# 270: Laura Dickinson

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 19 Aug 2024, 55 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60803281/morbidology_270_laura_dickinson.mp3

Laura Dickinson’s friends were becoming concerned after they hadn’t seen her for a couple of days. She was a student at Eastern Michigan University, and people had started to notice a stench coming from her dorm room… SPONSORS - Mochi Health: If you're on a journey to lose ewight, it's time to take a holistic approach with Mochi Health. Use the code "MORBIDOLOGY" to get $40 off at: https://joinmochi.com/ Alpha Progression: If you're serious about building muscle, download Alpha Progression. Get 20% off your first payment at: https://alphaprogression.com/morbidology SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-270-laura-dickinson PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:34] Speaker 1: Watching the cameras between two and seven am to see
[0:37] Speaker 1: if I could identify him or see him around anymore.
[0:40] Speaker 1: Of what clothes he's wearing. There was several times I
[0:44] Speaker 1: saw the subject wearing a black or brown coat with
[0:47] Speaker 1: a fur on the hood, entering with their hood on
[0:50] Speaker 1: covering their face.
[0:57] Speaker 2: Epsilondy, Michigan is often a fact referred to as Yipsey
[1:02] Speaker 2: by locals. It boasts a rich history that stretches back
[1:06] Speaker 2: to its founding in eighteen twenty three. Named after Demetrius Ipsilantis,
[1:12] Speaker 2: a hero in the Greek War of Independence, the city
[1:15] Speaker 2: has grown from its humble beginnings as a trading post
[1:18] Speaker 2: into a fibrant community. Strategically located along the Uron River,
[1:23] Speaker 2: Ippsilante quickly became a key spot for commerce and transport
[1:27] Speaker 2: in the nineteenth century, particularly with the advent of the
[1:31] Speaker 2: Michigan Central Railroad in eighteen thirty eight. The twentieth century
[1:36] Speaker 2: brought further growth and changed to Ippsilante, with the automotive
[1:39] Speaker 2: industry playing a significant role. The establishment of factories and
[1:44] Speaker 2: the influx of workers transformed the city into a bustling
[1:48] Speaker 2: manufacturing center, but like many American towns, Ipsilanti faced economic
[1:54] Speaker 2: challenges as the industry evolved in factories closed, Yet the
[1:59] Speaker 2: city demonstrat remarkable resilience, diversifying its economy and fostering a
[2:04] Speaker 2: vibrant arts scene that continues to thrive today. A cornerstone
[2:09] Speaker 2: of Ipsilanti's community and cultural life is Eastern Michigan University.
[2:15] Speaker 2: Founded in eighteen forty nine, is Michigan State Normal School.
[2:18] Speaker 2: EMU is the first institution outside of the original thirteen
[2:22] Speaker 2: colonies to educate teachers. Over the years, it's evolved into
[2:26] Speaker 2: a comprehensive university offering a wide array of undergraduate, graduate,
[2:31] Speaker 2: and professional programs. The university's picturesque campus, known for its
[2:37] Speaker 2: historic buildings in lush green spaces, serves as both an
[2:41] Speaker 2: educational and cultural hub for the city. There is a
[2:45] Speaker 2: buzz of activity at the university. On the fifteenth of
[2:48] Speaker 2: December two thousand and six, friends of twenty two year
[2:53] Speaker 2: old Laura Dickinson were becoming worried about her. Laura was
[2:58] Speaker 2: a student at the university, but her friends hadn't seen
[3:01] Speaker 2: her or heard from her since the twelfth. All texts
[3:05] Speaker 2: and calls had gone unanswered. Each time her door was knocked,
[3:11] Speaker 2: nobody came to answer, but On that specific day, something
[3:16] Speaker 2: ominous caught their attention. There was a putrid smell coming
[3:20] Speaker 2: from her dorm room. Laura Lee Dickinson was born in
[3:38] Speaker 2: Grand Rapids on the fifth of July nineteen eighty four
[3:41] Speaker 2: to Robert and Deborah Dickinson. She grew up in a
[3:44] Speaker 2: close knit family alongside her two brothers, Joshua and Kevin.
[3:49] Speaker 2: When Laura was just five years old, the family made
[3:52] Speaker 2: a move to Hastings in Michigan, where Robert and Deborah
[3:55] Speaker 2: established the State Groundze Coffee House. The coffee house quickly
[4:00] Speaker 2: came a beloved local spot. Laura attended Hastings Schools and
[4:04] Speaker 2: graduated from Hastings High School in two thousand and two.
[4:09] Speaker 2: She then pursued further education at Grand Rapids Community College,
[4:14] Speaker 2: earning an associate degree in two thousand and five. Laura
[4:18] Speaker 2: was known for her vibrant passions. She loved music, drama,
[4:22] Speaker 2: and photography, and she dedicated a significant amount of her
[4:25] Speaker 2: time to volunteering with the Big Brother's Big Sisters program.
[4:30] Speaker 2: As a teenager, Laura developed a deep compassion for African
[4:33] Speaker 2: children orphaned or made vulnerable by the AIDS epidemic. She
[4:37] Speaker 2: was determined to make a difference and had plans to
[4:40] Speaker 2: travel to the affected regions to offer her help. According
[4:45] Speaker 2: to her father, she often spoke about this mission, though
[4:48] Speaker 2: she knew she had to wait until she was older
[4:50] Speaker 2: to fulfill this dream. Laura eventually decided that she wanted
[4:55] Speaker 2: to further her education and was accepted at Eastern Michigan University.
[5:00] Speaker 2: As the fall of two thousand and six approached, she
[5:03] Speaker 2: felt a wave of anxiety about making new friends. However,
[5:08] Speaker 2: her fears were quickly allayed when she arrived on campus.
[5:13] Speaker 2: Her father, Robert remembered how effortlessly Laura connected with people,
[5:18] Speaker 2: but she touched hundreds. She made friends no matter where
[5:21] Speaker 2: she went. Laura settled in seamlessly, moving into a dorm
[5:26] Speaker 2: in Hill Hall. She joined the rowing club and nurtured
[5:30] Speaker 2: ambitions of serving in the Peace Corps and becoming a dietitian.
[5:34] Speaker 2: A dedicated vegetarian for several years, Thanksgiving dinners always featured
[5:39] Speaker 2: too ferky. Though she enjoyed university life, Laura deeply missed
[5:45] Speaker 2: her long time boyfriend Travis Scott, an engineer in Grand Rapids.
[5:50] Speaker 2: They spoke on the phone every single day, maintaining a
[5:53] Speaker 2: strong connection despite the distance. On the night of December twelfth,
[5:59] Speaker 2: two thousand and six. Laura and Travis's routine was no different.
[6:04] Speaker 2: Laid into the night, they chatted about their day. Laura
[6:08] Speaker 2: recounted attending the rowing team secret Santa party at her
[6:12] Speaker 2: friend Maria Clarey's storm room, where they exchanged gifts and
[6:16] Speaker 2: played board games. After the festivities, Laura returned alone to
[6:22] Speaker 2: her own dorm room. As midnight approached, Laura and Travis
[6:26] Speaker 2: said their goodbyes. It was an ordinary moment that neither
[6:31] Speaker 2: realized would be their last conversation. Eastern Michigan University's campus
[6:43] Speaker 2: was buzzing with the usual pre Christmas frenzy, yet an
[6:48] Speaker 2: unusual and unsettling feeling had begun to spread among the
[6:51] Speaker 2: students of Hill Hall. Whispers and uneasy glances filled the
[6:56] Speaker 2: common areas, centering a round room five to one A.
