Final Analysis?

Burnett also claims the total absence of gunshot residue on Sabow's hands provides additional evidence that Sabow was murdered.

"How can the hand not get gunshot residue on it?" he asked. "It can't. It has to be in another position, and that supports the homicide [scenario]."

Despite Burnett's attacks on Nordby's report, he agreed with Nordby on one issue: Dr. Sabow is so obsessed with proving his brother was murdered that his passion tends to get in the way of any objective analysis of the investigation. In his report, Nordby dedicated an entire chapter to Dr. Sabow, concluding that he is not "capable of the independent rational detachment necessary to appreciate medical and scientific facts concerning his brother's death."

"One of the things that was an obvious hindrance to my work was Dr. Sabow's extraordinary bias," Burnett said. "I could tell him anything as long as it was positive in his case. But I happen to think he's probably right that his brother was killed because all these factors I bring up in my report tend to show that."

NSCHOU@OCWEEKLY.COM