Forensics: officers photographed and logged Israel Cortez's clothing and body-camera footage admitted

A uniform-evidence detective testified that he collected clothing from Israel Cortez at homicide headquarters, photographed the items and the subject, and marked and placed the evidence into the property room. The state offered and the court admitted photographs and body-camera footage identified as State's Exhibits 16 through 33. The sergeant said the images and footage had not been altered and that he took photographs at the homicide unit and at the evidence (ICE) office before packaging them.

On cross-examination defense counsel stressed the narrow scope of the sergeant's assignment: he was asked to gather and photograph all of Cortez's clothing and shoes and to take packet photos of blood-stained items, not to conduct a comprehensive medical photography exam of Cortez's torso or face. The sergeant acknowledged he did not take close-up torso photographs and conceded that tattoos and limited views could obscure subtle wounds; he also explained the property-room workflow by which items were marked, initialed and stored.