Dr. Paul Leeland Kirk, professor of Criminalistics and forensic expert for the Sheppard defense team, stated in his affidavit that he examined the crime scene, various pieces of evidence held by the prosecutor and police, as well as blood samples collected and mailed to him. His investigation began on January 22, 1955 and continued for several months. Dr. Kirk used blood spatter analysis to conclude, among other things, that:
- The murderer was left-handed (Dr. Sam Sheppard was right-handed)
- Injuries to the victim's teeth indicate that the victim had bitten the attacker's hand
- A large bloodstain on the closet door was likely from the attacker's bloody hand
- Testing of the blood stain showed it did not match that of Sam or Marilyn Sheppard, so the attacker must have been a third person
- The murder weapon was a cylindrical object, such as a pipe or flashlight, not a surgical instrument, as asserted by the Coroner
- The physical evidence demonstrated that the crime was a sexual assault
The following photographs were submitted in support of Dr. Kirk's Affidavit. Kirk also explains his investigation in his 1966 trial testimony.
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Kirk Photo 40: Backswing Spatter from Bar
Throw-off on the back stroke was different in that the velocity of the object was invariably smaller. An object dipped in blood and thrown back, as in preparing for a blow, deposited large drops mixed with a considerable proportion of small ones. Photograph No. 40 shows this effect with a bar.
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Kirk Photo 41: Backswing Spatter from Flashlight
Throw-off on the back stroke was different in that the velocity of the object was invariably smaller. An object dipped in blood and thrown back, as in preparing for a blow, deposited large drops mixed with a considerable proportion of small ones. Photograph No. 41 shows this effect with a flashlight.
Note of interest: The flashlight produced back-throw spots most nearly like those on the east wall of the murder room, ranging from almost 1/2" diameter to very small spots. Also note that the roundness of the drop was readily duplicated by the back motion postulated in this report and used in this experiment. The distance from the paper wall was similar to that which occurred in the bedroom. While this does not prove that a flashlight was the weapon used, it does show that an object of that general shape and size produces the results found.
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Kirk Photo 42: Extracted Sample Teeth
Two questions suggest themselves with regard to the broken teeth of Marilyn Sheppard: 1. Is the shape of the break consistent with and only with a fracture of the tooth by a pull outward? 2. What is the magnitude of the force necessary to break a tooth completely off close to the gum?
To answer these questions, a considerable number of human teeth were collected from dentists who had extracted them. Only a portion of some fifteen or twenty teeth were incisors, and the condition with respect to decay and dental repair was quite variable. Seven incisors were chosen for experimentation as shown in photographs No. 42 and No. 43.
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Kirk Photo 43: Extracted Sample Teeth
Two questions suggest themselves with regard to the broken teeth of Marilyn Sheppard: 1. Is the shape of the break consistent with and only with a fracture of the tooth by a pull outward? 2. What is the magnitude of the force necessary to break a tooth completely off close to the gum?
To answer these questions, a considerable number of human teeth were collected from dentists who had extracted them. Only a portion of some fifteen or twenty teeth were incisors, and the condition with respect to decay and dental repair was quite variable. Seven incisors were chosen for experimentation as shown in photographs No. 42 and No. 43.
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Kirk Photo 44: Teeth Attatched to Display Board
To anchor the roots of the teeth solidly as in the jaw, holes were drilled in a heavy brass bar. A hole was filled with molten "Weeds" metal, an antimony alloy that melts below the boiling point of water. The root was held in the liquid metal until the alloy was solid and all mounted teeth could not be moved until the metal was remelted. The method of breaking the teeth varied but usually consisted of pulling steadily on them by means of a hooked notch cut in a brass bar as illustrated.
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Kirk Photo 45: Teeth Attatched to Display Board
All but one tooth was broken with the force from the lingual toward the labial surface. In every instance the fracture was diagonal and similar to the tooth found in Marilyn Sheppard's bed. The medial incisor fractured at an angle that is consistent only with a pull outward, not a blow inward. Because it was not stated in the testimony, it is not clear what portion of the additional teeth contributed the two smaller fragments. If they were chipped from the labial surfaces, as they appeared to be, this could hardly happen from a blow. It seems very clear that the teeth were clamped on something that was forcibly withdrawn with removal of the fragments completely from the mouth.
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Kirk Photo 46: Diagonally Fractured Tooth
The one tooth broken with a blow delivered to the labial surface yielded the diagonal fracture in the opposite manner. It was complicated by a splitting of the tooth but verified the indication given by the fractures in the opposite direction.
