Pemberton bore defensive wounds, US experts tell court
OLONGAPO CITY—American medical and forensics experts testified on Monday that US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton bore “light scratches, injuries and lacerations,” which appear to be “minimal defensive wounds.”
At the continuation of Pemberton’s trial for the murder of transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, the court heard testimonies from special agent Jake Matz of the US Marine Corps’ Criminal Investigation Division and Jennifer Kurneza and Lt. Commander Kenny Choi, senior medical officers of the vessel, USS Peleliu.
“All of the three witnesses conducted a physical examination of Pemberton and their findings were the same,” lawyer Virgie Suarez, one of the counsels for the Laude family, told reporters on Monday.
The court has barred reporters from covering the trial. Details of the proceedings and testimonies given by witnesses are provided by lawyers of the Laude family, who would brief reporters during breaks. Lawyers of Pemberton had not granted requests for interview since the trial started in March.
Suarez said Choi, a gynecologist, described the small wounds he discovered on Pemberton.
Choi and Kurneza also examined Laude’s remains to determine if she was sexually assaulted.
“Their findings, however, could not determine if there was indeed a sexual assault or [if Laude had engaged in] sexual activity,” Suarez said.
Laude was found dead inside a bathroom at Celzone Lodge on the night of Oct. 11, shortly after motel employees saw a Caucasian, whom witnesses later identified as Pemberton, leave the room.
Choi and Kurneza said they found wounds on Pemberton’s chest, arms and knees.
Suarez said the physical examination was done inside the USS Peleliu, which was docked at the Alava Pier inside the Subic Bay Freeport, two days after Laude was found dead.
She said the American medical officers informed the court that they acquired samples of Pemberton’s semen during the physical examination.
Quoting the American officers, Suarez said Pemberton’s battalion commander ordered a complete physical examination. “The examination of Pemberton was purely physical,” she said.
She said the medical officers did not interrogate or question Pemberton about the circumstances behind his wounds.
During the May 4 proceedings in court, Dr. Maritess Ombao, Philippine National Police medicolegal officer and pathologist, testified that Laude died from “asphyxia by drowning and strangulation.”
Dr. Reynaldo Dave, PNP medicolegal officer, gave the same testimony during the May 18 trial and said the wounds and scratches on Laude’s head “could have been caused by being mauled or punched,” said the Laude family’s lead counsel, lawyer Harry Roque Jr.
“Dave testified that before Jennifer was killed, she was mauled and strangled,” Roque told reporters in that briefing.
Suarez also said Dave testified that the injuries found on Laude’s neck suggested that pressure applied on the neck caused bleeding.
“Dave declared there was suppression shown by the hematoma on [Laude’s] larynx that may [have been caused by an] armlock,” she said.
During Monday’s trial, Matz confirmed Dave’s conclusions, Suarez said.
“Just imagine how the struggle happened at that time,” she said.
During the May 19 hearing, Pemberton’s “liberty” companion testified that the former had told him that he may have killed “a he or a she” on the night they went bar hopping in Olongapo City.
Roque said US Marine Lance Cpl. Jairn Michael Rose stood by his sworn affidavit and recounted his conversations with Pemberton when they returned to their ship after their liberty (rest and recreation) activities on Oct. 11.
Rose, Roque said, told the court that Pemberton approached him shortly after they went back to their ship and told him, “I think I may have killed a he or a she.”
Citing Rose’s testimony, Roque said Pemberton discovered that Laude was a transgender and this angered him.
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