HANS REISER TRIAL - IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...
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Day 20 of testimony in Hans Reiser’s murder trial ended Wednesday. After hearing from 35 witnesses, the jury is in recess until the second Monday in January, the 14th.
It’s beginning to look a lot like …
LONG RECESS IN THE RESIER TRIAL – MUCH MORE TO COME
In this short week, the jury heard one more reason that Nina was not planning to skip town. She’d paid for Step One of the U. S. Medical Licensing Examination and for prep classes at Berkeley’s Kaplan Center. She last attended class on August 31, with 15 additional classes pre-paid and scheduled.
The OPD crime scene tech who examined and inventoried Nina’s abandoned minivan, the Honda Odyssey, on September 9 testified – describing Nina’s cell phone with its battery removed, seeing the scattered and spoiling groceries, etc.
The police officer who pulled over Hans driving the CRX on September 13 in Redwood City described the driver as “nervous”, noting that the car was full of candy wrappers and clothing. DuBois will argue that Hans was living in the car. Presumably, the officer would have noticed a missing seat, had it been removed by then.
NOTE: In his opening statement, the DA has promised proof – yet to be heard – that a sleeping bag stuff sack was recovered form the CRX bearing traces of both Nina’s and Hans’ blood.
The last witness was a DA Inspector (the Alameda DA’s office has a full staff of detectives who are called Inspectors). Inspector Brock went through Han’s Honda CRX after it was seized by Oakland police on Sept. 19 on a residential street near Highway 13. The jury was shown photos of the CRX, depicting the missing passenger seat, then a replica passenger seat obtained from a salvage yard. It was from the following model year, but matched the fabric and look of the missing seat.
COMMENT
This jury is being invited to infer that Hans Reiser has disposed of evidence, after attempting to wash it away. If he disposed of the car seat because it was incriminating, they will be asked to infer that he also disposed of his wife’s body.
If he testifies, he will be closely questioned about the disposition of the seat. If he is evasive, the jury will assume he is concealing evidence of guilt.
By using the word “if” I am suggesting that DuBois may now be rethinking the earlier announced decision to call the defendant as a witness. That decision, for better or worse, is always that of the accused, and – as I’ve already indicated – the defendant himself may be the defense’s worst problem. You can bet that the defense team and Mr. Reiser will spend some time between now and January 14 revisiting the issue. And you can also assume that the DA’s Inspectors will still be working the case.
On or before January 14th, I’ll post a case review and timeline.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday and avoid all crime and crime news if possible.
With apologies to Johnny Mathis –
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...
It’s beginning to look a lot like guilty,
Every day in court;Take a look at all the blood stained places,
Examine those unexplained traces,All that DNA to sort.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Nina,
Didn’t choose to roam;And the scariest sight to see,
Is the smudge that Hans left to see
In his own Mom’s home.It’s beginning to look a lot like recess,
Won’t change a thing;
The DA has no body and Hans has yet to sing,And Hans has yet to sing…
