Page 82 of Resurrection Walk

“It is, Judge,” I said. “That will become clear when other witnesses testify.”

“Well, please hurry through this so we can get to those witnesses sooner rather than later.”

“We would get there sooner if my examination were not interrupted.”

“If that remark is intended as a rebuke to the court, we have a problem, sir.”

“I’m sorry, Your Honor, it was not intended as a rebuke in any way. May I continue?”

“Please, but hurry.”

I nodded and checked my notes to make sure I picked up where I had left off.

“Sergeant Sanger, were homicide investigators on the scene when you arrived?” I asked.

“No, not yet,” Sanger said.

“Who from the sheriff’s department was there?”

“A lot of deputies had arrived to secure the scene for the homicide unit rolling from the STARS Center in Whittier.”

“That would put them as much as an hour out, correct?”

“Yes, most likely.”

“So, during that time of waiting for the homicide team, you decided to do their job for them, didn’t you?”

“No, that’s not correct.”

“Well, didn’t you take Lucinda Sanz from the car she had been placed in and conduct a test for gunshot residue on her body and clothes?”

“Yes, I did that. It’s best to conduct such a test as soon as possible after a shooting crime has been committed.”

“Was it procedure for a deputy who worked with the victim to swab the arms and hands of a suspect for a gunshot-residue test?”

“She was not a suspect at that time. It —”

“Not a suspect? Why was she put in the back of a patrol car and swabbed for GSR if she was not a suspect?”

Morris stood up and objected.

“Your Honor,” he said. “Counsel is badgering the witness and not allowing her to finish her answers.”

“Mr. Haller,” Coelho said. “Let her complete her answers and dial back the tone. There is no jury here to impress.”

I nodded contritely.

“Yes, Your Honor,” I said. “Sergeant Sanger, by all means, please continue and finish your answer.”

“As I said, it is important to test for gunshot residue early in an investigation,” Sanger said. “Otherwise, the evidence can dissipate or be removed or transferred. I knew in this case that it might be an hour or more before homicide investigators were on scene, so I swabbed the defendant and secured the swab disks in an evidence bag.”

“She’s the petitioner, not the defendant, Sergeant. Once you completed this test you say was required so urgently, what did you do with that evidence bag containing the swab disks?”

“I turned it over to Deputy Mitchell, who later gave it to the homicide team. It should be noted in the evidence chain-of-custody report, which I’m sure you’ve seen.”

“What if I told you it is not in the chain-of-custody report?”

“Then that would be a slight oversight on Deputy Mitchell’s part.”

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