Thomas Sturdivant

Special Agent Thomas Sturdivant testified about the initial search of the burn pit behind Steven Avery’s garage. After another officer drew his attention to a suspected bone fragment, he saw other apparent fragments, and Crime Lab personnel sifted debris and selected material for analysis. He said the first suspected fragment was on unburned grass south of the pit, while most appeared concentrated in the pit; investigators did not dig below the ground surface that day. In Avery’s trial, he acknowledged that individual fragments were not marked or photographed in place during sifting, and that no stringed grid or controlled access path was used. In Dassey’s trial, he said suspected bone material was intertwined with tire wire rather than found in the nearby van seat, and acknowledged that he could not determine by sight whether it was human or animal bone. The defense later sought an adverse-inference instruction concerning bone recovery in Avery’s trial, without alleging Sturdivant acted in bad faith; the court denied the request.