In charge of gathering evidence at Eggleston's house and suggested shoddy police work destroyed or tainted evidence
Ted Garn
Tacoma Police Department forensic investigator assigned to collect evidence from the Eggleston home after the shooting under the Direction of Detective Melvin Dougla Margeson. He admitted discrepancies in evidence he collected on the day of the shooting.
Garn testified about collecting the ballistic evidence and blood samples in the first two trials.
In 2001, Garn sustained serious, disabling injuries in a car accident. When the prosecuting attorneys learned that he might not be able to testify at Eggleston's third trial, they talked with Garn to encourage his cooperation. Garn explained that he could not remember any of the details of the Eggleston investigation and did not recognize the reports he had prepared. He also said that he had begun receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress caused by his Vietnam service.
The State presented a note from Garn's surgeon stating that Garn could not testify at Eggleston's trial due to his neck condition.
The State argued that Garn could not testify because of his memory loss and his physical and mental problems. The defense complained that it had no medical documentation of Garn's difficulties; the State explained that none would be available until after his VA evaluation, which would take at least two weeks. The court declined to continue the trial, ruling that Garn was unavailable and that his prior testimony was admissible.
The defense later argued that the trial court should have required independent medical corroboration that Garn was unavailable to testify.
