Trial Transcripts
July 30, 1979
Charles Cooper (CID)
THE COURT: All right. Call your next witness.
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, the Government calls Mr. Charles Cooper.
(Witness excused.)
(Whereupon, CHARLES E. COOPER was called as a witness, duly sworn, and testified as follows:)
D I R E C T E X A M I N A T I O N (3:37 p.m.)
BY MR. MURTAGH:
Q Please state your name, sir, and spell it for the reporter?
A Charles Edward Cooper, C-o-o-p-e-r.
Q Mr. Cooper, where are you employed, sir?
A Presently I am employed with the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, Europe, APO, New York, 09757.
Q Is that Frankfort, sir?
A Frankfort, Germany, sir.
Q Thank you. How long have you been in the Army?
A Fifteen years, sir.
Q And have you always been with the lab system?
A No, sir, I was assigned to the lab the 1st December '75, as a latent fingerprint examiner.
Q When did you become a CID agent, sir?
A August of '68, sir.
Q And directing your attention to February of 1970, where were you stationed, sir?
A I was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Q In what capacity?
A As an investigator, sir.
Q Now, in that capacity, directing your attention to the 25th of February, 1970, did you have occasion to see Dr. MacDonald?
A Yes, sir, I did.
Q And where was that, sir?
A This was at Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, sir.
Q And what was the purpose of your going to Dr. MacDonald's room?
A The purpose of going to the hospital room was to obtain latent -- excuse me, to obtain his footprints from him, sir.
Q And did you do that, sir?
A Yes, sir, I did.
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, at this time the Government would mark and offer Government 668, 669, 671, and 672, and ask that they be received.
THE COURT: Very well.
(Government Exhibits Nos. 668, 669, 671, and 672 were marked for identification and received in evidence.)
BY MR. MURTAGH:
Q Mr. Cooper, if you can recall, did you have any conversation with Dr. MacDonald while you were taking his prints?
A No, sir. My conversation was more or less in reference to movement of how he should place his prints on the paper.
Q And let me ask you, was there any problem taking the prints?
A No, sir, I didn't entail any problems.
MR. MURTAGH: Defense may cross-examine.
MR. SEGAL: I have no questions. Thank you, Mr. Cooper.
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, may Mr. Cooper be excused?
THE COURT: Yes, he may be excused. Do you have another five-minute witness?
MR. MURTAGH: I am afraid I'm out of luck, sir.
THE COURT: Well, let's take our recess then and come back today at 4:00 o'clock. Don't talk about the case.
(The proceeding was recessed at 3:40 p.m. to resume at 4:00 p.m., this same day.)
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, the Government calls Mr. Charles Cooper.
(Witness excused.)
(Whereupon, CHARLES E. COOPER was called as a witness, duly sworn, and testified as follows:)
D I R E C T E X A M I N A T I O N (3:37 p.m.)
BY MR. MURTAGH:
Q Please state your name, sir, and spell it for the reporter?
A Charles Edward Cooper, C-o-o-p-e-r.
Q Mr. Cooper, where are you employed, sir?
A Presently I am employed with the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, Europe, APO, New York, 09757.
Q Is that Frankfort, sir?
A Frankfort, Germany, sir.
Q Thank you. How long have you been in the Army?
A Fifteen years, sir.
Q And have you always been with the lab system?
A No, sir, I was assigned to the lab the 1st December '75, as a latent fingerprint examiner.
Q When did you become a CID agent, sir?
A August of '68, sir.
Q And directing your attention to February of 1970, where were you stationed, sir?
A I was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Q In what capacity?
A As an investigator, sir.
Q Now, in that capacity, directing your attention to the 25th of February, 1970, did you have occasion to see Dr. MacDonald?
A Yes, sir, I did.
Q And where was that, sir?
A This was at Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, sir.
Q And what was the purpose of your going to Dr. MacDonald's room?
A The purpose of going to the hospital room was to obtain latent -- excuse me, to obtain his footprints from him, sir.
Q And did you do that, sir?
A Yes, sir, I did.
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, at this time the Government would mark and offer Government 668, 669, 671, and 672, and ask that they be received.
THE COURT: Very well.
(Government Exhibits Nos. 668, 669, 671, and 672 were marked for identification and received in evidence.)
BY MR. MURTAGH:
Q Mr. Cooper, if you can recall, did you have any conversation with Dr. MacDonald while you were taking his prints?
A No, sir. My conversation was more or less in reference to movement of how he should place his prints on the paper.
Q And let me ask you, was there any problem taking the prints?
A No, sir, I didn't entail any problems.
MR. MURTAGH: Defense may cross-examine.
MR. SEGAL: I have no questions. Thank you, Mr. Cooper.
MR. MURTAGH: Your Honor, may Mr. Cooper be excused?
THE COURT: Yes, he may be excused. Do you have another five-minute witness?
MR. MURTAGH: I am afraid I'm out of luck, sir.
THE COURT: Well, let's take our recess then and come back today at 4:00 o'clock. Don't talk about the case.
(The proceeding was recessed at 3:40 p.m. to resume at 4:00 p.m., this same day.)