[7:01] Speaker 2: This was Laura Dickinson's dorm room, and she hadn't been
[7:04] Speaker 2: seen for three days. Some other students had started to
[7:08] Speaker 2: notice a faint, putrid smell emanating from her dorm room,
[7:13] Speaker 2: but it had grown impossible to ignore. By the fifteenth
[7:16] Speaker 2: of December, a couple of students reported the stenche to
[7:20] Speaker 2: the university's faculty services, and an employee was dispatched to investigate.
[7:28] Speaker 2: As Michelle Lockwood ascended the stairs, the foul odor grew
[7:32] Speaker 2: stronger with each step. By the time she reached the
[7:37] Speaker 2: fifth floor, her stomach churned with a foreboding that she
[7:42] Speaker 2: had never experienced before. She stood before the door of
[7:46] Speaker 2: room five to one eight, the key trembling in her hand.
[7:51] Speaker 2: She braced herself, took a deep breath, and turned the key,
[8:01] Speaker 2: releasing a wave of air so thick with the scent
[8:04] Speaker 2: of decay that it felt almost tangible. Her eyes watered
[8:09] Speaker 2: as she stepped inside, and immediately she knew that stench
[8:14] Speaker 2: was human decomposition. As Michelle's eyes adjusted to the dim
[8:19] Speaker 2: light filtering through the drawn curtains, her gaze fell upon
[8:23] Speaker 2: a blue blanket crumbled on the floor beside the bed.
[8:29] Speaker 2: On top of it lay Lowreer's body, her skin darkened
[8:33] Speaker 2: by the advanced state of decomposition that she was in.
[8:38] Speaker 2: Lore was dressed only in a white tank top, with
[8:40] Speaker 2: her lower half exposed. Her head was at the foot
[8:44] Speaker 2: of the bed and her arms were outstretched, with one
[8:47] Speaker 2: underneath the bed. A pillow partially covered her face, and
[8:53] Speaker 2: nearby there was a used tampon. Her laptop, cell phone,
[8:58] Speaker 2: and wallet were all in clear view. The area was
[9:02] Speaker 2: immediately cordoned off and other students were told to leave
[9:05] Speaker 2: the vicinity or stay in their dorm rooms. It was
[9:09] Speaker 2: abundantly clear that Laura was dead. She was in an
[9:12] Speaker 2: advanced state of decomposition, so paramedics weren't alerted. Officers from
[9:19] Speaker 2: the university and the Michigan State Police arrived on scene,
[9:23] Speaker 2: as well as forensic experts who needed to process the
[9:26] Speaker 2: scene for evidence. Police Lieutenant Jeffrey Nee Smith was the
[9:30] Speaker 2: first to arrive. The first thing that he did was
[9:34] Speaker 2: remove the pillow from Laura's face. He later said, I
[9:40] Speaker 2: wanted to make sure if we had a homicide, we
[9:42] Speaker 2: could get the best staff in that we could. After this,
[9:47] Speaker 2: lawreer's body was documented while forensic experts collected any fingerprints
[9:51] Speaker 2: and biological fluids that may have been on her body.
[9:55] Speaker 2: They then tape lift fibers from her body, as well
[9:58] Speaker 2: as from her clothing. After Laura's body was examined and photographed,
[10:03] Speaker 2: the medical examiner arrived and carefully transported her to their office.
[10:09] Speaker 2: The investigation of the scene continued, with more evidence in
[10:12] Speaker 2: the dorm room collected including bed dressings and pillows. In
[10:17] Speaker 2: the days that followed the grim discovery in room five one,
[10:20] Speaker 2: eight Eastern Michigan University was enveloped in a cloud of unease.
[10:27] Speaker 2: The usual hustle and bustle of campus life stilled, replaced
[10:30] Speaker 2: by hush conversations and speculation. Detectives swarmed Hill Hall, their
[10:37] Speaker 2: presence a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation.
[10:42] Speaker 2: Yellow crime scene tape cording off Laura's room. For the
[10:45] Speaker 2: next couple of days, students and detectives alike wondered was
[10:51] Speaker 2: this the natural, albeit tragic and for the bright young student,
[10:55] Speaker 2: or was there something for more sinister at play. Before
[11:07] Speaker 2: any determination could be made on whether Laura was the
[11:10] Speaker 2: victim of a homicide, and autopsy needed to take place.
[11:15] Speaker 2: Since she was in an advanced state of decomposition, it
[11:19] Speaker 2: couldn't be determined whether any violence was involved from the
[11:22] Speaker 2: side of her body alone. As Laura's family awaited her
[11:26] Speaker 2: autopsy report, they started preparing for her funeral. Her father, Robert,
[11:33] Speaker 2: was helping to put together a photo display when he
[11:36] Speaker 2: spoke with the Grand Rapids Press. He said to them,
[11:42] Speaker 2: she never didn't smile. She was full of life. But
[11:46] Speaker 2: while the family prepared for the funeral. Eastern Michigan University
[11:51] Speaker 2: had seemingly already moved on. They had posted on their website.
[11:55] Speaker 2: The police didn't believe that foul play was involved. The
[12:00] Speaker 2: students had no need to worry. There wasn't a kill her.
[12:03] Speaker 2: In their midst Robert shared his belief that his daughter
[12:07] Speaker 2: had died from an unknown medical condition. While she had
[12:12] Speaker 2: no history of serious health problems, Robert and Laura's mother,
[12:16] Speaker 2: deb revealed that she had an irregular heartbeat the year beforehand.
[12:21] Speaker 2: Robert commented, I can't believe it was anything else. However,
[12:28] Speaker 2: on the nineteenth of December, the investigation was sent on
[12:31] Speaker 2: a whole different trajectory. According to the pathologist, doctor Baeter Cassin,
[12:43] Speaker 2: there was some suggestion of violence. While he refused to
[12:48] Speaker 2: elaborate at the time, he later said he was referring
[12:52] Speaker 2: to the position that Laura's body was found in. She
[12:56] Speaker 2: was found lying on the ground with her clothing removed
[12:58] Speaker 2: from the waist down. There was also a pillow covering
[13:02] Speaker 2: half of her face and a used tampon lying nearby.
[13:07] Speaker 2: Doctor Carson later said it was the arrangement of the body.
[13:11] Speaker 2: It was all suspicious to me, as it was to
[13:14] Speaker 2: the police, but that wasn't all that was suspicious. Detective
[13:20] Speaker 2: cit since learned that Laura's keys were missing from her
[13:22] Speaker 2: dorm room. This led to speculation that if she was
[13:26] Speaker 2: indeed killed, her killer may have stolen them and then
[13:30] Speaker 2: locked the door behind them. Doctor Casson estimated that Laura
[13:35] Speaker 2: had died shortly after the last time she was seen
[13:38] Speaker 2: laid on the twelfth of December. He had hit a
[13:42] Speaker 2: roadblock during his examination of the body because of the
[13:45] Speaker 2: advance decomposition, which naturally discolors the skin and underlying tissues.
