Dassey Trial Notes – 23 April, 2007

I was surprised to Brendan Dassey take the stand. After questioning by judge Jerome Fox, he was allowed. I’m sure his attorneys were opposed. Defense Attorney Mark Fremgen said he wasn’t sure the decision is logical and thought out. Special Prosecutor Ken Kratz expressed some reservations.

Since Dassey wanted to testify, it was best to get him on the stand early and get it over with.

Fremgen questioned Dassey about the events that night. Dassey said there was left over wood from building a garage. When asked what kind of wood, Dassey said, “Timber.”

Special Prosecutor Tom Fallon asked Dassey about his special education classes. Dassey became confused. Fallon questioned him about the jeans. Dassey said he washed his jeans that night and usually washes his pants every night. Fallon became sarcastic.

Fallon played a tape of a jail house call from Dassey to his mother. She berated him for not calling 911. He responded that he would get in trouble if he knew. Then, “What about the alligator that ate that one girl?” The statement made no sense in this context.

Dassey often responded, “I dunno.”

Fallon used this opportunity to replay a portion of the confession tape. This portion has Dassey talking about Halbach being restrained with leg irons and handcuffs. But, he did not play that part of the tape that has Investigator Mark Wiegert coaching Dassey to draw handcuffs to his sketch of the Steven Avery Bedroom. The drawing did not depict Halbach restrained with handcuffs or leg irons. Such is the nature of the prosecution.

Fallon altered the time of the Kayla Avery statement about body parts. He claims she made the statement in December, 2005 to school counselors. But, the intern who testified about the December 2005 concern, said that Kayla was concerned that Avery asked someone to hide the body and was afraid of blood rising through concrete. If the body were burnt, there was no need for hiding it. It was in March 2006 that Wiegert obtained the body parts statement.

Dassey maintained his innocence through the Fallon interrogation.

Fremgen asked Dassey why the jury should believe his innocence. He responded “I dunno.” Then added because he was innocent.

Mike Riddle, a fingerprint analyst with the Wisconsin Crime Lab, testified that he found no fingerprints placing Dassey in or around the Halbach Toyota. He also testified that he found one Steven Avery fingerprint on the Avery headboard.

Special Prosecutor Norm Gahn emphasized that cleaning could remove fingerprints. That is a common theme that cleaning could remove all the Dassey evidence (but not the Steve Avery evidence).

Special Prosecutor Kratz attempted to remove a suggestibility expert from testifying. He was denied.

Kratz wanted to call two rebuttal witnesses. The first was a psychologist, James Armentrout. The second was Joseph Buckley, president of John E. Reid and Associates. Reid markets training materials and sessions for law enforcement officers. Their method of interrogation is the Reid Method or the Reid Technique.

Apparently, Kratz wants the behaviors of Mark Wiegert and Tom Fassbender blessed by this company. Fremgen argued interrogation techniques had already been testified by prior witnesses.