Please raise your right hand. You do solemnly swear the testimony you may give in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
I do. TOM LANGE, called as a witness by and on behalf of the People, having been duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
I'm a police detective for the City of Los Angeles, assigned to Robbery Homicide Division, homicide special section.
I can give you an approximation. Homicides that I've been directly assigned or investigations that I've been a part of, probably between 250 and 300.
Now, in robbery homicide, homicide special, how many cases have you handled overall? Just an estimate.
Well, again, it would be open to interpretation. There have been serial killings, there have been mass killings. If these are individual or -- I don't know. It would have to be over 200.
Sir, were you assigned as one of the investigating officers in the case now pending before this court?
I had received information that there was a double homicide at 875 south Bundy, the West Los Angeles area, and so I responded to that location, arriving approximately 4:30 a.m.
Yes. The scene was secured by police yellow marker tape, as well as by uniformed patrol officers.
If you would, sir, could you please describe the building -- well, strike that. Did you see the apparent victims in this case when you arrived at the scene?
The path was a walkway running along the north side of the residence, perpendicular to the sidewalk in front.
On the walkway I observed one victim, Nicole Brown Simpson, lying in a -- on the walkway at the foot of three steps leading up to the front entrance.
Yes. Just to the north and a little west of the first victim, I observed the second victim, Mr. Goldman, lying beneath a large tree in an area just off the walkway.
Your Honor, I have here a series of small photographs. I am showing them to counsel. With respect to the first of these photographs, I'm going to ask that it be substituted in lieu of the larger photograph that's been marked on a poster board.
I'm going to inform the court. People's 5, Your Honor. If I may withdraw People's 5 and substitute in lieu of that the smaller photograph and mark it as People's 5.
I believe counsel agrees this is a smaller version of the same one we have previously shown.
Yes. This is the victim, Nicole Brown Simpson, lying in the position that I observed her on the morning of the 13th.
Yes. I observed a second victim, subsequently identified as Mr. Goldman, to the north and just west in the dirt area just off of the walkway beneath a large tree.
Initially we walked up to the bodies to the location, and observed them at close range. Some various things were pointed out to me initially by detective Phillips. We then proceeded up the steps towards the front entrance of the home and eventually entered the home. Again, several things were pointed out to me by detective Phillips that he had observed.
Initially, near Mr. Goldman, there was a white envelope containing what appeared to be prescription glasses. It was lying just off the walkway, in the dirt, between the first and second victims. There appeared to be a dark blue knit cap that was found in the dirt at the feet of Mr. Goldman, the second victim. There was a dark brown leather glove, a left-handed glove, that was also near the feet of Mr. Goldman, near the knit cap. I observed a ring with, I believe, five keys just below the buttocks of Mr. Goldman. I observed a great deal of blood both on and around the area surrounding Mr. Goldman and Miss Simpson. There were what appeared to be paw prints, or animal prints, that had walked through the blood that was draining downwards down the sidewalk in an easterly direction, towards the sidewalk, from nicole Simpson. I observed these animal tracks to go through the blood eastward and then proceed south along Bundy from the location. Additionally, I observed what appeared to be shoe prints -- bloody shoe prints leading from the area of the two victims up the steps and in a westerly direction along the walkway that was along the north side of the residence. They appeared to go directly by the open front door of the residence and continue in a westerly direction. As they progressed, they began to fade towards the rear of the house -- the actual bloody shoe prints did. There appeared to be several blood droplets among these bloody shoe prints leading away westerly from the bodies. These droplets appeared to have landed straight down on the pavement.
Let me ask you a question, sir. You indicated that you saw bloody shoe prints in an area -- in a direction that appeared to go away from the bodies, towards the rear of the building?
And if you would, sir, can you describe the nature of the building and the scene as you saw it? In other words, where is the path in relation to the stairs and the landing and the building behind which -- in front of which you found Miss Simpson?
If you step up the path, sir, are there -- is there a gate you come to before you would come to the bodies of the victims?
Yes. There is a gate to the east of where the victims were located that I found to be wide open at the time. The gate is serviceable and could be locked from the inside and opened from the inside without a key; however, from the outside one would need a key. Additionally, there is an outside latch that would have to be activated in order to get in after one keyed their way in or someone on the inside would allow them to go in.
Is there a way from the inside of the house you can press a button to open the gate electronically?
There is an inside release button, but I could not activate it. To me it was unserviceable at that time.
Well, the morning of the crime scene investigation and during subsequent visits to the crime scene.
So as of June 13, the morning of June 13, you found the release button on the inside of the residence to be inoperable; that is, it would not open the gate?
And based on your observation, you were able to manually unlatch the gate if you went down to it and unlatched it?
Well, the inner knob is a smooth knob. The outer knob, towards the street, is keyed. So from the inside you could open it by the knob; but one would have to, if they were opening it from the inside, reach over the gate and undo the latch on the outside.
