Pragma: no-cache
From: Jasper
Date: 14 Jul 2000
Time: 11:23:11
Maggie,
Sharp eye!
I hadn't caught the part about the location of the maid's room relative to the front and rear entrance of the house. The issue of the light is a VERY big point with respect to the precise location of the blood drops in the foyer and what they tell you about O.J.'s movements between his Bronco and his front door before the murders.
To be honest, I don't think much one way or another about who said what to whom with respect to Vannatter and Lange, or who noticed what first because both of them were prone to taking credit for what someone else did. Lange took credit for Fuhrman's "observation" that O.J.'s Bronco was parked at an "extreme angle." Vannatter took credit for Roberts' "observation" that there was a blood trial "leading into the house."
The blood in the foyer could have been deposited only by someone with a superficial cut on his hand who was standing still and facing AWAY from the door. The blood on the gate could have been deposited only in two passes by some one coming out with a superficial cut on his left hand (Iago, Chapter 30: Blood Trails). Vannatter said that he noticed the blood drops on the driveway leading into the front door shortly after Fuhrman found the glove - because it was light enough outside by then to see them. Fuhrman said that Roberts announced his discovery of the blood tail just as Vannatter was coming out of the front door. The lie about which door the detectives entered at what time (plus your observation about the light) says that they all knew about the blood drops much earlier than any of them claimed and took care not to step in them. They also had to tell a story that was consistent with the prosecution's contention that it was too dark for O.J. to chip golf balls as he said he did.
Another thing I find out of place is the point they made of going to the front door with their flashlights. Even if the light above the front door wasn't on, the tree lights next to the door would have given them enough light to go to the front door without flashlights.
Yeah, Maggie, the amount of light they had to see by when they first entered the Asford gate could tell us a lot. --Jasper