Jeffrey MacDonald - The Crime Scene

It was as if the crime was put in the charge of amateurs instead of trained investigators.

Many people, including civilians, roamed through the crime scene that was never properly secured, greatly interfering with the collection of evidence.

The agents did not draw lines around the bodies prior to this examination, making it difficult to determine the original position of the bodies.

They moved things in the kitchen, made coffee using MacDonald's coffee pot, washed dishes in the sink, used the toilet, sat on the furniture, read magazines and listened to their stereo, long before all the evidence was collected or the investigation was complete.

They also allowed the trash to be picked up without being checked for evidence!

The investigators indicated that MacDonald picked up an overturned flower pot, but Kenneth Mica, MP, stated it was not MacDonald. At the Army hearing, 6 months after the crime, Mica testified MacDonald was taken to the hospital early in morning.

Shortly after that, a long haired man, wearing a jeans and a field jacket, uprighted the overturned flower pot. Then he sat down on the couch in the living room!

No one knows who this man was, when he came or left.

He was not part of the investigative team.

The children were still on their back when MacDonald was taken to the hospital, but they were photographed on their sides.

At the scene a medic described seeing wounds in Kristen’s back. These wounds were not exposed in the photographs or when the bodies were on their backs, as MacDonald last saw them. This brings up the question of how many people had the opportunity to change the positions of the bodies? And why would anyone do that?

A bloody adult palm print found on the foot board of Jeffrey and Colettes bed on the morning of the murders. The print did not match Jeffrey, Colette, Kimberly or Kristen. It also did not match any of the people known to be at the murder site that morning. Despite extensive efforts by the FBI, the source of this bloody palm print continues to remain unidentified according to CID lab reports, CID lab notes, prosecution memo, FBI report on palm print.

They claimed there was no blood on the phones as there should have been since MacDonald used the phones to call for help. Investigators used the phone to call for additional back-up. No finger prints were ever found on either phone, not even the Agent's fingerprints. An entire family lived in this apartment, yet not one fingerprint was ever found on the phones.

It was 3 days before the investigators looked for evidence at the exact area where MacDonald said he woke up after the attack, by then many people wearing wet shoes and boots had moved through the area. This should have been one of the first areas checked.

By the third day, nothing remained where he had laid unconscious, but two pajama fibers, a hair and a small spot of blood. Between so many people going in and out, as well as gurneys to transport MacDonald to the hospital and the bodies of the victims, evidences were destroyed.

Then the Esquire magazine was discovered with a bloody finger smudge on it. Of course, MacDonald’s fingerprints would be on it, as he had read it, but a CID agent’s fingerprints were also found on it. This was because they read the magazines while at the scene.

The government’s theory is MacDonald got the idea to stage the crime scene from an article about the Manson gang murders in California.

A wooden club, knife and ice pick found outside the back door, by Agents. This potential evidence was compromised when it was handled prior to being photographed.

On the green chair's lower front panel, a downward swipe of blood was found. This would have occurred when MacDonald, moved her to perform CPR.

A crime scene photograph shows a throw rug, flipped up at Colette's feet, as if she had she been moved downward.

When investigators cut the floor to remove a bloody footprint to take preserve and take to the lab, it was destroyed.

MacDonald remembered he had given Kristen a bottle, so his fingerprints as well as Kristen’s should have been on the bottle.

Called to the scene to give the official pronouncement of death, Dr. Neal stated when he was examining Kristen, his weight on the bed caused the bottle to move, then someone pick up the bottle and moved it to another spot on the bed. MacDonald had already gone to the hospital at this time.

When the bottle was checked, there were no fingerprints found on it, not even that of the person seen moving it. So what happened to all the prints?

William Neal, MD, the doctor who examined Colette at the scene for any signs of life, admitted he moved her body, he actually turned her over to check her back area and he thinks he may have placed her in a different position from how he had found her. It is highly possible he placed her on the fibers. Major Joe Parson, Assistant Provost Marshal, also confirms that Dr. Neal did roll the bodies over while he was examining them.

Bill Ivory, CID denies that Dr. Neal moved the body and Agent Shaw backs him up. However, Shaw’s boss, Agent Grebner and three MP’s saw Shaw in the backyard conducting a search for weapons while Dr. Neal was doing his examination.

They base this theory on the fact that the coffee table was found turned on its side, as opposed to on its top. Their theory is the table was "top heavy" and could not have landed on its side unless it was placed that way. The lead investigator, Bill Ivory, substantiated this theory by explaining the 30 times or more times investigators kicked the table, it always fell on its top.

Before the hearing, Colonel Rock went to the crime scene to test Ivory’s theory and reports. In the presence of witnesses, Colonel Rock kicked the coffee table. It fell on its side, hitting the rocking chair and resting on its edge.

Colonel Rock returned to the hearing to establish that his one kick, contrary to Ivory’s claims, resulted in the coffee table coming to rest, exactly as seen in the crime scene photographs. Exactly as Ivory had claimed was impossible.

The Army Colonel and the CID investigator at odds on the case. They should be working together, yet they aren't able to agree on vital evidence.

MacDonald’s wallet was missing, it was later learned the ambulance drivers had taken it.

Now that you have a better idea of the crime scene, take a closer look at the evidence.