SUMP PUMP BONES
I'm going to show you how these "True Crime" Forensic Shows use false information and edit interviews, in order to produce an episode of fictional crime. Yet, the entire blame can't be placed on the producers of the program because Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey and Michigan State Police Detective Don Brooks are truly to blame.
NO HUMAN BONES WERE FOUND IN THE SUMP PUMP OF THE ALBION HOUSE.
The allegation that the bones found in the sump pump, were positively identified as being human bone, was one of the many lies Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey personally fabricated and presented to the jury as factual evidence. Thereafter, Detective Don Brooks, continued to assert this deceptive claim on several TV shows. As you have seen, lying to the jury was the hallmark of Prosecutor John Kelsey's case against me.
In his opening statement to the jury, Prosecutor John Kelsey
started off by telling the jury a lie. Prosecutor John Kelsey told the jury
that as a direct result of information received from Bill Brown, the Michigan
State Crime Lab found human bones in the sump pump of the Albion home.
Prosecutor John Kelsey asserted that the sump pump bones were examined by TWO
forensic anthropologist and the bones were identified as being consistent with
a person approximately 18 years of age.
In his closing argument, Calhoun County prosecutor John Kelsey told the jury that the sump pump bones had been positively identified as being human bone by the prosecution's expert witness, forensic anthropologist Dr. Norman Sauer. Furthermore, Prosecutor John Kelsey told the jury that Dr. Sam Stout, the leading expert on the micro-anatomy of bone in the United States, also verified the sump pump bones as being human bone.
However, prosecutor John Kelsey's version of the facts, were a far cry from the actual testimony of his own expert witness, Dr. Norman Sauer.
According to Dr. Norman Sauer, the sump pump bones did not contain enough information for him to form an opinion on what they could be. Dr. Norman Sauer testified that the sump pump bones were consistent with human bone but not as likely to be in his expert opinion. The sump pump bones differed from the bones found on Bill Brown's family property, that were identified as being consistent with a person approximately 18 years of age.
And what about Dr. Sam Stout, the nation's leading expert on the micro-anatomy of bone? According to Prosecutor John Kelsey, Dr. Sam Stout was the second forensic anthropologist to positively identify the sump pump bones as being human.
Dr. Sam Stout did not testify at my trial and according to
the testimony of Dr. Norman Sauer, the sump pump bones were never sent to Dr.
Sam Stout. Dr. Norman Sauer didn't waste his time by sending the sump pump bone
samples to Dr. Sam Stout because Dr. Norman Sauer knew that the sump pump bones
were not human bones.
Dr. Norman Sauer was the prosecution's own expert witness. Remember, he is there to testify in support of the prosecution's theory. He's doing his best to help the prosecution win their case. Yet, when Prosecutor John Kelsey specifically asked Dr. Norman Sauer, "Did you form an opinion as to whether or not they were human bone?" Dr. Norman Sauer testified, "No, I can't." Read it: Volume 7, Page 100, Lines 7-9.
Dr. Norman Sauer could not positively identify the bones as being anything... just bone. He could only exclude cow in all but one. What about chicken? What about a mouse? The bones were found in the sump pump of a country home. They were tiny fragments of bone. Mice fall into sump pumps and drown. Many pets and other animals have been around that sump pump. Hell... I remember my grandfather complaining about a raccoon that was coming inside of the window right above that sump pump. And how old were the bones? Those bones could have been in that sump pump for years!
Nevertheless, Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey wanted to pressure his own expert witness to testify that the sump pump bones were human, just like the bones found on Bill Brown's family property. However, Dr. Norman Sauer couldn't support Prosecutor John Kelsey's misrepresentation of evidence with a clear conscious. Dr. Norman Sauer stated, "The specimens that I examined from the sump pump sample that were consistent with human bone but not as likely to be in my opinion..." (Volume 7, Page 115, Lines 3-5)
Dr. Norman Sauer was the prosecution's own expert witness. Remember, he is there to testify in support of the prosecution's theory. He's doing his best to help the prosecution win their case. Yet, when Prosecutor John Kelsey specifically asked Dr. Norman Sauer, "Did you form an opinion as to whether or not they were human bone?" Dr. Norman Sauer testified, "No, I can't." Read it: Volume 7, Page 100, Lines 7-9.
Dr. Norman Sauer could not positively identify the bones as being anything... just bone. He could only exclude cow in all but one. What about chicken? What about a mouse? The bones were found in the sump pump of a country home. They were tiny fragments of bone. Mice fall into sump pumps and drown. Many pets and other animals have been around that sump pump. Hell... I remember my grandfather complaining about a raccoon that was coming inside of the window right above that sump pump. And how old were the bones? Those bones could have been in that sump pump for years!
Nevertheless, Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey wanted to pressure his own expert witness to testify that the sump pump bones were human, just like the bones found on Bill Brown's family property. However, Dr. Norman Sauer couldn't support Prosecutor John Kelsey's misrepresentation of evidence with a clear conscious. Dr. Norman Sauer stated, "The specimens that I examined from the sump pump sample that were consistent with human bone but not as likely to be in my opinion..." (Volume 7, Page 115, Lines 3-5)
The forensic show used a clip of Dr. Norman Sauer talking
about the bones found at Bill Brown's family property and edited the footage to
make it look like Dr. Sauer was talking about the sump pump bones. I've sent
Dr. Norman Sauer numerous emails with these same attachments in an attempt to
get Dr. Sauer's comments on how Prosecutor John Kelsey and Detective Don Brooks
are portraying his testimony. Dr. Norman Sauer has never responded.
Sure... the bones could have been anything... but according to the prosecution's own expert witness, it wasn't likely that they were human bones. So why did Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey intentionally lie to a jury that was obviously too overwhelmed to remember the actual testimony of a key expert witness?
Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey lied to the jury about the sump pump bones. Prosecutor John Kelsey lied to the jury about Dr. Sam Stout examining the bones. Prosecutor John Kelsey then used his own lies to back the veracity of Bill Brown's story. And both Prosecutor John Kelsey and Detective Don Brooks go on these TV shows an continue to assert the lie.
Sure... the bones could have been anything... but according to the prosecution's own expert witness, it wasn't likely that they were human bones. So why did Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey intentionally lie to a jury that was obviously too overwhelmed to remember the actual testimony of a key expert witness?
Calhoun County Prosecutor John Kelsey lied to the jury about the sump pump bones. Prosecutor John Kelsey lied to the jury about Dr. Sam Stout examining the bones. Prosecutor John Kelsey then used his own lies to back the veracity of Bill Brown's story. And both Prosecutor John Kelsey and Detective Don Brooks go on these TV shows an continue to assert the lie.
