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Murder charges dropped against tennis referee

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    Legal panel weigh in on the case

  • Duration 7:52
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I -- -- back in session on the docket today cleared of murder now.

Charges dropped anyway.

Tennis referee lowest Goodman now free -- -- after prosecutors officially drop all the charges against her without prejudice that means they can refile.

Just four months after she was first accused of bludgeoning her eighty year old husband to death with a coffee cup and now it turns out her husband.

May not have been murdered at all although police say they still suspect.

Doctor Michael -- is a forensic pathologist famed.

We'll examine the coroner's report on behalf of the defense and is being credited in part with turning this case around doctor about a pleasure to have you back here so what -- you -- you get a big case.

I call you and that's what the defense did and said this what they believe it wasn't murdered they said.

The guy -- honesty his wallet I guess while you drink is probably had a coffee -- in hand he had a heart attack fellas there's and died.

The police said no very suspicious circumstances the coroner found all sorts of injuries on the guy's head is suggesting that -- They say they've been arguing.

Weeks before this alleged murder they -- her injured her behavior after the fact it was not that of somebody who seemed innocent she she basically went on and had her nails done.

And they said at the LA county coroner's office found his injuries inconsistent.

With the fall what say you.

IE I say making good to see you.

That it's entirely consistent with a -- he's an eighty year old.

Hypertensive.

Diabetic legally blind.

Home alone.

Walking around with coffee in his hand and -- coffee cup.

When people with.

Intrinsic heart disease.

Have arrhythmia is they can collapse suddenly and they -- wherever they happen to be -- -- -- on the ground.

This one was down a flight a -- the injuries to the head from the show shards of the broken.

Coffee cup.

Look prominence.

To some people who observe the body but you can die a from lacerations of the scalp scalping a person doesn't cause a person to die because there are no big blood vessels in the -- There are little capillaries that just -- off by themselves.

So I think when.

The medical and the coroner's office there in the police relook that.

There are what they had initially said.

They he appreciated that that wasn't enough evidence to say -- this was a homicide -- all that this could have been -- other natural causes.

But the investigators say.

They still suspected murder it sounds like they just don't believe they can prove murder doctor -- why -- was blood all over the house if this wasn't a murder.

Because people can the people bleed.

Who have injuries.

From falling down that -- the fact that this blood does make it a murder the fact that he had severe heart disease shows that there's a good reason for him to fall down and there was no other injuries they would know injuries to at any other part of the body.

There were no skull fractures there's no brain damage it was just fold down stairs and falls in people who are blind.

Downstairs.

Arturs can occur Idec about a stand -- want to bring our panel now at least we'll Fox News legal analyst mark I -- former prosecutor now defense attorney.

Lease your thoughts and -- -- bonds' testimony.

I'd love doctor -- I think is wonderful but I will say from a prosecutor's standpoint that when you want to dismiss something and really make it go away if you really believe that you don't have the evidence you can't that you can't prove beyond a reasonable that.

What you do you dismiss.

With prejudice very clearly here they did not do that they think there's something else I can find Jamaican.

And will see going forward.

And investigators mark reportedly are saying that they still believe they still suspect murder they say we have no other suspects in the case.

They say there was no forced entry they were arguing for weeks ahead of time.

And you know they seem to be telling us we can't prove it was her but we still think it was her.

There's no shocker I mean these -- the same investigators who brought evidence its so sufficient they thought.

To persuade prosecutors to bring charges and October 3 they announce an open court -- the one who committed first degree murder and they file the charges.

58 days later November 30 the charges are dropped really investigators.

Still think that she might be -- Mark that is extraordinary isn't it I mean tell -- tell the viewers how extraordinary that time -- Extremely and a one minute you're saying you have proved beyond -- exclusion of every reasonable doubt there's no reasonable hypothesis of -- we can overcome that burden and all of -- less than sixty days later all -- and please -- at least before your spot at -- about -- points out eighty years old.

-- -- -- -- -- Who is legally blind.

Yeah it's not plausible he felt on the snares that.

It is plausible that's why the prosecutors had to just doesn't -- at least for right now that's the whole point mark what happened what was engineer factory doctor Baden -- That gave this great analysis now prosecutors announced might be different -- prosecutors' expert might be different let's find out.

But I got away on standby -- to bring doctor my body back to but but after about goes into a lot of cases on behalf of the defense doesn't think the prosecution dropped the charges -- talking about possibly some mystery evidence.

We'll get into that after the break.

So my panel back with me guess you've got -- -- -- lot forced out in California saying they still suspect murder but telling the LA times.

That some evidence might now suggest accidents.

And the DA spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the new information.

Doctor Biden are you the new information.

Well I'm not sure that the DA says I'd love lease but I must agree with the mark's analysis.

And to -- to what was said.

There were married just about to celebrate fifty years -- a very happy marriage.

No arguments and then no boyfriends as.

-- reports of the arguments fighting before he died or not true but that's not that's my impressions app and I'm married couples fight and I cannot it's not -- evidence that he puts.

-- -- marriage and also the first officer at the scene -- and -- what's called.

He didn't feel there was anything suspicious.

They released the body went to the house and talk to her look to the body looked at the blood on the floor.

He thought it was an accidental -- all the body was removed to a funeral home.

And three days later at the crematorium just before the body was great to be cremated.

The crematorium worker.

Called the police have looked all kinds injuries in the body and that's what start.

Honestly now we know -- doctor -- only examined the coroner's reports as opposed to the actual body you know and at least I want to ask you quickly because by the way to woman is said -- -- passed a private polygraph that would guy by early.

Do you believe that they'll likely any chance that they will -- Filed this case yes absolutely really yes I do I mean the fact that they didn't just shut it down when the doctor Baden you know get gave this wonderful testimony.

Fact that it shouldn't didn't shut it down after that means that's why I don't think -- mark.

I disagree I disagree you -- call him doctor Baden I call him reasonable.

Doubt and it comes to testifying in court I watched him in the -- case here -- same type of scenario the prosecution called -- homicide he said no homicide and it was built in -- reasonable -- same thing that and why didn't -- had to -- prejudice and why didn't they just let these kids are feeling like I just let it -- as opposed to dropping it -- well because if -- if if if they -- this information from doctor -- they couldn't go forward to -- get new information -- -- what they've done -- they've bought themselves time the pilot did a better case.

She's being a good enough -- I don't know I think that.

I think you get it you have doubts about doctor but he's -- he's just a paid expert -- -- -- -- expert that you that you would do the -- experts in court doesn't Celek they thought they had.

Great job all of your docket and are you ready oh please mark thank you well there and a million.

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