Gerus cadaver dog
6-7-11
Casey Anthony trial testimony today focused on theK-9 Cadaver Dog Gerus who alerted to the smell of decomposition in Casey’s car trunk and backyard by Caylee’s playhouse. The prosecution called FBI forensic chemist, Dr. Michael Rickenbach who stated his detection of chloroform wasn’t conclusive and there were low levels – contradicting Dr. Arpad Vass’ claims of chloroform found at 10,000 times the normal level!
GERARDO BLOISE
The lead CSI investigator, Gerardo Bloise was called back to the stand to detail the 37 items found in the plastic garbage bag from Casey’s trunk. He also testified he put them in a “dry room”.
Some of the items were: Cherry Coke can, Coke Classic can, Milwaukee best lite beer can, Sprite can, Copanhagen tobacco box, hair pin, 3 plastic tight wraps, Dr Pepper can, Pepsi can, Mountain Dew, Foster Major plastic continer(?), Crystal Light with brown liquid inside, Kiwi sport , Arm & Hammer, Crystal Light soft drink mix, empty black container, picksa(?) Velveeta, carton of Velveeta, Velveeta 4 oz, Parliament Lights, Marlboro, Trident Splash, 2 empty aluminum wrap of Velveeta., white plastic hanger, document of registration (?), 4 air freshener sheets, 5 napkins, garlic wrap, 3 small pieces of plastic wrap, aluminum foil etc.
Defense lawyer, Jose Baez, attacked Gerardo Bloise for putting the items in a dry room claiming it would significantly alter the evidence. Baez noted that should the items be needed for DNA testing, they should not be put in a plastic bag. Gerardo Bloise said at the time he didn’t see any need for DNA.
DR ARPAD VASS
Dr Arpad Vass was brought back to talk about a can of evidence that he mistakenly said yesterday that he examined – that he did not!
DR. MICHAEL RICKENBACH
FBI forensic chemist with a PH.D This was one chemistry experiment that blew up in the prosecution’s face! Dr. Michael Rickenback was asked to inspect items for chloroform, including the fabric from the spare tire cover.
1) He testified that there was residue of chloroform on spare tire cover. Results consistent with chloroform but not conclusive.
2) He used machine called GCMS as opposed to machine Vass used that he invented himself!
3) Dr. Michael Rickenback testified that he only found small levels of chloroform as opposed to Dr. Arpad Vass’ claims of finding chloroform 10,000 times the normal amount in a decaying body.
4) Jose Baez got Dr. Rickenback to say that chloroform can even be found in water & detergents.
JASON FORGEY
Police K-9 dog handler. He testified that:
- Training with bloodhounds lasted 5 weeks long.
- 1st training dog Garrett. He worked with Garrett for 10-11 months until he was euthanized.
- Then he worked with Ike.
- Other dog he received is Bones. His specialty was human remains.
Bones received 160 hours of specialty training. Bones trained with decomposition taken from a cadaver’s chest on rags. He also trained with grave dirt, blood, placenta, human bones, mummified muscle, burnt bones, cremated remains from human, human parts like a leg, pseudo scent for drowned victims. etc.
Orange County wanted a full service dog not just a cadaver dog. Bones was then trained as full service but didn’t make it so he was given to another county that needed just a cadaver dog.
- Next Jason Forgey received Gerus. He was imported from Germany at 21 months old. He’ll be 9 this October.
Prosecutor, Linda Drane-Burdick, introduced Gerus’ certification records. Baez objected to it as hearsay.
Jason Forgey testified that he & Gerus investigated other tips relating to Caylee Anthony’s disappearance.
Gerus retired. His last day of work was 9-24-10.
Police Officer Jason Forgey testified that on 7-17-11 he was called to assist on the Caylee Anthony investigation. He went to main operations center, CSI who took him & Gerus to Casey Anthony’s vehicle.
He said he smelled human decomposition in the bay. He asked CSI to move car from bay to parking lot.
Gerus swept blue vehicle to right then went over to Casey’s car. They moved around car. He asked detectives to open driver’s door, Gerus went into car looking to back seat trunk area. Gerus came back out. When trunk opened, Gerus stuck his head in trunk, then goes into down postion – trained alert. That means he detected decomposition.
The next day Police Officer Jason Forgey and Gerus went to Casey Anthony’s home on Hopespring Dr. to do sweep of the backyard. Detectives had areas of backyard they wanted him to search. Deputy Forgey gave Gerus the command, “Find Fred” to find human remains. Gerus gave the alert near Caylee Anthony’s playhouseplay area. It’s located in the South East corner of yard, near sand box. Gerus alerted to the left of Caylee’s playhouse.
Deputy Jason Forgey testified that he suggested to detectives to have other another cadaver dog come check area. Bones, the dog that Forgey once trained that was now working in Osceola County as a cadaver dog, came.
On cross examination lawyer Jose Baez said:
- Deputy Jason Forgey knew the case was big and could’ve given off cues to his dog to deliberately alert to decomp.
- that Deputy Forgey never bothered to video taped the dog Gerus’ alert. When deputy Forgey said that’s not always done, Baez walked back to the defense table where Tot Mom herself handed Baez a book. It was a training manuel for K-9 dogs where Baez points out that in the training manuel, it’s recommended that searches be videotaped.
- Baez said to Forgey, you submitted training logs. You train a couple times a month with Gerus but mostly it’s just you and your dog. A couple of times a year only someone else present.
- Part of what dog gets as reward is your praise.
- After Gerus’ alert cops began to dig for remains in backyard. They didn’t find anything. Cops called Deputy Jason Forgey up next day to come out. WHEN JASON FORGEY CAME OUT THE NEXT DAY WITH GERUS, THE DOG DIDN’T ALERT! Baez said one day he had alert, next day he didn’t.
- IN DECEMBER 2008 CAYLEE’S SKELETON WAS FOUND WITH MISSING BONES. DEPUTY JASON FORGEY WAS CALLED OUT THERE WITH GERUS TO FIND MISSING BONES FROM CAYLEE ANTHONY’S SKELETON – GERUS DIDN’T FIND ANY BONES OR GIVE ANY ALERTS!
Deputy Jason Forgey said animals could’ve moved little bones away. He said the reason Gerus never alerted is because he (Forgey) didn’t want him going into the direct area where the skeleton was found and wouldn’t let him alert.
- Jose Baez said in November 2010 you gave deposition and said Gerus never alerted in the woods where Caylee’s bones were. Jason Forgey said the “dog was alerting but he wasn’t giving me a final trained alert because I wouldn’t allow him to, I kept moving him. I didn’t him to get over there.” Jose Baez said, “you were brought out to find human remains, you didn’t find any neither did your dog.”
On redirect, Deputy Jason Forgey said WHAT GERUS WAS ALERTING TO IN THE BACKYARD WAS ON THE SURFACE – COPS SCRAPED THE SURFACE, THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T ALERT AFTERWARDS.
Read more:
- Cadaver Dog K-9 Gerus
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