Opinion ID: 1390030
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pretrial Hearing and Trial Testimony

Text: On June 11, 1984, during the pretrial evidentiary hearing, Deputy Eckley testified he was dispatched to the home of Diane Roper in Mentone, California, which was located approximately forty miles from the Ryen home. Ms. Roper directed him to a closet where he found a pair of coveralls. Deputy Eckley testified that the coveralls were not heavily spotted but had stains below the knew that were dry and reddish in color, as opposed to the usually brownish color of dried bloodstains that he had seen in the past. (32 RT 3183-84, 3205, 3211.) Deputy Eckley also testified that the coveralls had hair, sweat, dirt, and manure on them. (32 RT 3183-84.) Although Ms. Roper did not know who owned the coveralls, her father told Deputy Eckley that Ms. Roper felt that the coveralls had some importance to the Ryen case based on a vision she had experienced, as opposed to anything she had actually seen. [44] (32 RT 3204-05.) After Eckley took the coveralls to the Yucaipa substation and tagged them, he called the San Bernardino homicide department and left a message. Although the homicide department never returned his call about the coveralls, Deputy Eckley testified that he spoke with defense investigator Forbush about the coveralls. (32 RT 3205-06.) In December of 1983, after failing to receive a return call from homicide, and believing the coveralls had no value to the case, Deputy Eckley destroyed the coveralls. (32 RT 3194.) Deputy Eckley similarly testified about the coveralls at trial. (102 RT 6545-55.)