You indicated, I think, you found Miss Simpson up against or next to the stairs that were leading up to the landing that leads to the front door?
She was lying more or less on her left side, in what I would term a semifetal position, with the head in a north by northeasterly direction.
After you go up those stairs, if you were going to go to the back alley, can you describe the path that you would take?
Yes. There are three or four steps leading, above where she was located, to a porch area; and then there are, I believe, two more steps up another area towards the front door, which would be off to one's left if you were walking in a westerly direction. That pathway continues westerly to the point where there is a small gate. One would go through the latch gate and then descend several steps to a lower area, where the housekeeper's quarters would probably be located, and proceed along that area to a point where there are some more steps going up, another level area; and one would eventually reach a locking gate similar to the front gate, located at the northwest corner of the property. This particular gate had a dead-bolt lock, again, accessible from the inside and not the outside.
So from the pathway that is perpendicular to the sidewalk, you would go up some stairs, across a landing, down some stairs and out through a rear gate to a driveway area that is near -- that is in front of the garage, that leads to an alley?
Yes. This is the white envelope I mentioned previously, located between both victims, on the ground, with the prescription -- what appeared to be prescription glasses in it.
Eventually, when it was turned over, I did see some writing on the face side, something to the effect of "nicole Simpson, prescription glasses."
Do you see a pattern I am pointing out now just below that white envelope that appears to be a pattern in blood?
You indicated, I think, earlier in your testimony you saw a few bloody shoe prints leading away from the bodies of the victims?
This is also, I would like to point out -- there is another what appears to be bloody footprint, the dark blue knit ski-type cap that I described earlier and the aforementioned dark brown leather glove that was located near the feet of Mr. Goldman.
And a photograph with the number -- another photograph with the number 102 in it, People's
This is a close-up shot of the dark brown leather glove that I mentioned. Again, there is a -- appears to be a shoe print of a bloody shoe.
And a photograph with the toe of a shoe in it, depicting a brown glove and what appears to be blue knit cap, People's 13.
This is another photograph of the dark brown leather glove. It shows a portion of the left foot of Mr. Goldman, the victim. It also shows the dark blue ski cap that i mentioned earlier. Again, we have a bloody shoe print depicted.
Are those the same items depicted in the previous photographs that have numbers on them, sir?
This is more or less an overall shot of the direct crime scene after the victims had been removed, indicating the aforementioned white envelope with the glasses, the dark brown leather glove, the blue ski cap and the shoe prints.
Is that the perspective shot of all of the items in the one picture you have been shown, that we have talked about?
Can you tell us, sir, if you notice any what appear to be blood patterns reflecting a shoe print that you have previously described in that photograph?
This is a photograph at the stoop, or stairs, where nicole Simpson was located, looking in a westerly direction. It appears to be an outline of the shoe print on the first step leading up in a westerly direction, in a large pool of blood.
The sheet shown in that photograph, sir, with the number 107 on it, is that where you found Miss Brown?
16 is the right foot -- beneath the right foot of Mr. Goldman, the victim, depicting the sole and heel of his right shoe.
It was important to us to determine whether or not the victims had any blood on the soles or heels of their shoes.
She was wearing what I describe as a black shift or cocktail dress, sleeveless. It had one strap around the neck.
He was wearing some type of levi's. He was wearing athletic-type -- what I describe as perhaps athletic-type boots that were secured high on his ankle. He had on a light-colored plaid, long-sleeve shirt.
When you first arrived at the scene, sir, had anyone yet been able to identify ron Goldman?
Once the coroner's representative had arrived, a search was made of his pockets and his driver's license was recovered.
I would like to mark a photograph of what appears to be a driver's license People's 17.
Yes. That is a photograph of Mr. Goldman's driver's license as well as a photograph of a union bank card.
Is that the driver's license that you saw that was retrieved from the pocket of Mr. Goldman?
If you would, sir, can you describe the lighting as you found it when you arrived at the scene of 875 south Bundy?
When I arrived initially, there was a porch light on over the front door -- the ceiling-type light. There was a small light located to the south of the stationary gate near where Miss Simpson was located, a lamp that shown directly straight up. There was a very dim malibu light located east of the location. And as far as overhead street lights, there was one to the east of the location on the street; however, the illumination appeared to have no bearing on the scene itself. There was an additional hanging lamp on the northeast corner of dorothy and Bundy that gave some indirect lighting on the scene. Additionally, there was a light on the building itself, on the residence, in the southeast corner of the residence, outside, that really had no direct bearing on the immediate scene.
Overall, sir, would you say that the lighting in the area where the victims were was very well lit, dark? Can you describe -- a I wouldn't call it well lit. There was some light, but there is also a great deal of foliage and shrubbery around the area that would block out not only the overhead lighting but some lighting from the residence itself.
