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Defense targets cadaver dog evidence in missing child case
The Detroit News4 Oct 2012BY CHRISTINE FERRETTI
David Coates / The Detroit News Defense attorney Terry Johnson, left, speaks to D'Andre Lane on Wednesday. Lane is charged with felony murder and child abuse.
Detroit —
Defense attorneys attempted Wednesday to minimize key evidence from a cadaver-detecting dog in the circumstantial murder trial of a Detroit man accused in the death of his missing toddler.
D’Andre Lane is charged with felony murder and child abuse on allegations he fatally beat 2-year-old Bianca Jones because she wet herself, disposed of her body and fabricated a carjacking to cover up the crime. The child’s body has not been found.
Lane is facing mandatory life if convicted in
the case that relies on circumstantial evidence, including a cadaver dog named Morse, who is handled by forensic canine expert Martin Grime.
Defense attorney Terry L. Johnson pointed out during testimony Wednesday in Wayne Circuit Court that the dog’s positive detection of human decomposition in this case — signified with repeated barking — is unsubstantiated because it hasn’t been linked to a corpse.
Johnson, who questioned the forensic canine experts with direction from Texas-based police service dog analyst Steven Nicely, also added that Morse didn’t alert its handler to the scent of decomposition on Lane’s clothing.
“You have no way of telling what Morse responded to,” said Johnson, noting the positive detection hasn’t been connected to the body of Bianca or anyone else. “You don’t know if it was a positive or negative response.”
Grime conceded a determination is usually made when something is found.
“The corroboration would normally be you finding a cadaver, bone or human blood that I could see,” he told Johnson, adding that the dog has never given a false response.
Johnson has called the relatively new scientific method “highly prejudicial” and unsuccessfully fought to have it excluded from Lane’s trial.
Grime testified Wednesday that Morse detected a cadaver scent inside Lane’s car two days after the alleged carjacking. The dog selected the vehicle, which was among 31 others, at a Detroit impound lot.
The dog later alerted Grime of alleged human decomposition on Bianca’s car seat and blanket as well as the girl’s be-
droom inside Lane’s home.
Grime testified that the dog was accurate in tests prior to the visit to Detroit and after.
Grime has said the cadaver dogs cannot determine identity, age, race, gender or the rate of decomposition.
Rex A. Stockham, FBI forensic canine program manager, also testified about Morse on Wednesday. He said the English springer spaniel is regularly tested for proficiency, and while no dog is perfect, Morse has been accurate.
“I’m aware of no false positives for Morse,” he said. “We’ve never had any case yet where the dog has responded and it’s been shown to be incorrect.”
Lane claims Bianca was in the back seat of his 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis the morning of Dec. 2 when he was approached by armed carjackers near Brush Street and Grand River.The vehicle was found shortly after, but the child was not inside.
Bianca’s mother, Banika Jones, testified at the opening of the trial that she stands behind Lane and believes her daughter is alive.
