Parky41,
In preface, I withdraw my offhand statement about Pinocchio on the basis that it might be misconstrued. I am having a very difficult time understanding your line of thought. Let me try to restate what I think your main points might be: One, Mia neither pulled LM toward the wall nor alerted at the wall. Two, it is significant that LM said that he went back to the V in the wall, as opposed to proceeding directly to the V. Three, the jury did not believe LM with respect to what happened after he went over the wall, and this was the true third leg of the stool, regarding the prosecution’s case.
Here is my rebuttal: One, SK’s initial statements indicate that Mia pulled LM toward the wall, and under cross-examination, he did not contradict this. I don’t have as detailed a knowledge of JaJ’s statements as I would like, and I may return to this subject later. Yet from what I have read, there is a statement about Mia’s being on her hind legs at the wall, also. Two, the crux of the matter is that Mia led LM to the wall, not where LM was when she did this. Mia’s actions hole the prosecution’s contention (that Luke had guilty knowledge of the where Jodi’s body lay) below the water line, and I don’t see how anyone can argue otherwise.
Three, only God knows what happened once LM went over the wall. The other members of the search party were not with him at that moment, unless I am very mistaken. If the police have shown any competency in this case, it is in asking leading questions and getting witnesses to change their stories; their questioning of LM about what he did and saw on the other side of the wall deserves to be scrutinized with this in mind (there is a passage from Innocents Betrayed that covers their interview of LM on this matter). You seem very sure of what was going on in the mind of the jury, but it is just your conjecture. From the Daily Mail: “He told the court Mitchell's account of the moment Jodi's body was found conflicted with those of family members. For while he claimed his dog alerted him to the break in the wall where Jodi's body was found, the family said he found it himself. ‘If the family members are right, it means that he was the killer," Mr Turnbull told the jury.’” Thus according to Mr Turnbull the supposed conflict between the witnesses, not what LM did over the wall is a key issue. This has to relate to points one or two above, not to point three (which they did not see).
Chris - I know from timings, evidence, that LM was over that wall no more than 15 seconds before he shouted out. That J & K had begun their steps past the V break when he was plonking his into that woodland. 10 -15 "no more than 20 steps" when LM's voice shouted out behind them and next to that of AW. So yes, he had all but not moved beyond that wall. And as you point out whilst erasing what he claimed, he had nothing, that is zero to point him in the right direction to go. For them to haste back those few steps and he is on the other side of that V.
He could see nothing, pointing K where to go, down there x amount of ft in from the wall. Think about it. Remember unfamiliar ground (claimed), never been over that wall before. No dog past the V break, nothing showing him the way, damn the dog that was supposed to be scenting was not taken over the break with him. Count those seconds, those steps. Per my other post, would have someone trying to get their co-ordinations, trying to work out where to go. Was Mia picking something up N, NE, there are those seconds gone Chris. - So yes, far more than just the fact he had not been past the break, there was nothing to guide him as to where Chris, his dog was pulling to the wall before the break and to it.
So whilst the discussion continues, attempting to work out Mia picking up the scent from way back at the V and before it, even though it is not what LM claimed. Then you need to work the rest from there also Chris. For him of course, trying to fathom it all out on his behalf, for he was as you say, mistaken. He could only have been mistaken for we know with those clear, precise details the dog was only up against that wall at the V break. And we see from transcripts, from the 1st to testimony that is how it always was.
And everything else he was to describe, that he most certainly did not see that night, that was impossible to have seen. Then we apply those 5 1/2 mins, shall we run over that also? Setting off together as 4 at approx 11:24pm, for LM to go directly to the Gino break, scaling up and shining his torch, where? Directly to the rear of the wall, a pretence some would say? Surely if looking beyond the wall, to the woodland, it would be over it Chris. The sensible one DF attempted to apply, the only one to think of looking beyond that high wall into the woodland. Not his finest moment but he had little to work with. Wanders a few steps into the field, down the inside of the others to take the lead again? Then directly to the next break as he had with the first. 5 1/2 mins to shouting out he had found something - Behave.
But what of those 20mins alone on the path Chris? On it he claimed by 11pm, speaks with Jodi's mother around 11:17pm, then makes his way to the top of the path, a path that takes around 10mins no more. Holding back until he knew they were near? Or not on it at 11pm as he claimed? Suspicion? Police arrive at the Jones house approx 11:20pm, as the three make their way out the playing fields to the top of that path. They know the 4 had not met by that point, barely had they written anything and a body has been found! - Miracle one would say?