[13:52] Speaker 2: There wasn't any overly obvious signs that she was the
[13:54] Speaker 2: victim of murder, no stab wounds, no billet wounds or
[14:00] Speaker 2: Later in the same day, doctor Cassin contradicted what he
[14:03] Speaker 2: said when he spoke with a reporter. He commented, I
[14:08] Speaker 2: don't believe I said that. In relation to his comments
[14:11] Speaker 2: that there was some suggestion of violence. He elaborated and
[14:15] Speaker 2: said he was waiting for the return of tissue samples
[14:18] Speaker 2: and other evidence obtained from the body. These would take
[14:22] Speaker 2: about two weeks, after which he said he would try
[14:25] Speaker 2: to determine the cause and manner of Laura's death. But
[14:29] Speaker 2: while this was ongoing, the Washingtaw County Major Crime Task
[14:33] Speaker 2: Force took over the investigation. They were working alongside Eastern
[14:38] Speaker 2: Michigan University security officials, and they began investigating as if
[14:43] Speaker 2: Laura's death was indeed a homicide. The first couple of
[14:47] Speaker 2: days and weeks are the most important, so if it
[14:50] Speaker 2: were indeed a homicide, they wanted to get ahead. One
[14:55] Speaker 2: of the first things that detectives said while the evidence
[14:58] Speaker 2: was being analyzed was checked the surveillance footage from Hill Hall.
[15:04] Speaker 2: On the twelfth of December, at eleven p m. Laura
[15:07] Speaker 2: was observed on the footage. She could be seen entering
[15:11] Speaker 2: the doorway and then heading up to the fifth floor
[15:15] Speaker 2: to her dorm room. She was carrying two small bags
[15:19] Speaker 2: from the Rowing Teams Secret Santa. Once inside, she called
[15:23] Speaker 2: her boyfriend and checked her e meals before going to bed.
[15:26] Speaker 2: Shortly after midnight. There was no further movement on the
[15:31] Speaker 2: surveillance footage until four thirty a m. The next morning.
[15:37] Speaker 2: At that time, a man dressed in dark clothing and
[15:40] Speaker 2: a hood obscuring his face was observed slipping into a
[15:44] Speaker 2: side doorway of Hill Hall. He entered the stairwell that
[15:49] Speaker 2: opened directly in front of Lord's door, and then disappeared
[15:53] Speaker 2: from the camera's view. The footage remained still and silent
[15:58] Speaker 2: until six a m. When the same man reappeared leaving
[16:02] Speaker 2: the dorm. This time he was carrying a bag that
[16:06] Speaker 2: looked remarkably similar to one of the bags Laura had
[16:09] Speaker 2: been carrying just hours earlier. The man in the granny
[16:18] Speaker 2: footage was identified as twenty year old Orange Emier Taylor
[16:22] Speaker 2: the Third, a student at Eastern Michigan University living off
[16:29] Speaker 2: campus with his parents. Taylor had been given a comfortable life.
[16:34] Speaker 2: His father, a master plumber, and his mother, an administrator
[16:38] Speaker 2: at the Detroit Medical Center, had ensured he attended prestigious
[16:42] Speaker 2: private schools before transferring to Southfield High School, where he
[16:46] Speaker 2: excelled in track. After enrolling at Eastern Michigan University, Taylor
[16:52] Speaker 2: initially resided in the dorms. However, his time there was
[16:56] Speaker 2: cut short in November of the previous year, when he
[16:59] Speaker 2: was expelled for crawling through the window of another campus building.
[17:04] Speaker 2: When questioned by police, he claimed he was searching for
[17:07] Speaker 2: girls and activity. He explained that upon noticing a light
[17:12] Speaker 2: on and finding the door lock, he decided to climb
[17:15] Speaker 2: through a window. This incident wasn't Taylor's first run in
[17:20] Speaker 2: with the university police. That same year, he had been
[17:24] Speaker 2: linked to a break in at King Hall, where fire
[17:27] Speaker 2: damage had occurred, and a damaged table in the Prey
[17:30] Speaker 2: Harald classroom building. Additionally, he was mentioned in a report
[17:34] Speaker 2: regarding a student selling marijuana. Although Taylor denied any involvement
[17:39] Speaker 2: in the King Hall break in, he ultimately provided a
[17:42] Speaker 2: DNA sample to police. He was, however, charged with a
[17:48] Speaker 2: legal entry for the window incident and pleaded guilty to
[17:51] Speaker 2: a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia around the
[17:55] Speaker 2: same time. When detectives identified Taylor as the manner the
[18:00] Speaker 2: footage in the early morning hours of December thirteenth, they
[18:03] Speaker 2: placed him under surveillance. After a couple of days, they
[18:08] Speaker 2: stopped him after he ran to stop signs. Though not
[18:13] Speaker 2: under arrest, Taylor was asked if he would voluntarily come
[18:16] Speaker 2: to the police station, to which he agreed. During the
[18:20] Speaker 2: interview at the police station, detectives held their cards close
[18:23] Speaker 2: to their chest. They didn't tell Taylor that surveillance had
[18:27] Speaker 2: captured him approaching Laura's dorm room in the beginning of
[18:32] Speaker 2: the interview, Taylor told the detectives that he didn't have
[18:35] Speaker 2: many friends on campus. The conversation then turned to Laura.
[18:42] Speaker 2: Taylor told detectives that he didn't know Laura and said
[18:45] Speaker 2: that he had never seen her before in his life.
[18:49] Speaker 2: He said that he had heard rumors that she had
[18:51] Speaker 2: died from a drug overdose. The detectives then told Taylor
[18:55] Speaker 2: they knew that he had been in Laura's dorm room
[18:57] Speaker 2: that night and wanted to know what happen happened. Taylor
[19:02] Speaker 2: seemed surprised and take him back. He was asked whether
[19:07] Speaker 2: he had killed her, and he responded, what the fuck no.
[19:13] Speaker 2: After detectives confronted Taylor with the surveillance footage of him,
[19:17] Speaker 2: he looked stunned. He then added, it might be me.
[19:23] Speaker 2: He then said that if he did enter Laura's dorm
[19:26] Speaker 2: that morning, the door was probably open. Detective Jeremy Hilloubuck
[19:31] Speaker 2: and Trooper Ken Rochelle pressed him for more information. Rochelle prompted,
[19:38] Speaker 2: you're in her room, you take a couple of things.
[19:42] Speaker 2: Taylor replied, I'm trying to think. Eventually, Taylor said he
[19:48] Speaker 2: remembered breaking into a dorm room in Hill Hall at
[19:51] Speaker 2: some point He recalled stealing a bag and detectives asked
[19:56] Speaker 2: him what was in it. He responded, remember a P
[20:00] Speaker 2: two controller, some clothes like a scarf or something. He
[20:05] Speaker 2: said that when he realized there was nothing of monetary
[20:08] Speaker 2: value in the bag, he threw it away. Taylor was
[20:12] Speaker 2: allowed to leave the interrogation room that afternoon, but he
[20:16] Speaker 2: was eventually arrested on the twenty fourth of February. He
[20:21] Speaker 2: was charged with murder, home invasion, two counts of criminal
[20:25] Speaker 2: sexual conduct, and larceny. Following his arrest, those who knew
[20:29] Speaker 2: him expressed surprise. His friend, Paul Roberts, said that they
[20:34] Speaker 2: had spoken about Laura's death. They had both asked one
[20:38] Speaker 2: another if they had known Laura, since they were all
[20:41] Speaker 2: students at the same university. Much like Paul, Taylor said
[20:46] Speaker 2: he had never seen her before in his life, but
[20:50] Speaker 2: commented in the media that he didn't believe his friend
[20:53] Speaker 2: was capable of murder. He stated, I just can't see
[20:58] Speaker 2: him doing it. I've never seen him get mad or
[21:01] Speaker 2: yell or fight. You would think if he killed someone
[21:04] Speaker 2: he would be nervous or not around, but he didn't change.
