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.)