Opinion ID: 854128
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Dr Dean Hawley

Text: Dr. Hawley, a forensic pathologist, conducted Jackson's autopsy. He testified that he found two stab woundsone in the chest and the other in the abdominal regionand no other injuries. Dr. Hawley described the abdominal wound as a superficial injury that would not have been fatal. Although he was unable to determine the precise depth of the chest wound due to surgery performed around the wound, he concluded that it penetrated at least two and one half inches and pierced the heart, causing Jackson's death. Dr. Hawley opined that the chest wound would have required a great deal of force. The amount of force varies somewhat depending on how sharp the blade is and how easily penetrated the skin surface is. But it's amazingly difficult to stab into a body and a wound of this penetration through this part of the body, the front of the chest wall would require a great deal of force. Under cross-examination, he stated that after the knife pierced Jackson's chest, there would have been less resistance in the internal organs than in the skin itself, and that [i]t's impossible to tell where Jackson or her adversary were positioned at the time she was stabbed.