[21:08] Speaker 2: He was acting the same. Paul wasn't the only person
[21:12] Speaker 2: who was surprised. The ann Arberneus spoke with another friend,
[21:17] Speaker 2: Angelic Guton, who said that Taylor was charismatic and hilarious.
[21:23] Speaker 2: She said to the newspaper, it doesn't seem right. He
[21:27] Speaker 2: was always the kindest person, so cool, so nice to everyone.
[21:32] Speaker 2: Paul also said, what evidence do they have that he
[21:36] Speaker 2: did it? They can't even say how she died. He
[21:40] Speaker 2: never mentioned her name, He never talked about this. But
[21:44] Speaker 2: Taylor's friends would soon come to learn exactly what evidence
[21:47] Speaker 2: the detectives had collected, and it left no doubt in
[21:51] Speaker 2: their minds that their one time friend was indeed guilty.
[22:03] Speaker 2: It had been determined that Laura's cause of death was asphyxia,
[22:06] Speaker 2: but the pathologist couldn't determine exactly how she had either
[22:11] Speaker 2: been suffocated or strangled. After Taylor was identified as the
[22:16] Speaker 2: person in the surveillance footage, detectives put him under surveillance.
[22:21] Speaker 2: This was while they waited for the results to come
[22:24] Speaker 2: back from the crime lab. When those results came back,
[22:29] Speaker 2: they revealed that Taylor's seamen was discovered on Laura's thigh
[22:32] Speaker 2: and on her bed. DNA analyst Jennifer Drin said that
[22:37] Speaker 2: the chances of the semen sample matching someone other than
[22:40] Speaker 2: Taylor was one in eighteen point one quadrillion. Taylor's DNA
[22:46] Speaker 2: was also discovered on the pillow that partially covered Laura's face.
[22:51] Speaker 2: This DNA had come in the form of skin cells.
[22:55] Speaker 2: According to the DNA analysts. The skin cells were one
[22:58] Speaker 2: in two hundred and seventy six, though match to Taylor.
[23:03] Speaker 2: Following the arrest, Eastern Michigan University was hit with a
[23:06] Speaker 2: wave of criticism. They had been so quick to announce
[23:10] Speaker 2: that Laura had died of natural causes. People accused them
[23:14] Speaker 2: of covering up her murder to save face. Students felt
[23:19] Speaker 2: as though they had been kept in the dark and
[23:21] Speaker 2: would have taken their safety much more seriously if they
[23:24] Speaker 2: knew the truth. One student, Cala Potter, commented, from a
[23:30] Speaker 2: student's perspective, we were all told that there were hints
[23:33] Speaker 2: of violence, but nothing for sure. During an opening forum
[23:37] Speaker 2: for students and faculty, one student, Jacqueline Armstrong questioned, couldn't
[23:43] Speaker 2: we have at least been told we were in danger?
[23:46] Speaker 2: The students instead were told not to worry, that it
[23:50] Speaker 2: was just a tragic accident that Laura had died. Jacqueline
[23:54] Speaker 2: then added to be told there was no danger to us.
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[25:23] Speaker 2: The university responded to the criticism, with the budsman Gregory Peoples,
[25:28] Speaker 2: saying that students would be told if there was an
[25:30] Speaker 2: active investigation in the future. He stated, if we had
[25:36] Speaker 2: provided them with the information that the investigation was ongoing,
[25:40] Speaker 2: that would have been helpful. Students of the university hadn't
[25:44] Speaker 2: even been made aware that any kind of investigation was ongoing.
[25:49] Speaker 2: They all believed that Lare had died of natural causes,
[25:53] Speaker 2: and none of them had even been questioned about anything
[25:55] Speaker 2: suspicious they may have seen or heard. The president of
[25:59] Speaker 2: the un University, John Fallen, said on the first of
[26:03] Speaker 2: March that he was going to look into how information
[26:05] Speaker 2: was handled during the investigation. He further commented that until
[26:10] Speaker 2: Taylor was arrested, he had no reason to suspect that
[26:14] Speaker 2: Laura had died of file play. He said, my understanding
[26:18] Speaker 2: was that the medical examiner found nothing conclusive at the scene.
[26:22] Speaker 2: I was never given any reason to suspect that there
[26:25] Speaker 2: was file play. This contradicted what detectives and the medical
[26:29] Speaker 2: examiner had already said that they both suspected file play
[26:33] Speaker 2: from the second they saw the crime scene. In fact,
[26:38] Speaker 2: Taylor was developed as a suspect in the early stages
[26:40] Speaker 2: of the investigation and had been kept under surveillance. An
[26:45] Speaker 2: anonymous police source commented, this was homicide one oh one.
[26:50] Speaker 2: Why else would you call the state police. Why else
[26:53] Speaker 2: would you call the lab and end up with fifteen
[26:55] Speaker 2: detectives within ours. You don't get fifteen detectives around this
[27:00] Speaker 2: for most homicides, But because this was on campus, the
[27:04] Speaker 2: seriousness of it for public safety, you better find out
[27:08] Speaker 2: what's going on and as quick as you can. Students
[27:12] Speaker 2: and parents alike felt as though the university had betrayed
[27:15] Speaker 2: their trust, even more so when it was revealed that
[27:18] Speaker 2: campus police had suspected file play as well. In fact,
[27:23] Speaker 2: the campus police hadn't even informed Laura's family that they
[27:26] Speaker 2: had a suspect they were investigating. This wasn't the first
[27:31] Speaker 2: time that the university had downplayed violence on its campus.
[27:36] Speaker 2: When a student was repeatedly raped in two thousand and
[27:39] Speaker 2: five at a science lab, they kept the details private.
[27:44] Speaker 2: It wasn't until the preliminary hearing for James Holland Junior
[27:48] Speaker 2: that the details were finally made public. The internal investigation
[27:59] Speaker 2: into how the case was handled by the university got
[28:02] Speaker 2: off promptly. On the sixth of March, it was announced
[28:05] Speaker 2: that a long time Eastern Michigan University administrator was placed
[28:09] Speaker 2: on administrative leave. Jim Vick, who was a thirty three
[28:14] Speaker 2: year university veteran and vice president of student affairs, commented,
[28:19] Speaker 2: there's no cover up. That's absolutely inaccurate and ridiculous. While
[28:24] Speaker 2: the investigation was ongoing, Security on Campus Incorporated, which is
[28:29] Speaker 2: a nationwide campus crime watch drug group, filed a complaint
[28:32] Speaker 2: with the US Department of Education. They alleged that the
[28:36] Speaker 2: university may have violated the Federal Gene Cleary Act by
[28:41] Speaker 2: not informing students and faculty that Laura's death was being
[28:44] Speaker 2: investigated as a homicide. They alleged that the university may
[28:49] Speaker 2: have violated the Federal Gene Cleary Act by not informing
[28:53] Speaker 2: students and faculty that Laura's death was being investigated as
[28:56] Speaker 2: a homicide. Under the law, failured in notify the campus
[29:01] Speaker 2: of such dangers can result in hefty fines. Meanwhile, on
[29:06] Speaker 2: the twenty first of March, around two hundred people gathered
[29:09] Speaker 2: at the university campus for a candlelight vigil and memorial
[29:13] Speaker 2: service for Laura. Some of those who loved Laura spoke
[29:17] Speaker 2: before the crowd, including her friend Jenny mckevius. She said
[29:22] Speaker 2: that she looked up to Laura like an older sister,
[29:24] Speaker 2: before adding, I'll always remember her smile. She was never
[29:29] Speaker 2: without it. Laura's father, Robert, had to compose himself several
[29:34] Speaker 2: times as he spoke about his beloved daughter. He fondly
[29:38] Speaker 2: recalled how she had left a legacy for them all
[29:40] Speaker 2: to follow. He said she was a genuine encourager. Her
[29:45] Speaker 2: smile alone would somehow leave you feeling better about yourself
[29:48] Speaker 2: and life. Her ability to learn and listen was amazing,
[29:52] Speaker 2: and her words of wisdom surpassed her age. Jess Klein,
[29:57] Speaker 2: the student's coordinator for the University These Women's Center, said
[30:01] Speaker 2: that Laura's death had a massive impact on the campus.
