Simpson's Wounds Called 'Gouges' From A Death Struggle
SANTA MONICA, Nov. 8 (Evening) -- The plaintiffs' pathology expert Dr. Werner Spitz admitted Friday afternoon on cross-examination that nothing was found under the nails of Goldman and Brown that could link Simpson to the killings.
Spitz had earlier told jurors he believed the wounds on Simpson's fingers were made by fingernail gouges inflicted in a death struggle with Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But Spitz told defense lawyer Robert Baker that there wouldn't necessarily be tissue under their nails.
Spitz is scheduled to return Tuesday for more cross-examination. The next scheduled witness is Douglas Deedrick, an FBI hair and fiber expert. who testified at the criminal trial. Monday, Veterans Day, is a court holiday.
The plaintiffs used a centerpiece from the defense's case in the criminal trial -- a picture of Simpson with his daughter at her dance recital taken just hours before the murders -- to show that Simpson has none of the cuts and bruises that were later found. Simpson has said he cut his hand on the night of the murders at his home when retrieving a car phone and again several hours later in a Chicago hotel room when he broke a glass.
On direct examination, Spitz explained that in the course of the struggle, he thought it likely that one or both of the victims scratched their attacker with their fingernails while trying to escape his hold. Viewing photographs of Simpon's middle finger injury and a second injury, he said, "Both, in my judgment, are fingernail marks."
Calling some of Simpson's finger injuries "gauges", he explained that these weren't caused by broken glass, but by a semi-blunt force. He testified that the superficial scratches on the back of Simpon's left hand could also have been caused by fingernails which "skipped" across Simpson's hand.
Earlier, Dr. Spitz walked jurors through 14 grisly autopsy photos, showing stab wounds, bruises, and abrasions on the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Both victims died from loss of blood, Spitz said, and their struggle with the assailant was very brief.
Most of the jurors took copious notes and leaned forward in their chairs, appearing more studious than disturbed by the photographs. However, one alternate juror was crying and two jurors grimaced repeatedly.
Although the pictures were turned away from the courtroom spectators, they still caused a stir. Fredric Goldman and his daughter Kim cried throughout Spitz's testimony about Ron's wounds; Fred eventually left the courtroom. Simpson, who left the proceedings suddenly Thursday because he was not feeling well, was not in court Friday.
Spitz said that Nicole died from loss of blood after her throat was cut. "There is a slash across the neck, running from left to right, which is the devastating wound," Spitz said.
Spitz demonstrated on plaintiff attorney Edward Medvene how the assailant delivered the wound -- standing behind Nicole and holding her head back with the left hand somewhere in the middle of her face. Because the assailant was behind Nicole, the assailant would not have been covered in blood. Later, Spitz said the assailant could have held back Nicole's head by pulling on her hair. The attack, Spitz said, "from the first wound to the last was 15 seconds."
Find out about Court TV's coverage of the civil trial, and take a look at the witness lists provided by both sides.
Rob Schmidt's Reporter's Notebook
Court TV Reports and Trial Coverage
A Look Back at the Criminal Case
Discuss the Case
Register for our message boards and trade your insights and opinions with other trial watchers.
