“And the formation of this soap, or grave wax or adipocere, doesn’t happen overnight, correct?” she asks.
“That’s correct. It can take weeks or months, depending on the temperature and other conditions.”
“Which leads me to what’s been all over the news today.” Of course she was going to get to that. “The body you recovered from the water almost in view of where we are sitting? Indeed, if you walk outside this courtroom and look through those huge windows you can almost see where you were on the Coast Guard boat but a few hours ago, correct?”
“That’s correct.”
“Do you know the identity of this dead woman whose body you pulled out of the water several hours ago?”
“At this time I don’t,” I answer, and of course Dan Steward is letting her get away with it.
“Do you know how old she is?”
“No.”
“Can you estimate?”
“I haven’t examined her yet.”
“But you’ve obviously seen the body,” Donoghue continues. “You must have an opinion.”
“I haven’t formed any opinions yet.”
“The body is that of an adult female, correct?” She keeps going because Steward isn’t stopping her.
“That’s correct.”
“Older than sixteen? Older than eighteen?”
“It’s safe to say the body is that of a mature adult female,” I reply.
“Possibly in her fifties?”
“I don’t know her age at this time.”
“I repeat the word possible. Is it possible she’s in her late forties, in her fifties.”
“It’s possible.”
“With long white or platinum-blond hair.”
“That’s correct.”
“Dr. Scarpetta, are you aware that Mildred Lott is fifty and has long, very platinum-blond hair?”
Speaking of her in the present tense, as if she’s not dead. If she’s not dead, then her husband couldn’t have had anything to do with murdering her.
“I’m vaguely aware of her age and that her hair has been described as platinum blond,” I reply.
“With the court’s permission, at this time I’d like to play footage from Fox News that shows Dr. Scarpetta pulling this body out of the Massachusetts Bay earlier today.”
If jurors even consider the body is Mildred Lott, they won’t believe she could have been murdered more than six months ago.
“I’d like to access this Fox News footage on the Internet and play it on the flat screens in the courtroom so everybody can see what I’m talking about.”
Dan Steward’s case is cooked.
“Your Honor, I object,” Steward says.
I glance back at him, and he is on his feet again and looks more bewildered than angry.
“On what grounds, Mr. Steward?” The judge’s face is stony, and he sounds annoyed.
“On the grounds that playing such news footage is irrelevant and immaterial.”
“Your Honor, quite to the contrary,” Donoghue argues. “The footage absolutely is relevant.”
“I’m also very much bothered by the fact that a segment of Fox News, or any televised news, is edited,” Steward says to the judge. “And not edited by police but by a television network or show.”
“And you know for a fact what Ms. Donoghue wants to show the court was edited?” the judge asks.
“My assumption is it would have to have been edited, Your Honor. News programs aren’t in the habit of showing raw uncut footage. I’m asking that you prohibit this videotaped footage and any such footage during this trial.”
Could you be any weaker? I think, with frustration.
“Generally, TV shows aren’t admissible.” The judge sounds bored. “What is your point, Ms. Donoghue?”
“My point is very simple, Your Honor. The footage edited or otherwise shows very clearly the dead body of what appears to be an older woman who had been submerged in cold water and certainly didn’t, quote, turn into soap.”
“Your Honor, this is ridiculous. This is a stunt,” Steward protests in his irritating voice.
“May I continue, Your Honor?” Donoghue asks.
“If you must.”
“So either Dr. Scarpetta’s statement about what happens to a dead body after it’s been submerged in cold water is incorrect or the dead body she just recovered from the bay earlier today is some older woman who hasn’t been dead and submerged in the water for an extended period of time. Your Honor, let’s just be blunt. How do we know this dead body that’s just turned up isn’t Mildred Lott? And if it might be Mildred Lott, then my client certainly couldn’t have killed her, since he’s been in jail for the last five months, held without bond, because Mr. Steward unfairly convinced the court that Channing Lott is a flight risk because of his wealth.”
“Your Honor, she’s turning this trial into a carnival!” Steward exclaims.
“The video clip is less than half a minute long, Your Honor. I’m only interested in showing a