Police Describe Crime Scene
SANTA MONICA, Oct. 28 (Noon) -- The first two Los Angeles Police officers who arrived at the crime scene took the stand today in the O.J. Simpson civil trial. Officers Robert Riske and Miguel Terrazas, who were partners on June 13, 1994, told the jury how they found the bodies, one glove, and a knit cap; how they were careful to not to disturb the crime scene; and how they saw blood on the back gate at Nicole Brown Simpson's Bundy condominium.
The officers' recollections of blood on the back gate is important because the LAPD criminalists did not collect the blood until several weeks after the murder. Both Riske and Terrazas also testified that only one glove was found at the murder scene. The defense will likely contend that the blood could have been planted and that a second glove was planted at Simpson's Rockingham home. Plaintiffs' attorney John Kelly, who represents the estate of Nicole, walked the two officers step by step through their work at the crime scene from about 12:15 until 7:15 a.m. on June 13, 1994. Both the plaintiffs in their examination, and the defense on cross-examination, spent a lot of time asking the officers to account for the whereabouts of Det. Mark Fuhrman.
On cross examination, defense attorney Robert Blaiser, who also worked on Simpson's criminal defense, hammered at Riske for using the phone in Nicole's kitchen to call his supervisor -- thus contaminating it with his fingerprints. Blaiser also questioned Riske about his dark-blue, wool uniform, which could produce the same fiber evidence found at the Bundy and Rockingham crime scenes. In the criminal case prosecutors tried to show the fibers came from Simpson's blue-black sweatsuit. Blaiser was blocked by Judge Fujisaki from asking questions about the ice cream found in Nicole's house, and about possible elements of trace evidence that police could have contaminated in Nicole's house.
Terrazas is currently being cross examined by defense attorney Robert Baker. Also scheduled to take the stand today are Det. Frank Spangler, Riske's and Terrazas' boss, and Det. Ronald Phillips, Mark Fuhrman's partner.
Inside the courtroom, Fredric Goldman wept as a particularly gruesome photo of his son Ron's body was shown. O.J. Simpson was not in court this morning, but is supposed to be here this afternoon.
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
Documents and Depositions from the Pre-Trial Civil Proceedings
A Look Back at the Criminal Case
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