July 29, 1994 - Part 4
July 29, 1994 - Part 4
(15:30:31) Mr. ROLLA. To my knowledge, the body had not been moved other than that we do have this blood transfer stain from the collar to the chin. Somebody either checked the carotid or whatever, may have moved the head, I do not know, but that is the only possible movement. Otherwise, no, the body bad not been moved. I approached the body carefully. The head was the first part of the body at the top of the embankment. Again, it is a very steep embankment with heavy foliage on both sides of the body. I carefully walked around the body, looking at it. Again, I was already told that there was a gun in the band and at that point, I leaned over the body and observed a dark-colored revolver in the right band of the deceased. The CHAIRMAN. Let me just stop you there. My time is up. I want top if I may, just ask one question, and then I will yield because I do not want to trespass on the time either. Did either of you see anything at the time that caused you to think that this might not be a suicide or the way it apparently would have appeared to you? in other words, when you arrived, saw the scene, and saw the body, was there anything that struck either of you that would have caused you to say, maybe this was not a suicide. Was there anything that stuck out at that time that you recall now, or that you made a point of at the time? Ms. Braun. Ms. BRAUN. No. When we arrived at the scene and I went up to the scene, everything was consistent with a suicide. The CHAIRMAN. Everything was consistent with a suicide. What would your answer be, Mr. Rolla? Mr. ROLLA. Pretty much the same. Again, it was the early stages of investigation just arriving on the scene but at that point, everything was consistent with a suicide. The CHAiRmAN. Let me yield now to Senator D'Amato. Senator DAMATO. I am going to yield my time to Senator Bond. The CHAiRmAN. Senator Bond. -Senator BOND. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I want .to thank the panel for their good work. I believe, Mr. Rolla, for ease of going through this, you have provided a great deal of information in the depositions. want to highlight for this Committee, some particular points of your testimony, and I will go through and give you the page numbers and ask you if that is an accurate reflection. It has to do with the outside interference in the investigation. On page 63, you were asked: "If, at any time, if someone outside the the Criminal Investigation Bureau, would you let me know, be- We there are lots of names." You give an answer. "It would be very odd if anybody outside the 'would ask anybody or do anything in the investigation." questioned you: "Did Officer Rule, when be called you, tell autopsy had been moved up specifically at the request of White House?" 80 Your answer was: "Yes, he told me it had been pushed up. They wanted it done sooner, so they got it." Is that an accurate statement? Mr. ROLLA. Yes, it is. Senator BOND. Next, on page 68, the question's asked to you: "Is it SOP, standard operating procedure, to have someone who was at the scene of the death attend the autopsy?" And your answer was: "Yes, that would be normal operating procedure. As I say, there may be nothing, there may be questions, you like to explain the scene and the doctor likes to hear besides reading the report and looking at the photographs. He can explain things, if you have questions. The investigator may have questions that he needs to ask the doctor."' Is that accurate? Mr. ROLLA. That is correct. Senator BOND. And you were not able to attend the autopsy? You did not attend the autopsy ? Mr. ROLLA. Well, myself and Cheryl Braun worked all night. We worked, our shift was 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The day before we worked until 6:30 that morning, waited for Dr. Beyer to get in and confirm that the autopsy would be on the morning of the 22nd. So we went home to get some sleep after our reports were written. Senator BOND. That is understandable, but in other words, the autopsy was pushed up so you were Mr. ROLLA. It was pushed up and I was too tired to drive in and go back. Senator BOND. Next, on page 75, you are asked about White House contacts.