Post by Michael on Jul 22, 2006 9:02:14 GMT -5
Placed in our Archives by Admin For Kevkon
[Originally created on 7-22-06]
I agree 100% that the defense really dropped the ball regarding the entire ladder issue. Much of what was presented as fact by the prosecution should have been vigorously contested.
As for the "ladder failure" theory, I would say with reasonable certainty it is fiction. Although it can't be said with absolute certainty, since there are too many unknowns and variables at work, I think it can be said with reasonable certainty that the ladder did not suffer a complete failure during its' use. Why? For a number of reasons.
First, there is absolutely no evidence to support such a claim. There are no indications of a failure evident, no wood debris , no impressions in the earth, no marks on the wall or library shutters where the ladder would have hit, and no distortion of the holes in the ground. If this ladder had failed in operation as a result of the joint failure at sections 1 & 2 the results would be quite violent. It would be near impossible for the two rails to split and fail simultaneously. What would most likely occur would be a sequential failure as one side failed and then the other. This would result in a rotational movement of the ladder with the climber being thrust off the ladder to one side or the other. There would be no time to react and the resultant damage to the climber, the ladder, and the house would be severe. In fact we see the holes below the window from the rails are relatively undistorted, no damage is evidenced on the house, and the ladder was still intact when discovered.
My interest in the so-called "ladder failure" led me to try and re-create it by making several replicas. One of these was a shortened version of sections 1 & 2 (about 8 ft long) which I used to purposely cause a breakage at the joint. Not being able to cause such a break by climbing it , I then started the splits with a chisel and applied my weight (185 lbs) the rung at the rail. This did lead to the splitting somewhat similar to that found on the kidnap ladder, but the nature of the joint kept the ladder from failing completely by wedging the top part of the rail at the splits together. Going further, I then violently jumped on the top rung of section 1 which caused the top rung to separate from the rail. At this point what occurred happened so quickly that I can't say exactly what occurred other than the fact that I went flying backward (I provided for this with some cushion) and pieces of the ladder went flying. In fact the dowel was found about 20 ft away. Now if this had occurred on a full size ladder I might not be writing this right now.
The nature of the ladders' condition as found and the absolute lack of any evidence of a complete failure coupled with the symmetrical quality of the rail splits gives me cause to believe that they where in fact caused by the sudden scissoring or folding together of the two sections upon being taken down. When this occurs the joint is forced to go over center binding the rail ends which results in the splits found on the original ladder.
Contact: lindberghkidnap.proboards56.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=kevkon
[Originally created on 7-22-06]
I agree 100% that the defense really dropped the ball regarding the entire ladder issue. Much of what was presented as fact by the prosecution should have been vigorously contested.
As for the "ladder failure" theory, I would say with reasonable certainty it is fiction. Although it can't be said with absolute certainty, since there are too many unknowns and variables at work, I think it can be said with reasonable certainty that the ladder did not suffer a complete failure during its' use. Why? For a number of reasons.
First, there is absolutely no evidence to support such a claim. There are no indications of a failure evident, no wood debris , no impressions in the earth, no marks on the wall or library shutters where the ladder would have hit, and no distortion of the holes in the ground. If this ladder had failed in operation as a result of the joint failure at sections 1 & 2 the results would be quite violent. It would be near impossible for the two rails to split and fail simultaneously. What would most likely occur would be a sequential failure as one side failed and then the other. This would result in a rotational movement of the ladder with the climber being thrust off the ladder to one side or the other. There would be no time to react and the resultant damage to the climber, the ladder, and the house would be severe. In fact we see the holes below the window from the rails are relatively undistorted, no damage is evidenced on the house, and the ladder was still intact when discovered.
My interest in the so-called "ladder failure" led me to try and re-create it by making several replicas. One of these was a shortened version of sections 1 & 2 (about 8 ft long) which I used to purposely cause a breakage at the joint. Not being able to cause such a break by climbing it , I then started the splits with a chisel and applied my weight (185 lbs) the rung at the rail. This did lead to the splitting somewhat similar to that found on the kidnap ladder, but the nature of the joint kept the ladder from failing completely by wedging the top part of the rail at the splits together. Going further, I then violently jumped on the top rung of section 1 which caused the top rung to separate from the rail. At this point what occurred happened so quickly that I can't say exactly what occurred other than the fact that I went flying backward (I provided for this with some cushion) and pieces of the ladder went flying. In fact the dowel was found about 20 ft away. Now if this had occurred on a full size ladder I might not be writing this right now.
The nature of the ladders' condition as found and the absolute lack of any evidence of a complete failure coupled with the symmetrical quality of the rail splits gives me cause to believe that they where in fact caused by the sudden scissoring or folding together of the two sections upon being taken down. When this occurs the joint is forced to go over center binding the rail ends which results in the splits found on the original ladder.
Contact: lindberghkidnap.proboards56.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=kevkon