[30:05] Speaker 2: She stated, we have no illusions that this will complete
[30:09] Speaker 2: our graving process. We're hopeful that it will help our
[30:12] Speaker 2: community move forward as we grave a significant loss together.
[30:17] Speaker 2: Before the end of the month, the judge ruled that
[30:19] Speaker 2: there was enough evidence against Taylor for him to stand
[30:22] Speaker 2: trial for the murder of Laura. During the preliminary hearing,
[30:26] Speaker 2: prosecutor Bly and Longworth testified Taylor entered her room without permission,
[30:33] Speaker 2: he raped and murdered her. Taylor's defense attorney, Alvin Keel,
[30:38] Speaker 2: said that there was no evidence of any kind of assault.
[30:42] Speaker 2: He said that there were no defensive wounds or skin
[30:44] Speaker 2: beneath Laura's finger nails. He said, seeman on someone's leg
[30:50] Speaker 2: does not mean there was an assault. The court cannot
[30:53] Speaker 2: make up evidence. Nevertheless, the judge determined that there was
[30:58] Speaker 2: indeed enough evidence and the tailor would be facing trial.
[31:03] Speaker 2: In early June, it was announced that Eastern Michigan University
[31:06] Speaker 2: violated federal law by not informing students and staff that
[31:10] Speaker 2: a murder investigation was ongoing. This meant that the school
[31:15] Speaker 2: had violated the Cleary Act. The report also found that
[31:19] Speaker 2: the university didn't back off earlier statements that the cause
[31:22] Speaker 2: of death was undetermined, despite law enforcement assertions that fall
[31:26] Speaker 2: play may have been involved. The university had posted that
[31:31] Speaker 2: no fall play was involved and refused to remove it
[31:35] Speaker 2: even as detectives launched their investigation. It was revealed that
[31:39] Speaker 2: during the week of the eighteenth of December, an incident
[31:42] Speaker 2: draft report on the case was circulated to the student's
[31:45] Speaker 2: affairs office. This included graphic information about the crime scene
[31:51] Speaker 2: and how Lawer's body was discovered, but Jim Vick, the
[31:56] Speaker 2: student affairs vice president, shredded the document. The president of
[32:02] Speaker 2: the university, John Fallon, issued a public apology, announcing I
[32:07] Speaker 2: apologize to you and say never again will such a
[32:10] Speaker 2: confounded series of mistakes be made on my watch. Laura's father, Robert,
[32:16] Speaker 2: responded to the apology and said that the school hadn't
[32:19] Speaker 2: apologized to the family in person. He said, it'll be
[32:23] Speaker 2: nice of them to drive over and set or call.
[32:26] Speaker 2: At the very least. We've not heard anything from them
[32:29] Speaker 2: since it turned out everyone was deceived. Just the next day,
[32:33] Speaker 2: I was announced that the faculty wanted Fallen to be
[32:35] Speaker 2: immediately fired. Despite this, he announced strategies to strengthen campus security.
[32:42] Speaker 2: He denied that issuing the strategies was an act of
[32:45] Speaker 2: self preservation, commenting, this is my job. Safety and security
[32:51] Speaker 2: is very much in the air and has been for
[32:53] Speaker 2: a long time before the new confidence vote. Then in July,
[32:57] Speaker 2: the US Department of Education released their findings on their investigation.
[33:02] Speaker 2: Much like the other report, they founded the school had
[33:05] Speaker 2: violated the Cleary Act. Just a couple of days after
[33:09] Speaker 2: the second report, John Fallon was fired by the Board
[33:12] Speaker 2: of Regents in a unanimous vote. Two other people lost
[33:17] Speaker 2: their jobs, including Vice President of Student Affairs Jim Vick
[33:21] Speaker 2: and Public Safety Director Cindy Hall. The three of them
[33:26] Speaker 2: would receive at least to combine five hundred and fifty
[33:29] Speaker 2: thousand dollars in severance packages. Fallin fought back and announced
[33:34] Speaker 2: that he was suing the university, the university's Board of Regions,
[33:38] Speaker 2: and the board chairman, Thomas Sidlek. He claimed that they
[33:42] Speaker 2: had violated his rights under the Michigan Whistleblower's Protection Act
[33:46] Speaker 2: by firing him. He was seeking his reigned statement as
[33:50] Speaker 2: president with full benefits, payment of back wages, payment of
[33:55] Speaker 2: attorney and witness frees, and other damages. His lawyer, Marion Fopple, commented,
[34:02] Speaker 2: it was their fear that he was going to do
[34:04] Speaker 2: something damaging to the university that caused his termination. That's
[34:09] Speaker 2: exactly what the Whistleblower Act was designed to prevent. However,
[34:13] Speaker 2: Fallin's lawsuit would later be dismissed. He ended up owing
[34:18] Speaker 2: more than eighteen thousand dollars in legal fees. By early October,
[34:23] Speaker 2: Taylor's murder trial was just around the corner. His defense attorney,
[34:28] Speaker 2: Alvin Keel, said that his client was ready to tell
[34:31] Speaker 2: his side of the story. He commented, he was just
[34:36] Speaker 2: a middle of the road kid. I don't understand this.
[34:50] Speaker 2: By the fifteenth of October two thousand and seven, a
[34:53] Speaker 2: jury had been selected and ceded in preparation for the
[34:56] Speaker 2: murder trial. Orange Taylor the Third was a score it
[35:00] Speaker 2: into the courtroom and took his place alongside his defense
[35:03] Speaker 2: To him, the public gallery swiftly filled up with Laura's
[35:07] Speaker 2: loved ones, and cameras dotted the courtroom as the trial
[35:11] Speaker 2: was to be televised. Taylor was facing an open kind
[35:14] Speaker 2: of murder, which meant the jury could convict him of
[35:17] Speaker 2: first or second degree murder. Once the courtroom was silent,
[35:22] Speaker 2: prosecutor Blaine Longsworth took his place at the podium. He
[35:26] Speaker 2: said to the jury, this case is every woman's worst nightmare.
[35:31] Speaker 2: The evidence will prove Orange Taylor committed first degree murder.
