Opinion ID: 1390030
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: EDTA Testing

Text: At trial, Petitioner introduced a T-shirt (Trial Exhibit 169) found within two miles from the crime scene into evidence in support of his claim that it belonged to the real killer. (Trial Ex. 169; 87 RT 3065; 105 RT 7587). This exhibit was never used by the prosecution at trial as incriminating evidence, but solely by the defense. As a result, the prosecution at trial did not link the T-shirt to Petitioner's judgment of conviction and sentence of death. The T-shirt was subject to DNA testing in 2001 at Petitioner's request. The results of the DNA testing indicated that blood on the T-shirt belonged to Petitioner and the victims. These DNA tests were done pursuant to a Joint DNA Forensic Testing Agreement entered on May 10, 2001. (Joint DNA Agreement dated May 10, 2001.) These results provide strong evidence of Petitioner's guilt. Specifically, as to the T-shirt, the joint DNA testing report found the following: a bloodstain on a tee shirt found on the side of a road within two miles of the Ryen home had DNA matching Cooper's and partial DNA profiles matching that of two of the victims, Doug and Peggy Ryen. The DNA matching Cooper's found on the t-shirt occurs at random in the population with a frequency of about 1 in 110 million for African Americans, 1 in 16 million for Caucasians, and 1 in 12 million for Western Hispanics. (Supplemental DOJ Physical Evidence Exam Report dated Sept. 24, 2002 at 1-4.) Faced with the overwhelming evidence confirming Petitioner's guilt obtained from the agreed-upon post-conviction testing, Petitioner claimed to the Ninth Circuit that the blood on the T-shirt had been planted. Based on the last-minute representations made by Petitioner regarding scientific testing capabilities, the en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit concluded: First, Cooper asks that the blood on the t-shirt be tested for the presence of the preservative EDTA. The presence of such a preservative would show that his blood was not on the t-shirt at the time of the killings, but was rather placed there at some later time. Cooper, 358 F.3d at 1124.