2.Colleen M. Tanguay — Direct/Cross
163 linesCOLLEEN M. TANGUAY, duly sworn
COURT CLERK: Have a seat. State your name, spell your last name for the record, keep your voice up and speak into the mic so everyone can hear you.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir. Colleen M. Tanguay, T-A-N-G-U-A-Y.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. WEINREB:
MR. WEINREB: Good morning.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Good morning.
MR. WEINREB: Where do you work?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: I'm a trooper at the Massachusetts State Police, Crime Scene Services.
MR. WEINREB: How long have you worked there?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Crime scene for 13 years. I've been with the state police for over 14, and I have 18 and a half years' law enforcement total.
MR. WEINREB: What's your official title?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: I'm a trooper with crime scene.
MR. WEINREB: And what are your job responsibilities at the crime scene services section of the Massachusetts State Police?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: To work in conjunction with federal, state and local agencies to assist them with their investigations. These can pertain to homicides, suicides, motor-vehicle accidents, fatal motor vehicles, arsons, breaking and entering. We assist them with the processing of their scene including documentation which can be photography, videography or diagrams. We also help them process the scenes. That includes fingerprint, tire track and footwear impressions.
MR. WEINREB: What kind of training have you had?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: I have a bachelor's of science in criminal justice, I have a masters in criminal justice administration. I've been through two police academies: a local police academy and the Massachusetts State Police Academy. For crime scene services, started with 16 weeks of in-house training under the tutelage of senior troopers. Plus in addition to that, I've had multiple external classes in photography, videography, crime scene investigations, processing scenes for evidence, latent print classes, palm print classes, footwear and tire track examinations.
MR. WEINREB: How many crime scenes have you processed in your career?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Thousands, sir.
MR. WEINREB: What's a case officer?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: A case officer tends to wear many hats, but the primary goal is the collection -- organization, collection and maintaining the records, documentations pertaining to the case file.
MR. WEINREB: So in connection with a particular crime scene, will there always be a case officer?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: How does that person's duties differ from the duties of the other crime scene people processing the scene?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Everything eventually comes back to the case officer who, as I said, maintains the files, the documentation, photographs, videos, any records that pertain to that case file.
MR. WEINREB: And how many crime scenes have you been a case officer?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Hundreds, upwards to thousands. Thousands.
MR. WEINREB: Did you process the Laurel Street crime scene up in Watertown on April 19th --
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir. I am the case officer for Watertown.
MR. WEINREB: Okay. And that's 2013?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: When did you arrive at Laurel Street on the 19th?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Approximately 2:15 a.m.
MR. WEINREB: Did you begin processing the scene right away?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: No, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Why not?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It was still what we considered a hot scene. There were -- one, they were looking for a suspect who was still at large, so they were going from house to house making sure that he wasn't in the garage or anything of that nature, plus there were bomb parts and devices that they were still trying to clear to make sure that it was safe for us to enter the scene. Also, we were contacting other -- because of the large area of the scene and the amount of evidence within that scene, we were contacting members of crime scene from all over the state to come help and process the scene.
MR. WEINREB: So when did you actually get started processing it?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Shortly after six. About 6:15 a.m.
MR. WEINREB: And what did you do to process the scene?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Because of the size of the scene, like I originally stated, the scene was divided up into four areas. Each one contained a photographer, a videographer and a scribe. That scribe was the person who wrote down whatever pieces of evidence were documented within that scene. As the case officer, I made sure I went through all the areas and were familiar with everything that was happening, who my photographers were, who my videographers were and who my scribes were. We helped document the scene and every piece of evidence. As you'll see in some of the photos, there are placards. Each piece -- each item that we considered to be a piece of evidence was given a placard. Some of them you'll see were 1 through 100, some were paper, some were A through Z. And then you'll notice in some photographs they -- a line with chalk with the corresponding placard number was around that item. So that's essentially what we ended up doing, is documenting the entire scene for Laurel Street.