[35:36] Speaker 2: The evidence will show he sexually assaulted her, suffocated her,
[35:40] Speaker 2: and afterwards stole her bags as well. He put forward
[35:44] Speaker 2: their theory that Laura was asleep when Taylor entered her
[35:47] Speaker 2: room shortly after four thirty a m. On the thirteenth
[35:51] Speaker 2: of December. He said that he dragged her from her bed,
[35:55] Speaker 2: raped her, and then smothered her with a pillow, before
[35:58] Speaker 2: leaving with a bag containing some of her property and
[36:01] Speaker 2: her key. He was captured on surveillance leaving Hill Hall
[36:06] Speaker 2: carrying a bag that he wasn't seen at entering with
[36:09] Speaker 2: the prosecutor then told the jury about the DNA evidence.
[36:13] Speaker 2: Taylor's defense attorney, Alvin Keel, acknowledged during his opening statements
[36:17] Speaker 2: that his client seamen was found on Laura's body. However,
[36:22] Speaker 2: he denied that this proved that he had raped and
[36:24] Speaker 2: killed her. For the first time publicly, he revealed Taylor's defense,
[36:31] Speaker 2: He claimed that he had found Laura lying on the floor,
[36:34] Speaker 2: partially naked, and thinking that it was somebody else, he
[36:38] Speaker 2: ejaculated on her. Keel said to the jury ejaculation doesn't
[36:44] Speaker 2: equal penetration, and it doesn't necessarily equal asphyxiation. According to Keile,
[36:51] Speaker 2: Taylor had been smoking marijuana and had gone to Hill
[36:54] Speaker 2: Hall looking for more. The defense noted that Laura's autopsy
[36:58] Speaker 2: showed no definitive cause of death, and he mentioned that
[37:01] Speaker 2: Laura had suffered an irregular heartbeat in two thousand and five.
[37:06] Speaker 2: He said doctor bater Cassin did not know the cause
[37:09] Speaker 2: of death and he was not certain. On the fifth
[37:12] Speaker 2: of March, there was no struggle whatsoever. He also said
[37:16] Speaker 2: that Laura told friends on the week of her death
[37:19] Speaker 2: that she was feeling tired and run down. The defense
[37:23] Speaker 2: attorney was setting the groundwork for the defense that Laura
[37:26] Speaker 2: had died naturally. After opening statements, the proceedings got underway.
[37:32] Speaker 2: Various witnesses testified about the night before Laura died, with
[37:36] Speaker 2: her friends telling the jury about the secret Santa party
[37:39] Speaker 2: and her boyfriend speaking about their phone call. The last
[37:43] Speaker 2: activity from Laura came at twelve twenty one a m.
[37:47] Speaker 2: When she logged off her computer for one final time.
[37:51] Speaker 2: Nobody ever spoke to her again. She never logged onto
[37:54] Speaker 2: her computer again. She never used her meal card again
[37:58] Speaker 2: or appeared on any surveillance from the dorm rooms. The
[38:03] Speaker 2: prosecution next called on four forensic scientists to take the
[38:06] Speaker 2: jury through the crime scene in the evidence. After most
[38:11] Speaker 2: of Laura's family left the courtroom, Detective Sergeant James Bunsa
[38:15] Speaker 2: testified about the discovery of Laura's body in photographs presented
[38:20] Speaker 2: on a large screen. He pointed to a ripple pattern
[38:23] Speaker 2: in the fitted sheet of her bed. He said this
[38:26] Speaker 2: appeared to indicate that Laura had been dragged off the bed.
[38:29] Speaker 2: Defn's attorney Keele, questioned whether this pattern could have been
[38:33] Speaker 2: made of Laura out of wrapped the blanket and top
[38:36] Speaker 2: sheet around herself, sat on the bed, and then fell
[38:39] Speaker 2: to the floor. He said that it was unlikely because
[38:43] Speaker 2: Laura's arms were outstretched, with one arm under the bed
[38:46] Speaker 2: and blanket and sheet partially under her body. The next
[38:50] Speaker 2: witness was Heather Vida, supervisor of the Michigan State Police
[38:54] Speaker 2: Biology Lab. She testified the DNA samples taken from seman
[38:59] Speaker 2: on Laura's thigh and sat both match Taylor. According to
[39:03] Speaker 2: State Police trace evidence analyst Guy Nudder, fibers found on
[39:07] Speaker 2: Laura's body had come from Taylor's acrylic sweatshirt. He said
[39:12] Speaker 2: that the sweatshirt was unlike any other he had ever tested.
[39:16] Speaker 2: He even checked online for a similar sweatshirt and found
[39:20] Speaker 2: only two or three, and none in the area stores
[39:22] Speaker 2: that he checked. It was unique because it was one
[39:26] Speaker 2: hundred percent to crylic. Nudder further told the jury that
[39:31] Speaker 2: fibers taken from the blanket under Laura's body were consistent
[39:35] Speaker 2: with fibers fond on the sweatshirt. The prosecution then called
[39:40] Speaker 2: on university public safety officer Michael Arnts. He took the
[39:45] Speaker 2: jury through the surveillance footage of the man the prosecution
[39:48] Speaker 2: said was Taylor.
[39:50] Speaker 3: Now, based on reviewing this video, did you go back
[39:55] Speaker 3: to other dates in time and try and identify what
[40:00] Speaker 3: orange tainer looked like wearing shirt and clothes?
[40:02] Speaker 1: And I started going back as far as the camera
[40:05] Speaker 1: would go, which was November twenty seventh, and I start
[40:09] Speaker 1: watching the cameras between two and seven am to see
[40:12] Speaker 1: if I could identify him or see him around anymore.
[40:15] Speaker 1: Of what clothes he's wearing. There was several times I
[40:18] Speaker 1: saw the subject wearing a black or brown coat with
[40:21] Speaker 1: a fur on the hood, entering with their hood on
[40:24] Speaker 1: covering their face. And there are several times where there's
[40:28] Speaker 1: other subjects letting him in through that north door.
[40:32] Speaker 2: He was identified on the video by his friend Jeffrey
[40:35] Speaker 2: van de Marc, who identified him by his feet out
[40:38] Speaker 2: walk and his sweatshirt.
[40:40] Speaker 3: Now in the course of knowing mister Taylor, have you
[40:43] Speaker 3: ever noticed anything unusual about the way he.
[40:45] Speaker 4: Walks other than he is kind of a typical gate
[40:48] Speaker 4: kind of walks slightly a little bit like this fete
[40:51] Speaker 4: slowly houred pretty much about that.
[40:54] Speaker 3: Yeah, not pigeon toed, for example.
[40:59] Speaker 4: Speed slowly like this, you know, kind of a slight one.
[41:07] Speaker 3: Are you sure you have been marked as people's proposed
[41:10] Speaker 3: exhibit thirty two?
[41:11] Speaker 1: Can you identify that?
[41:14] Speaker 4: Guess I can't. It looks like a see them wear
[41:18] Speaker 4: the sweatshirt before full time?
[41:20] Speaker 3: Okay, can you say that a little bit louder?
[41:24] Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess I've seen Orange wear the sweatshirt before.
[41:28] Speaker 3: And is there something unique about that sweatshirt?
[41:31] Speaker 4: The unique part about it is the stitching. Stitching has
[41:34] Speaker 4: a red and white stitching.
