Daniels’ Jury Tours Sandman Towers

COURT HOUSE — The jury in the Daniels murder trial began its day July 30 with a tour of the Sandman Towers on New Jersey Avenue in Wildwood – the scene of the crime.
Gerald Daniels, 39, is accused of murdering Wallace Savitz, 81, by stabbing him 157 times in his sixth-floor apartment three years ago.
Daniels, who is mentally disabled, resided on the second floor of the complex.
The jury left on a bus from the courthouse for Wildwood at 9:30 a.m. and returned at 11 a.m.
Reporters were not permitted to tour the towers with the jury.
After the tour, the jury heard testimony from two residents of the complex, Lorraine Fucini and Migdalia Reyes, who complained of Daniels’ habit of panhandling for money and cigarettes.
Mamie Reed, Daniels’ mother, also testified that she was aware of her son’s habit of asking people for money. She said she had many talks with residents and building management regarding the problem, but was unaware of any increased problems at the time of the murder.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Rob Johnson brought up the mop and bleach found in Daniels’ room during the investigation. The floor was found to be recently cleaned with the bleach.
He asked Reed if her son was ever warned about keeping a messy apartment.
“A thousand times,” she said.
Johnson asked her if she thought it was odd that someone known to keep a messy room would mop his floor with bleach.
Reed replied that she insisted he clean with bleach.
“I bought it and told him to use it,” she said.
When Reed left the witness stand she was replaced by Karen Groth-Baggit, a scientist from the State Police Crime Laboratory, who finished her testimony on DNA evidence that she started on July 27.
Detective William Kirkbride, of the county Prosecutor’s Office took the stand next.
Johnson led Kirkbride through the murder investigation and had him explain what evidence he found, where and when he found it and how it was processed.
Articles included a baseball bat, door hanger, box cutter, DNA cards, fingernail clippings and much more.
The list of evidence was exhaustive and Judge Raymond Batten called for a recess at 3:15 p.m. to give the jury a break from the proceedings.
There was a moment of levity when the trial restarted.
“Detective Kirkbride, as painful as this must be, I have one more item for you,” Johnson said with mock exasperation.
The courtroom shared a brief laugh.
Johnson finished shortly thereafter and Pfeifle began to cross-examine Kirkbride.
At 4 p.m., the lawyers approached the bench for a conference and Batten excused the jury for the day.
After the jury left, Johnson entered his long list of articles into official court evidence.
On July 27, defense attorney Mary Pfeifle asked Superor Court Judge Raymond A. Batten for a mistrial due to late receipt of a 38-page report from a prosecution witness.
Batten denied the mistrial request but said he was, “deeply troubled by the late arrival of the document.”
Pfeifle said the missing report from State Police forensic scientist Raymond Klama put the defense at a “great disadvantage” because its experts were unable to review the document in preparing testimony.
The defense received the report July 26 and will only have a week to review it before Klama is called as a witness on Aug. 7.
The report is part of evidence from the case the defense requested over two years ago.
The jury was not brought into the courtroom until 10:55 a.m., when the mistrial request was cleared up.
They heard testimony from two other state police scientists regarding the DNA evidence found at the scene of the crime.
Scientists Lynn Van Camp and Karen Groth-Baggitt testified that DNA from blood found on a frying pan, a mop, a shoe and a shirt belonged either to Savitz, Daniels or both.
The scientists also looked for DNA matches to James Reilly Jr., Savitz’s step-son, and James Reilly Sr., but none were found.
Police eliminated the Reillys as suspects early in their investigation.
The trial was expected to resume Tuesday.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com