If you ask Dr. Larry Blum, there’s no indication that Kathleen King’s dead body was “dumped” on a set of Union Pacific railroad tracks near her Geneva home last year.
There’s no indication that she took her last breath anywhere but on those tracks, he told Kane County jurors on Friday.
“She went there herself and got in that position without anyone’s assistance or help,” Blum said. “…it’s much more probable that she collapsed in that position (as opposed to being placed in it).”
Blum, a forensic pathologist, testified that defendant Shadwick King did not strangle his wife to death and then leave her body on the tracks as alleged by prosecutors. The prosecution rested its case Thursday, with the defense now making its case.
Blum said after examining all of the evidence in the case, he believes Kathleen suffered from Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome or Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome, and collapsed into a contorted position on the tracks where she was later found dead by railroad workers.
Blum pointed to sleep deprivation, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption and stress as factors contributing to Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome. He said Kathleen was affected by each factor.
Prosecutors allege that Kathleen’s husband, Shadwick King, was the only factor behind Kathleen’s death. They allege that King strangled Kathleen to death in a jealous rage.
During interviews with police, King said in the early morning hours of July 6, 2014 the Geneva couple drank together and discussed Kathleen’s alleged affair and the possibility of divorce. King said the two went to bed just after 5 a.m. after he saw text messages sent between his wife and a 22-year-old man she was alleged to be emotionally involved with. An hour later, King said Kathleen went out for a jog and never came home. She was found dead just before 7 a.m.
After examining photographs of the scene, Blum testified that superficial scrapes and bruises found on Kathleen’s body were consistent with her having collapsed to the ground from a low or sitting position, and that they occurred before she was dead. He said the scrapes Kathleen acquired on the tracks prove she was alive when she arrived there, and not dragged there as alleged.
Blum said there is no way to tell by looking at an autopsy report if a person died of Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome, but it is his opinion that this was likely the case in Kathleen’s death, he testified.
When preparing for the case, Blum said he went over interviews, police reports, crime scene photos and other information to help form his opinion. He testified that he spent more than 100 hours poring over documents.
“I’m donating my time and doing it for free,” Blum said. “When you test (the prosecutors scenario) against the physical evidence, it doesn’t hold water.”
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After two weeks of testimony, King’s trial is expected to wrap up early next week.