[41:37] Speaker 2: The jury also got to watch Taylor's interrogation. His parents,
[41:42] Speaker 2: Orange Junior and Tina, were in the courtroom, tightly clutching
[41:46] Speaker 2: to one another's hands. They had to listen to their
[41:49] Speaker 2: son admit to breaking into dorm rooms for the purpose
[41:52] Speaker 2: of stealing property. Both Orange Junior and Tina believed that
[41:57] Speaker 2: their son was innocent. Court that day, they spoke with
[42:01] Speaker 2: the media and described him as a boy with a
[42:03] Speaker 2: love of football and the Bible who grew into a
[42:06] Speaker 2: detached young man. The next morning, the jury heard from
[42:11] Speaker 2: the pathologist, doctor Baeter Cassen. He said that he ruled
[42:15] Speaker 2: Laura's death a homicide, the result of his phyxia by strangulation, suffocation,
[42:21] Speaker 2: or both. He said that he found no significant injuries
[42:24] Speaker 2: to her body and no defensive wounds, adding that he
[42:28] Speaker 2: likely wouldn't see defensive injuries if her arms were under
[42:30] Speaker 2: blankets when she awoke to find someone pinning her to
[42:33] Speaker 2: the bed. He further testified that suffocation would not necessarily
[42:38] Speaker 2: leave any marks on her body, and strangulation may not
[42:42] Speaker 2: leave significant marks. Following his testimony, the prosecution and defense rested.
[42:49] Speaker 2: There had been much speculation that Taylor would testify on
[42:52] Speaker 2: his own behalf, but he opted out of taking the stand.
[42:57] Speaker 2: According to his defense attorney, there was an off reasonable
[42:59] Speaker 2: doubt for any quittle without his taestimony. During closing arguments,
[43:04] Speaker 2: Prosecutor Longworth oster jury to look at the DNA evidence,
[43:08] Speaker 2: the video surveillance on the trial testimony, I'm convict Taelor,
[43:12] Speaker 2: and so.
[43:12] Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen, if you look at all the evidence
[43:17] Speaker 3: in perspective and in context. Then't isolate a piece of others,
[43:21] Speaker 3: but look at it all together and put it all together.
[43:25] Speaker 3: He'll reach the conclusion that, beyond any reasonable doubt, Orange
[43:30] Speaker 3: Taylor killed Laura Dickinson. He did so intentionally. He sexually
[43:37] Speaker 3: assaulted her, He stole from her, and he tried to
[43:40] Speaker 3: cover up what he did and the only way that
[43:43] Speaker 3: he could.
[43:44] Speaker 1: He couldn't carry.
[43:44] Speaker 3: Her body out of the dormitory, but he could try
[43:47] Speaker 3: and take some things with him and lock her in
[43:49] Speaker 3: that room so that other people would quickly or easily
[43:54] Speaker 3: know what.
[43:54] Speaker 5: He had done.
[43:55] Speaker 2: He mentioned the tom poem found near Laura's body and said,
[44:00] Speaker 2: but think about why Orange Taylor would do that. Maybe
[44:03] Speaker 2: he wanted to actually gratify himself and it was obstructing
[44:07] Speaker 2: him from what he was trying to do. He then added,
[44:11] Speaker 2: all Taylor said he did was steal a bag of junk.
[44:14] Speaker 2: Nothing could be further from the truth. He stole a
[44:18] Speaker 2: sister from her brothers, a daughter from her parents. He
[44:22] Speaker 2: stole a life and the future and dreams of a
[44:24] Speaker 2: young woman. Once more, defense attorney Alvin Keel acknowledged his
[44:30] Speaker 2: client seamen that was found on Laura's body but denied
[44:34] Speaker 2: approved he rapped and killed her.
[44:37] Speaker 5: Mister Taylor did enter a room. Did mister Taylor masturbate?
[44:45] Speaker 5: I told you, as perverse as it is, he masturbated
[44:48] Speaker 5: in the room. And did he get sperm on Laura Dickerson,
[44:52] Speaker 5: Yes he did. Did he get it on her bed?
[44:54] Speaker 5: Yes he did. I told you an opening statement. I said,
[44:58] Speaker 5: I don't contest the sperm being there because I know
[45:00] Speaker 5: it's there. I know it's there. But if you're going
[45:05] Speaker 5: to murder a person, and as the prosecution has now
[45:10] Speaker 5: tried to suggest you, they had to change the theory
[45:12] Speaker 5: because he couldn't prove the other person, they change them
[45:14] Speaker 5: Now they're saying, well, you know there's only a couple
[45:17] Speaker 5: drops the sperm because you had like a pre ejaculation
[45:20] Speaker 5: because he couldn't complete jack itself. Well, the reason why
[45:24] Speaker 5: that's changed because he can't show any penetration and you
[45:30] Speaker 5: have to say something to try to get the person convicted.
[45:34] Speaker 2: He also said that it wasn't s actual assault because
[45:37] Speaker 2: you're apparently come to assault the dead person. The jury
[45:41] Speaker 2: were saund away to deliberate, but on the third day
[45:44] Speaker 2: of deliberation, the annoys that they were deadlocked. The judge
[45:49] Speaker 2: addressed them, do you.
[45:50] Speaker 6: Believe there's any possibility that you could reach a unanimous
[45:54] Speaker 6: verdict on one or all of the counts, so that
[45:57] Speaker 6: even giving you this instruction, there would be no possibility
[46:01] Speaker 6: because this jury is hopelessly deadlocked.
[46:03] Speaker 2: Hopelessly deadlocked.
[46:05] Speaker 6: Yes, sir, I want to thank you for your service.
[46:11] Speaker 6: Then this court will discharge you, declare that this is
[46:13] Speaker 6: a hung jury, and declare a mistrial, reschedule this matter
[46:16] Speaker 6: for trial. Appreciate your time and your efforts in this matter.
[46:19] Speaker 6: As I said at the very beginning of the trial,
[46:21] Speaker 6: it's individuals such as yourself that come together that we
[46:23] Speaker 6: depend upon. Sometimes you just can't reach agreement. We understand that,
[46:28] Speaker 6: but we do appreciate your service.
[46:30] Speaker 2: The judge then declared a mistrial, and as Teelor was
[46:33] Speaker 2: led away from the courtroom, he pumped his fist in
[46:36] Speaker 2: celebration towards his family wet side of court. His father commented,
[46:42] Speaker 2: you have a hung jury, so there must be some indecision.
[46:46] Speaker 2: He's not that type of person, true enough, he's young,
[46:50] Speaker 2: but he's not a murderer. It was later revealed that
[47:00] Speaker 2: ten members of the jury favored a conviction, but there
[47:03] Speaker 2: were two who wanted an acquittal. One of the jurors,
[47:08] Speaker 2: Loretta Codrington, commented, we couldn't place the defendant in her
[47:12] Speaker 2: room before she died. Some of the jurors who wanted
[47:17] Speaker 2: a conviction also spoke out. Jeffrey Ing said, could I
[47:22] Speaker 2: ever walk away thinking he was not guilty? I don't
[47:25] Speaker 2: think so. But what complicated the case? He said that
[47:30] Speaker 2: there was no smoking gun per se, but others said
[47:34] Speaker 2: they believed there was enough evidence to show that he
[47:36] Speaker 2: was guilty without a smoking gun, such as the DNA
[47:39] Speaker 2: evidence and surveillance footage. Another juror, Mary Bunsen, spoke with
[47:45] Speaker 2: the ann Arbor News.
