STORY: "Testimony of expert from England recorded for use in Robert Honsch murder trial," by reporter Buffy Spenser published by Mass Live on March 31, 2017. (Thanks to Forensics Magazine for bringing this case to our attention);
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/03/testimony_of_expert_from_engla.html
See earlier Mass Live story (March 22, 2017) on the link below for interesting background: "A Hampden Superior Court judge has ruled the prosecution in the cold case murder trial of Robert Honsch for his wife's fatal shooting can talk about the charge he faces in Connecticut for his daughter's killing. In a hearing before Judge Constance M. Sweeney on March 15, defense lawyer Paul Rudof argued that Honsch's trial for his wife's killing should not include any reference to the killing of his daughter. Sweeney, in a ruling Tuesday, denied the defense motion to keep the Connecticut killing out of the Springfield trial. Honsch, 73, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his wife more than two decades ago. On Oct. 6, 1995, a body with a gunshot wound to the head was found in Tolland State Forest. The body was identified in 2014 as that of Marcia Honsch, 53, of Brewster, New York. In Connecticut, Honsch is charged in the fatal shooting of his daughter, Elizabeth Honsch, 17. Her body was found behind a shopping plaza in New Britain, Connecticut, on Sept. 28, 1995. Honsch was arrested in July 2014 in Dalton, Ohio, where investigators said he was living under an assumed name with a new wife and three children. His trial for murder in connection with Marcia Honsch's death is slated to begin May 1 in Hampden Superior Court. Robert Honsch, 73, is charged with murder for the fatal shooting of his wife, Marcia Honsch, whose body was found in Tolland State Forest in 1995. Rudof in his argument to Sweeney said the similarities between the two crimes do not rise to the level required by law. He said the only similarities are that both Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch were shot with a high-caliber weapon and most likely killed a few days apart. Rudof acknowledged the relationship between the Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch is "probably the most significant" factor in judging the similarity of the crimes, but said "that alone does not carry the day." Sweeney wrote, "However, the defendant's argument and case law he cites to support his position ignores the fact that the victims were mother and daughter, were living in New York at the time of the homicides and were killed within days of each other, if not the same day." The prosecution is expected to present testimony about a palm print identified as belonging to Robert Honsch found on trash bags wrapped around Elizabeth Honsch's body. Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell had argued excluding evidence about Elizabeth Honsch would impair the prosecution's case and would not give the jury a complete picture. Bell said Honsch in October 1995 told Marcia Honsch's relatives that she and Elizabeth had moved to Australia and he would be moving there too. Sweeney wrote in her ruling, "Marcia and Elizabeth's murder, occurring so close together in time, and the defendant's unprovoked statements accounting for their absence, are so inextricably linked that excluding evidence of Elizabeth's death would confuse the jury and impair the Commonwealth's ability to present its case." Rudof said there is "enormous" risk a jury would be prejudiced against his client if evidence about Elizabeth Honsch is presented at trial. Rudof said his concern is that jurors may say they have to hold Honsch accountable even if they don't believe the prosecution proved he killed Marcia Honsch. Sweeney wrote she was not persuaded by Rudof's argument that the jury will convict the defendant of Marica Honsch's death solely based on Elizabeth Honsch's killing in Connecticut. Robert Honsch, 72, is charged with the murder of his wife Marcia Honsch in Tolland and the murder of his daughter Elizabeth Honsch in Connecticut. Honsch went to South Africa in November 1995 and stayed until 2000. He came back, met a woman he married, took her name, and told her he had no family, Bell said. His new wife did her own search and found a brother and sister-in-law to whom she wrote, Bell said. Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch's relatives had been trying to report them missing for years, Bell said, but were told Robert Honsch said they had moved to Australia. Those relatives did a search and found the same brother and sister-in-law found by Robert Honsch's new wife, she said. The brother had the letter Robert Honsch's wife had written. The relatives contacted the wife, and she was shocked to find out Robert Honsch had a wife and two daughters, Bell said. Robert Honsch told police he suffered malnutrition in South Africa and had trouble remembering he had a wife and children. As they continued to talk, Robert Honsch remembered bits and pieces but not the death of Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch, Bell said."
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/03/judge_rules_cold_case_trial_of.html
See interview with Dr. Itiel Dror conducted by Leila Jameel on 'The Transparent psychologist" at the post below: "Interview with Dr Itiel Dror – Cognitive Bias: What Psychology Can Tell Us About Experts and Forensic Science...Dr Itiel Dror (Centre for the Forensic Sciences, University College London) holds a PhD in psychology from Harvard University. His research interests are wide-ranging, but he has specialised in human expertise and decision-making. This interest in human experts, specifically in the forensic domain where he has conducted empirical studies on bias in fingerprinting and other forensic domains, has earnt him much attention. His work has been covered by Nature (18 March 2010) and in The Economist (21 January 2012), and focuses on applying scientific knowledge and theoretical models of the human brain and mind to practical everyday problems. He has translated this research into developing effective ways to improve and human performance and decision-making in a number of domains."
https://leilajameel.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/interview-with-dr-itiel-dror-cognitive-bias-what-psychology-can-tell-us-about-experts-and-forensic-science/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/
