Opinion ID: 1182224
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Scientific Evidence

Text: An additional element of the state's case consisted of scientific evidence concerning the pink paint smear found on the front bumper of defendant's car. The state presented two expert witnesses who both concluded that defendant's vehicle had come in contact with Mary's bicycle. Paul Larmour, an accident reconstructionist, testified that he found a nearly perfect match heightwise between the contact area on the backside of the bicycle and the [paint] transfer on the bumper. He also testified that the paint on the bumper appeared to match the paint on the bike exactly. Larmour further testified that marks on the car's gravel pan were consistent with the theory that it struck the bicycle at a low speed and caused the bike to lodge beneath the car. James Corby, an FBI examiner, performed microscopic, microchemical, and instrumental analyses on the paint removed from the bumper. He concluded from his tests that the paint on the bumper either came from the victim's bike or from another source exactly like the bike. Corby also examined the bicycle and found nickel particles on it. This finding was significant because the pink paint on the bumper was located in an area where the chrome had flaked off and nickel was exposed. The combined results of his tests led Corby to conclude that the likelihood was remote that the cross-transfer of materials could have occurred other than by forcible contact between the bike and the bumper.