Recross-examination of Philip Vannatter

📄 Recross-examination of Philip Vannatter — Thursday, July 7, 1994

Address:

C:\DEPT103\PRELIMINARY\1994\JUL\7\RECROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-PHILIP-.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 5 of 6

◀ Redirect examination of Philip Vannatter Recalled direct examination of Tom Lange ▶

Witness: Det. Philip Vannatter
Examiner: Robert Shapiro
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Thursday, July 7, 1994 • Lines: 16

Robert Shapiro briefly questioned Detective Philip Vannatter about a police “459” burglary report and its radio broadcast. Vannatter said he knew of no report tying the call to two people knocking on a door, then confirmed that the report was reportedly broadcast at 12:10 a.m.—the same time the bodies were first found—while noting that the broadcast time was secondhand information.

# 1

RECROSS-EXAMINATION

# 2

BY MR. SHAPIRO:

# 3 Q:

Detective, were any reports generated that indicate a police officer said that this 459 report was a result of two people knocking on the door?

# 4 A:

Not to my knowledge, sir, no.

KEY QUOTE

# 5 Q:

And that report was put out on a police radio at ten minutes after 12:00; isn't that correct?

# 6 A:

That's what I was told, yes.

KEY QUOTE

# 7 Q:

And to your knowledge, what time were the bodies found?

# 8 A:

Ten minutes after 12:00.

KEY QUOTE

# 9 Q:

That was the first finding of the bodies?

# 10 A:

Yes.

# 11 MR. SHAPIRO:

Thank you, nothing further.

# 12 THE COURT:

Anything further, Ms. Clark?

# 13 MS. CLARK:

I have nothing further, thank you.

# 14 THE COURT:

Thank you.

# 15 DET. PHILIP VANNATTER:

Thank you, Your Honor.

# 16 THE COURT:

You may step down. Next witness.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Det. Philip Vannatter

Not to my knowledge, sir, no.

Vannatter denied knowing of any report saying that the burglary call resulted from two people knocking on a door.

Det. Philip Vannatter

That's what I was told, yes.

Vannatter acknowledged that his knowledge of the police-radio broadcast time was secondhand.

Det. Philip Vannatter

Ten minutes after 12:00.

Vannatter placed discovery of the bodies at the same time the 459 report was reportedly broadcast, creating the timeline point Shapiro sought to establish.

Evidence (2)

Informal

A police “459” burglary report reportedly generated after two people knocked on a door.

discussed and challenged

Informal

A police-radio broadcast of the 459 report said to have occurred ten minutes after midnight.

discussed

Notable Exchanges (1)

Robert Shapiro•Det. Philip Vannatter

Shapiro established that the 459 report was reportedly broadcast at 12:10 a.m. and that the bodies were first found at 12:10 a.m.; Vannatter confirmed both points but qualified the broadcast time as something he had been told.

strategic

Credibility Attacks (1)

⚔ Det. Philip Vannatter

timeline challenge and testing secondhand knowledge

Shapiro highlighted that the burglary report was allegedly broadcast at the same time the bodies were first found, implicitly challenging the accuracy of the police timeline and reports, though Vannatter said the broadcast time was only what he had been told.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 9139 • 16 lines • Prosecution witness

Preliminary Trial

Department 103