumping because I didn't really know what was going on; and no matter if I found a victim or a suspect, I still had some type of a very serious situation at that time. And I think I was coming down from that a little bit.

# 57 Q:

You mean -- when you say "the Adrenalin," you mean from seeing the crime scene?

# 58 A:

No.

# 59 Q:

From seeing the glove?

# 60 A:

When I found the glove and actually realized this glove was very close in description and color to the glove at the crime scene, my heart started pounding and I realized what I had probably found. When that gets going and you never get a chance to run it off or get rid of it, you get kind of a down time; and I think I was collecting my -- not composure but my thoughts a little bit out front.

KEY QUOTE

# 61 Q:

So while you were collecting your thoughts and relaxing after your discovery, you heard a discussion going on inside the house?

# 62 A:

Yes. I walked into the front of the residence; and in the kitchen, detective Lange and Vannatter were discussing what had been found. I believe detective phillips was in there, also. And they were discussing "we really have got another crime scene here," and a search warrant was brought up -- "We have to get a search warrant." Detective Vannatter said that. And I don't know exactly what time that was.

# 63 Q:

You were not in the frame of mind to examine your watch or look at a clock?

# 64 A:

like I said before, I was kind of taken back by the whole event; so -- we didn't go up there for this, And --

# 65 MS. CLARK:

May I have a moment, your Honor?

# 66 THE COURT:

Yes.

# 67 MS. CLARK:

Thank you. Thank you. I have nothing further.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (4)

Mark Fuhrman

When I found the glove and actually realized this glove was very close in description and color to the glove at the crime scene, my heart started pounding and I realized what I had probably found.

Fuhrman openly describes his visceral reaction to finding the glove — humanizing him but also foregrounding that he immediately recognized its evidentiary significance, which could cut both ways on planting allegations.

Mark Fuhrman

We didn't enter with any intention of finding anything there, and I just kind of stood out there and I was really kind of collecting my thoughts.

Clark elicits this to rebut any suggestion of a premeditated plant — Fuhrman frames the glove discovery as unexpected and disorienting.

Mark Fuhrman

Detective Vannatter said that. And I don't know exactly what time that was.

Fuhrman attributes the decision to seek a search warrant directly to Vannatter, consistent with his account that he ceded investigative authority to the primary detectives.

Mark Fuhrman

It would lend to the possibility there were people other than the two victims at the scene, which corroborated the footprints leading away from the scene.

Fuhrman explains why the burglary radio call mattered — it suggested a suspect presence, consistent with physical evidence he observed.

Evidence (3)

Informal

Defense diagram of the Rockingham property, used to reference Arnelle's room and the path behind it

discussed

Informal

The glove found on the path behind Kato Kaelin's room

discussed — Fuhrman describes finding it and showing it to Phillips, Vannatter, and Lange in sequence

Informal

Fuhrman's handwritten notes given to Vannatter and Lange

referenced — Fuhrman confirms the burglary radio call information was in notes he handed off

Notable Exchanges (3)

Marcia Clark•Mark Fuhrman

Clark walks Fuhrman through the exact sequence of showing the glove to each detective — Phillips first, then Vannatter, then Lange — establishing a consistent, documented chain of witness to the discovery.

strategic

Marcia Clark•Mark Fuhrman

Fuhrman describes stooping under an air conditioner to search the area behind Arnelle's room, finding spider webs but no person — rehabilitating his thoroughness as a searcher.

procedural

Marcia Clark•Mark Fuhrman

Clark draws out Fuhrman's adrenaline response and need to collect his thoughts after the glove discovery, ending the examination on a note of human authenticity rather than clinical detachment.

revealing

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 8966 • 67 utterances • Prosecution witness

Preliminary Trial

Department 103