8.William Kornegay — Direct
96 linesMS. CAPPLEMAN: State calls william Kornegay.
(Pause. )
JUDGE HANKINSON: Come on up here, please, sir. If you'd face the clerk. Raise your right hand and be sworn.
whereupon, WILLIAM KORNEGAY was called as a witness, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
JUDGE HANKINSON: Have a seat. Slide up to the microphone, please, sir.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Please introduce yourself and spell your last name.
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: My name is William Kornegay, K-O-R-N-E-G-A-Y. And I'm a forensic specialist with the city of Tallahassee.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: How long have you been with TPD?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Approximately 24 years.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And have you always been a forensic specialist?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: with the City, correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: what are your duties as a forensic specialist?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Document crime scenes, collect evidence, preserve evidence, and process evidence.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you assist JoAnne Maltese in the collection of evidence in reference to a scene on Trescott Drive on July 18th, 2014?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And what time did you arrive at the crime scene?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Twelve o'clock.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: what was the status of the forensic examination at the time that you arrived?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: It had already been in progress when I arrived. And I believe it was pretty much well -- had gone through its process, and I was at the tail end of it.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. what role did you have at the scene, as far as processing items or --
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: At that --
MS. CAPPLEMAN: -- collecting?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: -- at that scene, I assisted Ms. Maltese with processing a vehicle that was in the garage, for latent prints and basically doing a eye search on the scene for other evidence.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you locate any fingerprints?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: No, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you -- we're going to put the cart a little bit before the horse on this, but did you swab the doorknobs for potential DNA?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: No, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did JoAnne -- was JoAnne Maltese responsible for doing that?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: She was a primary. Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you note whether or not the doors were locked to the residence?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I don't believe I noted at that particular time. I didn't have any involvement with the residence inside the actual --
MS. CAPPLEMAN: You did not go inside?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I believe there might have been an open door in the garage, but I don't remember anything that was processed inside the house.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. By the time you arrived at the crime scene, the door to the garage was open, meaning the access to the house?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I believe it was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. Did you look for casings at the crime scene?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And was part of your job to look around the yard area, the driveway area for the presence of casings?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Also in the garage?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I looked as much as I could within the scene, yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you find any?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: No, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are you familiar with firearms?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: It -- what, what are the possible explanations, assuming a firearm was fired, for why there would not be the presence of casings?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: It could be a --
MR. ZANGENEH: Judge, I'm going to object to speculation.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Overruled. Go ahead.
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: It could be a revolver. It could be a semiautomatic that could malfunction.
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. why would a revolver not produce a casing?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: They would have to be manually ejected from the weapon.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. So when a revolver is fired, the casing does not eject?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Not automatically.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And a semiautomatic does eject a casing, correct?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: If it functions correctly.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And a third scenario that you didn't suggest is somebody could have picked them up.
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: That's the third one. Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did you attend the autopsy in this case?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Yes, ma'am, I did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you collect any items of evidence from the autopsy?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: I did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: I'm going to show you what I've marked as 167 and 168. Do you recognize these items?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Yes, ma'am, I do.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: How do you recognize them?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: The packaging is our packaging, the handwriting is my handwriting, and the seal that's on the envelope packaging is my seal with my initials and three digits.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And do the items appear to be in the same or substantially the same condition as when you impounded them at the autopsy of Mr. Markel?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: what are these items?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: They are -- my understanding -- projectiles from a handgun.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And from where were these items collected?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: These were actually received from Dr. Clark, who removed them from the victim.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: From the victim's body?
WILLIAM KORNEGAY: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, at this time I'd asked to move into evidence 167 and 168.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Any objection?
MR. ZANGENEH: None from Mr. Garcia, Judge.
MR. DECOSTE: No objection.
JUDGE HANKINSON: They'll be admitted without objection.
(State's Exhibit Nos. 167 and 168 received in evidence.)
MS. CAPPLEMAN: May I publish?
JUDGE HANKINSON: You may.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing 167.
Publishing 168. One moment, please, Your Honor.
(off-the-record discussion.)
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Cross.
MR. ZANGENEH: None from Mr. Garcia.
MR. DECOSTE: No cross, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. Any juror have a question of this witness? All right. If not, you can step down.
Do we need to keep him further?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, sir.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Anybody need him further?
MR. ZANGENEH: No, Judge.
MR. DECOSTE: No, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. You're excused. Thank you for being here. Free to go about your business.
call your next witness.