Kenneth Biros Put to Death in the First U.S. Execution to Use a Single Drug Injection. Part 2: The Forensic Report

Approximately one month later, police recovered Tami's black leather coat, which was found partially buried a short distance from the tracks. Two cuts or slash marks were found on or near the collar of the coat. Tami's house keys and a tube of lipstick were found in a shallow hole in close proximity to the coat. Police also found one of Tami's black leather shoes in the area of the railroad tracks.

Dale Laux, a forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, found a single pubic hair inside Tami's shoe. Laux determined that the microscopic characteristics of that hair were consistent with the characteristics of known samples of Tami's pubic hair. Police also recovered a number of items during searches of Biros' residence. Investigators found a bloodstained pocketknife hidden in Biros' basement.

A much larger knife was recovered from Biros' bathroom. Investigators also recovered a bloodstained coat from Biros' bedroom, which was later identified as the coat Biros had worn to the Nickelodeon and took a pair of size eleven tennis shoes. Forensic experts found numerous bloodstains on the front of the coat, and blood spatters inside the left sleeve. Bloodstains from Biros' pocketknife and coat were later tested and were found to be consistent with the blood of the victim.

A forensic scientist in the trace evidence section of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation found a single hair embedded in a seam near the tread of one shoe. He compared the hair to known samples of hair from the victim's head and testified the hair from the tennis shoe was microscopically consistent with the known samples of hair from the victim's head. The automobile Biros had driven to the Brookfield Township Police Department was also searched. Forensic technicians found numerous bloodstains consistent with the blood of the victim. Several other bloodstains found in the vehicle were determined to be consistent with Biros' blood. A small piece of human tissue, believed to be Tami's liver tissue, was found inside the trunk.

Dr. William A. Cox, the Summit County Coroner, performed the autopsy of Tami's body. Cox testified that he was board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, forensic pathology, and neuropathology. Cox determined that Tami had suffered 91 premortem injuries, which were indicative of a "severe beating" and "an attempt at sexual mutilation." He also found five stab wounds that had been inflicted immediately after the victim's death.

Among the premortem wounds were at least five blunt force injuries on the top of the victim's head, which, according to Cox, had been caused by an object such as fists or the handle of a knife. Other premortem wounds were found on the victim's breasts and in the area of her groin. Two premortem knife wounds were discovered near the nipple of the right breast. There were fine linear scratches and a premortem knife laceration or incised wound along the victim's face and, according to Cox, "the way that is done is the blade of the knife runs down across the mouth and finally gets into the skin, into the soft tissues, then breaks the skin as it continues in the downward direction."

Cox also found numerous wounds on the victim's hands, which appeared to be "defensive" injuries. In addition to the 91 premortem wounds and the five postmortem stab wounds, Tami's head, right breast and right lower extremity had been severed from her body at some point after death. Her anus, rectum, urinary bladder, and virtually all of her sexual organs had been cut out and were never found.

The gallbladder, the right lobe of the liver, and portions of the bowels had been extracted from her body. According to Cox, a pocketknife like the one removed from Biros' basement could have been used to inflict some of the wounds found on Tami's body.

Cox found that a much larger or heavier knife had been used to amputate Tami's head and right lower extremity. Cox testified that a sharp knife, which had left a "fine linear cut" in the bone, had severed the victim's right femur. Cox specifically determined that the evidence indicated that the femur had not been fractured by any blunt force trauma or as the result of an automobile accident.

Cox testified that the knife recovered from Biros' bathroom was consistent with the type of knife that had been used to accomplish the amputations. Cox found that the dismemberment and eviscerations all occurred within minutes after the killer had inflicted the five postmortem stab wounds. He found no evidence that the victim had been struck by a car, as Biros would later claim. With respect to Tami's cause of death, Cox concluded that the victim had died of asphyxia due to strangulation. According to Cox, the victim had been strangled to death over a period of four to five minutes.

The mucosal lining of the esophagus was torn, indicating that there was a degree of retching and vomiting during this period. Cox testified that, in his opinion, a hand placed over the nose and mouth did not asphyxiate the victim. Examination of the victim's oral cavity revealed no signs of injury to the tongue or the delicate tissue inside the mouth. Absent such injuries, Cox found no evidence to support the theory that the victim had been forcibly suffocated as opposed to being strangled to death.

The hyoid bone had been fractured and there was injury to adjacent tissue, which supported the finding that the victim had been strangled. According to Cox, Tami was severely beaten, strangled to death, and then stabbed five times. The five postmortem stab wounds had occurred within minutes after death. Later, but still within minutes, Tami's body was dismembered.