MR. WEINREB: Were steps taken to record the precise locations of the ballistics evidence, the shells, and in some cases slugs that were found?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes. We started with paper logs indicating what the item was. If it was Placard No. 1, what the item was and its approximate location. After the entire scene was photo/videoed, we had Sergeant Timothy Dowd from our accident reconstruction unit come in. And he has what's called a Leica GPS, and it gave exact GPS coordinates of each and every piece of evidence within that scene.
MR. WEINREB: So if I understand you correctly, the -- after the scene's cleared and you do your sort of your look over it, the steps are put down the placards, photograph them in place, take the GPS readings?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes. The GPS reading he started at some of the other scenes. But essentially yes, sir, that's the order.
MR. WEINREB: And at some point is the ballistics evidence actually collected by someone?
MR. WEINREB: And who collected the evidence?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Lieutenant Cahill from our ballistics unit came in after everything was documented and marked and picked up every piece of ballistics evidence.
MR. WEINREB: The other evening did I review a series of photos with you that were taken at the crime scene?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: And those photos which were given to defense counsel, were they all fair and accurate representations of what was on the crime scene on that date?
MR. WEINREB: Okay. Your Honor, those photos were Exhibit 948-433, -212, -230, -231, -268, -270, -271, -259, -277, -293, -244, -264, -261 and -265. I would offer those into evidence at this time.
MR. WATKINS: No objection.
THE COURT: Okay. All of those may be admitted.
(Government Exhibit Nos. 948-433, 948-212, 948-230, 948-231, 948-268, 948-270, 948-271, 948-259, 948-277, 948-293, 948-244, 948-264, 948-261 and 948-265 received into evidence.)
MR. WEINREB: Mr. Bruemmer, can we please have up on the screen 948-433.
BY MR. WEINREB:
MR. WEINREB: What's that a photo of?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That is a photo of Laurel Street. Dexter Street would be behind me looking at this. And this house here is 53, this over here is 55 and 57. Do you see that green Honda is over there? And right in this area -- sorry -- would be -- the Ruger would be behind one of the vehicles parked in the driveway of 55 Laurel Street.
MR. WEINREB: Okay. The houses with addresses are easily identified, but just for the record, you've circled a car that's near the very top of the frame and more or less in the middle going down the street?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: The center right, sir.
MR. WEINREB: The center right. That's the Honda? No, I'm talking about the Honda now.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: No, the Honda is the center left.
MR. WEINREB: Okay. And the location of the Ruger was the car that we can just see the back of, center right?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Okay.
MR. WEINREB: And 948-212, please.
MR. WEINREB: And what is that a picture of?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That is a picture of the driveway at 55 Laurel Street. You see in the top left is the Ruger, and those are the two vehicles parked at 55 Laurel Street, sir.
MR. WEINREB: 948-230, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It's another angle, close-up of Item No. 59, or Placard No. 59, the Ruger, sir.
MR. WEINREB: And 948-231, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: And again, a close-up of Placard 59 with the Ruger, sir.
MR. WEINREB: 948-268, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Those are two items that were located down by the green Honda, two backpacks.
MR. WEINREB: And there's a --
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Or a backpack.
MR. WEINREB: -- box that I'm circling that's more or less in between the two backpacks. Do you know what that is?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That's a box of ammunition, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Can we have -270, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It's a closer image of the box.
MR. WEINREB: -271.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: And again, another angle of the box with ammunition.
MR. WEINREB: Now, when items like this, a box, are collected at the scene, are they collected in such a way to preserve any fingerprint evidence that might be on them?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir. They are collected individually, put into its own bag. We take -- we use gloves when we handle any item so that we don't transfer our fingerprints onto those items.
MR. WEINREB: Exhibit -259, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That's another angle. That's just past 55 and 57 Laurel. This is the green Honda in the top left, and this is the backpacks with the box of ammunition.
MR. WEINREB: Okay. And what are the white placards that we see here? What are they marking?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Those are all items of evidence. That could be ballistics evidence or bomb evidence, sir.
MR. WEINREB: When -- is a Ruger -- is that a semiautomatic pistol?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: I'm not sure.
MR. WEINREB: Do you know whether a Ruger ejects shells after it fires a bullet?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, it does. Yes.