What, if any, lighting was there working on the night that you were there that you observed in the front of the house?
Again, initially what I observed was a small light that was planted in the ground near the mailbox south of the victims.
Not a great deal of light. It did light the area, but it was not what I would call a great deal of light.
Your Honor, I have here a photograph. I am going to ask it be marked People's 17 --
In that photograph can you see the envelope you have earlier described, that bore the writing of "nicole Simpson, prescription glasses"?
You described for us earlier, sir, a blood trail that went from the area where the victims were found to the outer area -- all the way out to the alley behind the house?
I have a series of photographs, your Honor, "A" through "G." Ask they be marked People's 19.
First of all, sir, I am showing you People's If you would, please describe what is shown in each photograph and, as best you can, describe the location in which we see each of the markers.
The photograph "A," this is looking in a westerly direction. This is the walkway described earlier. The victims would have been found below this photograph. This is the first landing area. These three steps lead up to the front entrance, which is just off to the left here. The numbers depicted were placed there by the criminalist, indicate blood droplets that were located. Item -- photograph "B" is a close-up of no. 112, a blood droplet. Photograph "C," item 113, depicted overall in photograph "A," is another close-up of an apparent blood droplet. Photograph "D" indicates a stairwell on the walkway, overall depicted in photograph "A," leading in a westerly direction downwards. Here we have item 114, which is an overall of a blood droplet. The close-up of the blood droplet is indicated in photograph "E." Photograph "D," we have various letters. These are corresponding to bloody shoe prints that I alluded to earlier.
Yes. Photograph "F," again, is looking westerly. That is the rear gate of the property, located in the -- here is the gate located in the northwest corner of the property. These are the stairs going up. Here you see an overall shot of item 115. Photograph "G" is a close-up of that which appears to be a blood droplet.
That photograph "F," sir, does that show the rear gate that opens out to the garage and alley area?
Now showing you People's 20, will you tell us what is depicted in those photos, "A," "B" and "C"; and describe the location that is shown in those photographs. A photograph "a" is a close-up of the rear gate, what appears to be blood, blood droplets. item "b," photograph "b," again, is an overall depiction of what appears to be a blood droplet; and a close-up of that is indicated in photograph "c."
Yes. This is the -- just off to the left here would be the vehicle, the cherokee vehicle, that belonged to Miss Simpson.
photograph "b." This is looking in a north by northwesterly direction. The alley would be -- the north/south alley would be depicted at the top here from left to right.
When you were at the crime scene that morning, on June 13, did you notice the position of that gate that is shown in photograph "a"?
Sir, is it part of your duties as an investigating officer to direct the collection of evidence and the TAKING of photographs?
And so at the crime scene, you assess what you think is important, what is evidence and should be preserved either by photographing or collection or both?
In this particular case, sir, the blood drops you have described in People's 19 and 20, did you direct that these photographs be taken?
The -- it was apparent to me that these blood droplets were not directly associated with the victims and that they were perhaps in association with the bloody shoe prints leading from the scene. It was also apparent that they would be connected to a suspect in this -- in this instance.
KEY QUOTESo what were your instructions to the criminalist with respect to these blood drops you have identified in People's 19 and 20?
And with respect to all of the items you have previously identified in photographs we have marked during the course of your testimony, were those all items that you requested be collected by the criminalist and photographed in places they were found?
Showing you the exhibits previously marked as People's 3 and People's 2, can you tell me whether these are the people whose autopsies you were present at with respect to this case, please?
And did you retrieve those vials of blood that were given to you -- that were made by the coroner during the course of the autopsy?
Actually, my partner, detective Vannatter, retrieved them on the following day. I believe it was June
D.R. are the letters for what in LAPD we term a division of records number. This is a number that is assigned to a particular crime, to a particular victim. The first two digits would indicate the year. Something occurring this year would be preceded by a number The second two digits would indicate the geographical division involved. In this case, geographically, west Los Angeles division is 8; so it would be 08. And the five subsequent numbers are the individual report numbers.
Yes. It is what we call the key number. It would be the first number obtained, that all subsequent reports would be keyed off.
It was apparent to me that these blood droplets were not directly associated with the victims and that they were perhaps in association with the bloody shoe prints leading from the scene. It was also apparent that they would be connected to a suspect in this -- in this instance.
There was a dark brown leather glove, a left-handed glove, that was also near the feet of Mr. Goldman, near the knit cap.
There appeared to be paw prints, or animal prints, that had walked through the blood that was draining downwards down the sidewalk in an easterly direction, towards the sidewalk, from nicole Simpson.
There appeared to be several blood droplets among these bloody shoe prints leading away westerly from the bodies. These droplets appeared to have landed straight down on the pavement.