Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Marcus Wise, Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory



Mr Wise is testifying to his background and education He graduated from Purdue as an analytical chemistry. He has worked for Oak Ridge for 27 years. He is an accomplished author. He is a research scientist.Dr. wise is accepted as expert in analytical chemistry. He works at Oak Ridge Nat'l lab He did the chloroform testi ng on the air sample.Baez asks if scientists are used to handling evidence. A forensics lab is more familiar. Wise says evidence samples aren't as common.
GAS CHROMATOGRAPH
 This is the first time he has testified in court. Wise says as a research scientist -primary goal is to further science research..
 They run blank standard profiles to make sure instrument is not contaminated, (left over DNA).  As a scientist, he is concerned about contamination.  MW was given items for Gas chromotography to see what was in them.  He obtained items from co worker. He does not recall where they were in office. He does not recall what kind of shipping container. One was a gas can. He then took item to laboratory. He used a gas chromatograph  . He was asked by Dr. Vass to obtain a qualitative analysis. The gas chromotograph shows peaks of chemicals contained in sample.  It is an approxiamate measure of abundance of chemcals obtained.\




Gas chromatography (GC), is a common type of CHROMATOGRAPH . used in analytical chemistry for separating and analysing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. Typical uses of GC include testing the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture (the relative amounts of such components can also be determined). In some situations; GC may help in identifying a compound. In preparitve chromotagrapy,  GC can be used to prepare pure compounds from a mixture.[(WIKIPEDIA)


Wise advised Vass not to do a quantitative analysis.Wise says if they did a quantitative analysis it would likely be a "whole lot less" and it wouldn't be accurate. Wise said it would have been a meaningless number. Wise says chloroform evaporates easily. Compares it to spilling a drop of gasoline on finger.
Wise says drop a gasoline on finger- over time smell gets better - chloroform is a volatile chemical. Wise testifies the original level of chloroform could have been 5, 10 100 times greater as the level dissipates over time. It would be difficult to say what the level was at time of crime. You would have to no environmental factors and events of samples. 
MW was given air samples for chemical analysis. There was virtual nothing there. His experience is that the sample dissipates over a few days.  He tested the carpet sample. He barely opened the lid of the can, inserted a syringe and drew a sample. He tested it and the larges peak was chloroform. The were others but lower abundance. They had to concentrate the sample and amplify the result  to get a better reading.   He is testifying to the process of concentrating the sample and re testing it. Wise says there were large peaks of chloroform when testing air carpet samples.
Baez is showing MW his notes from the lab. MW admits that there is not a standard in a research lab s to cleanliness of instruments.  There was a benzine peak from trip bank. It is from an air sample that was t.ested It is indicative of a contamination. by benzine. They would have cleaned the machine. It is not uncommon to get benzine peak. His notes say the trap froze..Objection and sidebar. Recess.
Court is back in session.
The jury is returned.
Page 74> MW states that he was cleaning the "trap." He describes it to the jury as a charcoal sponge that absorbs sample for measuring. The process can cause ice crystals and then it has to be heated up and water removed.


SIDE NOTE: Vasco Thompson  (felony kidnapper who supposedly talked to George Anthony)to given deposition tomorrow at 130p in Cheney Masons' office.  There were be only a  1/2 day of court tomorrow due to JPs' schedule. Wise is explaining very technical collection/examination process to jury. Dr Vass has many years of working with our group. Dr. Vass is a scientist with extensive history working and developing methods of testing.  Dr. Vass has on-the -job training per MW.. MW states Dr Vass has extensively with him developing instrumentatiion and building instruments and methods.  MW states he also works outside of his PHD in the lab. He is  not limited by his degree. MW>Dr Vass is very talented. Wise says he didn't have another chemist look over his tests. (This is not protocal)
Baez questions MW in regard to the air sample on trunk.  Page 79. :the system appeared to be clean.
Page 82.decided to abort run.. Attempt to object by Ashton is sustained.  MW caught himself in the beginning of an error.  MW needed set conditions on machine. This was not a run (of the test) per MW.  It was a standard.  
MW  was running a compound. It smelled really bad. He changed the method the sample was instilled into machine. He changed it voluntarily to keep the lab from smelling. It would have not changed the outcome of value received. 
There was unexpected event. The sample was sticky and smelly.  He re ran standard. MW had to make adjustments but MW states it would not have affected outcome of value. 
Page 93>
MW was having trouble running standard. He does not recall the instruments breaking down. MW testifys the machine did not break down. The  machine became dirty from testing samples . 
It did not break down," Wise says of testing equipment. Baez asks whether there are quality control methods. Ashton objects. Baez: "are you the only method of quality control?" Wise says he's the primary one, Baez again caught reading from document not in evidence. Objection sustained Ashton didn't even wait for Baez to get halfway into his last question before he objected. Perry: "Let him finish."   Several more objections, and a sidebar. Ashton requested it. Baez was pushing Wise very hard about errors in research, Vass' qualifications before sidebar.Baez: Could false positive come from trash, debris? Ashton objects, sustained by Perry.
Cross by Ashton.Ashton asking about contamination, issues noted in Wise's report: "Any air, from any place, is not completely clean?" Wise agrees,Wise says he "forgot to close a few valves," but corrected any issues with equipment quickly.3 
Wise said he did more testing out of his own curiosity.  Wise says it was clear chloroform was either in carpet or spilled on carpet from trunk of car.
Cross.  Ashton asking about Vass now. Wise and Vass have worked together 12 or 13 yrs.
Baez back up, asking Wise about detection device he helped create. Baez asking Wise about grants,Wise says it's a job requirement to go after research dollars.  "Labrador project." Labrador is a sniffer device made by Vass + Wise. Baez: "Validation" of Labrador in court of law would help legitimize it? Ashton objects.  Wise: Nobody's going to buy Labrador device because they heard about it in a court proceeding. Wise: "No way" this case will do anything to "validate" Labrador device. Wise: "Labrador was not used in this case whatsoever... It did not exist" Wise says he doesn't recall ever testing a carpet sample before. "If I have, it's been a while back.  Wise says Vass has been involved in the development of leading science. Wise says he admires his eagerness to learn. 


"I cannot say what I would expect to find in a carpet sample" -- Wise. Wise says one sample from a control car used in analysis had small amount of chloroform.  Baez suggests Wise's research on possible sources of chloroform was "about an hour" of Google searches.  Baez: "Did you find any of that in your Googling?" Wise seems to be getting annoyed. 
Ashton is back up, asking about Labrador. 
Baez back up after two questions from Ashton clarifying royalties issue. Baez: Would Labrador generate money for lab? Wise: "I would not get a royalty for government use" of sniffer device.Wise says the Labrador didn't even exist when they were doing testing on this case. He says he was developing it.  Wise says Labrador was designed primarily to be used by law enforcement and military..
 Jury is done for the day.

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