MR. WEINREB: Do you know, are they ejected, they just shoot off --
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: They tend to shoot off to the right.
MR. WEINREB: Okay.
MR. WEINREB: Exhibit -277, please. Actually, no. I'm sorry. Can we stay -- go back to -259? Okay.
MR. WEINREB: So let me -- so that's Placard 124. And do you see the object right in front of it?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That's a shell casing, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Let's go back. No, 259 still. -259. We'll blow up another one.
MR. WEINREB: -120, there's an object that I'm pointing to here by the back of the placard?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It appears to be another shell casing.
MR. WEINREB: Can we go back to the regular size?
MR. WEINREB: Again, here?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It appears to be another shell casing, possible.
MR. WEINREB: Now let's try -277.
MR. WEINREB: What's that a photo of?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That is another angle of Laurel Street. The Honda would be behind me to my right, and those are additional items of evidence.
MR. WEINREB: Perhaps we could zoom in on some of them.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Those are additional empty shell casings.
MR. WEINREB: Do you know what this police vehicle is that's pictured in the front?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir. It's a Watertown police cruiser. Just behind that is the vehicle where the pressure cooker was embedded in the side of the vehicle.
MR. WEINREB: And this is Placard 84. Do we see another item behind it?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir. It looks like another shell casing.
MR. WEINREB: -293, please.
MR. WEINREB: Is that that -- in the upper left-hand corner of this photo, is that that same cruiser?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: And again, all these placards, 76, 77, 78, what's surrounding them all?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: All shell casings, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Can I have -244, please.
MR. WEINREB: What's pictured in the upper right-hand corner of this photo?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That's the Watertown police cruiser that we were just looking at. You can see right here is the pressure cooker. This is now on the other side of the street, the left side of the street, these are additional rounds, and some of them are pieces of the bomb or bombs.
MR. WEINREB: Can we have -264, please.
MR. WEINREB: And is that that same house, now looking straight at it?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It is, sir.
MR. WEINREB: And all of these placards that we see, are these all, for the most part, shell casings?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WEINREB: Exhibit -261, please.
MR. WEINREB: What's this a photo of?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: It's another angle of Laurel Street. As you could see, the green Honda, the backpacks with the ammunition. These are all -- these spots all over here are rounds, empty shell casings, Watertown cruiser. And behind that is the vehicle with the pressure cooker embedded in the side.
MR. WEINREB: -265, please.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Again, another angle.
MR. WEINREB: Now, without going through more pictures, just based on your memory of your observations of the scene that night -- or that day, were there bullets in people's houses?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, there were.
MR. WEINREB: Were there bullets in people's cars?
MR. WEINREB: Approximately how many items of ballistics evidence were marked at the crime scene that day?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Ballistics evidence I believe was upward of 250. I know total evidence based on my logs for all four scenes was approximately 450 and up.
MR. WEINREB: Thank you. No further questions.
MR. WATKINS: Just a couple of quick things. May I have the monitor, please?
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: Showing you 948-264, which is in evidence.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WATKINS: I want to draw your attention to this item here. As a case agent, you were responsible -- or oversaw the logging in of various items?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WATKINS: And Mr. Weinreb pointed you to a Ruger that was found in the driveway. That's not this one?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: That is not, sir. That is a pellet gun that was found behind the area of the Honda.
MR. WATKINS: And when you say "pellet gun," it's not designed to expel a bullet, projectile?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: I'll be honest with you, sir. I've never fired a pellet gun so I...
MR. WATKINS: And you said it was behind the Honda?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WATKINS: So I want to show you Exhibit 261. I should say 248 and 261. And we see that pellet gun back here?
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Yes, sir.
MR. WATKINS: That's all I have, your Honor.
THE COURT: Anything else?
MR. WEINREB: Nothing further.
THE COURT: All right, Trooper Tanguay. You may step down.
COLLEEN M. TANGUAY: Thank you, sir.
(The witness is excused.)
MR. MELLIN: The United States calls Lieutenant Cahill.
MR. WATKINS: Your Honor, can we be seen briefly at sidebar before --
THE COURT: Yes. I was going to invite you.