SNOW HILL, Md - A Worcester County accident reconstruction expert testified this morning that if Emily Molin had fallen out of her son's truck on the night of her death, Steve Molin would have had to have backed up at least 80 feet to run over her.
That and a number of other factors led Lt. Edward Schreier to conclude that Molin's story, of his mother falling out of his truck and his accidentally backing over her to be incredible.
Based on the speed Molin told police he was going that night - about 40 m.p.h. - Schreier calculated, that Mrs. Molin's body would have ended up some 30 yards behind where Molin would have stopped his truck.
To make the point clear to the jury of just how far that is, States' Attorney Cheryl Jacobs walked a tape measure from one corner of this large courtroom to another and was still 14 feet short of 80.
Moreover, according to Schreier, Molin had a working rear camera display in his truck that night so that he should have been able to see anyone or anything behind that night.
Schreier made a few other strong points that undermine Molin's story.
He said that at the speed he was going, it would have been difficult for Emily Molin to push the door open and she would have had to have "propelled" herself away from the truck to avoid hitting the side of it on her way out.
Schreier also said it would have taken Molin at least 100 feet to stop after noticing his mother was gone.
Schreier testified that he combed distance between the spot where Molin's truck was discovered that night, looking for any evidence that his mother fell and skidded down the road way but found none.
"I don't believe Mrs. Molin fell out of that vehicle," said Schreier. "My conclusion was Mrs. Molin was standing behind the vehicle and was backed over."
Assistant Medical Examiner Laron Locke also said that the victim's injuries were not consistent with someone who had fallen from a vehicle. He said he would have expected "longer abrasions" and "scraping" on the body which he referred to as "road rash." But he didn't see any.
When state's attorney Beau Oglesby announced that he would be showing autopsy photos that some people might find "disturbing," Steve Molin turned his chair away from the defense table and started scooching away. His attorney Burton Anderson told him to "stop" and pulled his chair back to the table.
As the graphic photos were shown to the court, Molin sat with his back turned and hunched over, his head in his hands.
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