[47:46] Speaker 7: I was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he was
[47:48] Speaker 7: guilty And were there key factors in your feeling that way?
[47:54] Speaker 7: I think the scientific evidence was a really strong factor
[47:58] Speaker 7: to me personally. I felt that the DNA and the
[48:03] Speaker 7: fibers alone really gave me a strong conviction that he
[48:07] Speaker 7: was guilty, as well as the circumstantial evidence really connected
[48:12] Speaker 7: all the dats from me really put it together and
[48:14] Speaker 7: made me believe that.
[48:15] Speaker 4: He was guilty.
[48:17] Speaker 2: Most people were surprised with the outcome of the trial,
[48:20] Speaker 2: with the Grand Rapids Press running an article accusing the
[48:23] Speaker 2: jury of ignoring the evidence. The article read, in part,
[48:28] Speaker 2: opportunity DNA on Miss Dickinson's lifeless body, unusual fabric fiber
[48:34] Speaker 2: on the victim matching the suspect's clothing, and video of
[48:37] Speaker 2: the suspect entering and leaving her building in the early
[48:40] Speaker 2: morning hours aren't enough for some jurors to bring a
[48:43] Speaker 2: guilty verdict. What is videotape of the actual rape and
[48:48] Speaker 2: taking of this young woman's life. Just the following day,
[48:52] Speaker 2: the judge said a new trial date for the twenty
[48:55] Speaker 2: eighth of January. Taylor's family shared their belief that this
[48:59] Speaker 2: time he would be acquitted. His father said, my son
[49:04] Speaker 2: will be vindicated of all charges. Before the retrial began,
[49:09] Speaker 2: Alvin Keele withdrew himself from the case, meaning that Taylor
[49:13] Speaker 2: needed to find a new defense attorney. While that was ongoing,
[49:17] Speaker 2: Eastern Michigan University agreed to pay Laura's family two point
[49:20] Speaker 2: five million dollars. The family hadn't sued the university, but
[49:26] Speaker 2: the settlement was reached to pre empt any lawsuits. The
[49:31] Speaker 2: university was also fined three hundred fifty seven thousand, five
[49:34] Speaker 2: hundred dollars for violating the Clariact. The murder trial was
[49:39] Speaker 2: pushed back and a new jury was selected by the
[49:42] Speaker 2: second of April. It was similar to the first trial,
[49:46] Speaker 2: but this time Taylor's defense attorney, Laura Graham, attacked the
[49:50] Speaker 2: credibility of the evidence collectors. She suggested that the evidence
[49:55] Speaker 2: connecting Taylor's sweatshirt to Laura's body wasn't up to standard.
[50:00] Speaker 2: She said that the fibers were indistinguishable from others just
[50:03] Speaker 2: like it, and showed a photograph of a sweatshirt in
[50:06] Speaker 2: Laura's closet that was the same color. Fiber expert Guy
[50:11] Speaker 2: Nodder admitted that it wasn't tested for fiber comparison. There
[50:16] Speaker 2: is also new testimony from Laura's physician. He said that
[50:20] Speaker 2: she had an arrhythmia, a general term to designate a
[50:24] Speaker 2: heart rhythm that isn't normal. However, doctor Allan Woeful said
[50:29] Speaker 2: that the condition occurs in most adults to some degree
[50:32] Speaker 2: and it wasn't a threat to her life. Doctor Tiginder
[50:37] Speaker 2: Dana also testified that Laura had been cleared to compete
[50:40] Speaker 2: in the novice rowing team. He said that her heartbeat
[50:44] Speaker 2: and blood pressure was well within the normal ranges. In
[50:47] Speaker 2: October of two thousand and six. The prosecution were using
[50:51] Speaker 2: this testimony to show that Laura was a healthy young woman.
[50:56] Speaker 2: This time, the jury deliberated for just four hours before
[51:00] Speaker 2: before they returned with a verdict. The courtroom fell silent
[51:05] Speaker 2: as it was announced that they had found Orange Taylor
[51:08] Speaker 2: the third guilty of murder, attempted rape, home invasion, and theft.
[51:13] Speaker 2: At the sentencing phase and in his first public statement,
[51:17] Speaker 2: Taylor maintained his innocence. He said that he may have
[51:21] Speaker 2: done things that were inappropriate, but said that he wasn't
[51:24] Speaker 2: a murderer. Laura's parents didn't speak in the courtroom, but
[51:29] Speaker 2: they had written letters that were read aloud by prosecutor Longsworth.
[51:34] Speaker 2: Deb said that she cried often and said that her
[51:37] Speaker 2: faith in God was shaken. She referred to her daughter
[51:40] Speaker 2: as a smiling, compassionate ray of sunshine and said she
[51:44] Speaker 2: would miss the love, support and encouragement that her daughter
[51:47] Speaker 2: gave her. She said, I am heartbroken and I cry
[51:51] Speaker 2: often because she is no longer with me except in
[51:54] Speaker 2: my memories. I still wake up in the middle of
[51:57] Speaker 2: the night and my mind goes over and over what
[52:00] Speaker 2: you did to Laura. In Robert's letter, he spoke about
[52:03] Speaker 2: his daughter's aspirations, but said that these would never be
[52:07] Speaker 2: realized because of Taylor's actions. He said, you totally destroyed
[52:12] Speaker 2: my family. You tore it limb from limb. Not only
[52:16] Speaker 2: did you kill Laura, you killed a very big part
[52:18] Speaker 2: of me. Orange Taylor the Third was then sentenced to
[52:23] Speaker 2: life in prison without the possibility of parole. In July
[52:29] Speaker 2: twenty ten, Laura's dreamed to help orphans in Africa was fulfilled.
[52:35] Speaker 2: Twelve members of the Thornapple Valley Church left to South
[52:38] Speaker 2: Africa on a mission trip called Living Laura's Hope. Her
[52:43] Speaker 2: father Robert was among them. He commented, I expect at
[52:49] Speaker 2: times it's going to be quite overwhelming. I hope I
[52:52] Speaker 2: get that same passion that Laura had. Well, Bestie's That
[53:20] Speaker 2: is it for this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank
[53:23] Speaker 2: you so much for listening, and I'd like to say
[53:25] Speaker 2: a massive thank you to my new supporter up on Patreon, Victoria.
[53:30] Speaker 2: If you join me up on Patreon, I upload adfree
[53:33] Speaker 2: in early release episodes, bus episodes behind the scenes, and
[53:37] Speaker 2: I also send out a handwritten thank you card along
[53:39] Speaker 2: with some cool Patreon exclusive merch. You can join us
[53:44] Speaker 2: up on Patreon for as little as one dollar a month,
[53:47] Speaker 2: and there are absolutely no obligations. You're free to cancel
[53:50] Speaker 2: your subscription at any point. If you'd like to support
[53:54] Speaker 2: the show in another way, please consider leaving me a
[53:56] Speaker 2: rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Ratings and reviews are
[54:01] Speaker 2: a super easy way to support a show that you like,
[54:03] Speaker 2: and I genuinely do appreciate the feedback. Remember to check
[54:07] Speaker 2: us out at morbidology dot com for more information about
[54:09] Speaker 2: this episode and to read some true crime articles. Until
[54:13] Speaker 2: next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have
[54:15] Speaker 2: an amazing week.

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