Forensic pathologist testifies Thomas Coutee Jr. died from single gunshot wound

Thomas Coutee Jr. died from a gunshot wound to his chest, a forensic pathologist said Thursday morning during the fourth day of testimony in the trial of the woman accused of pulling the trigger.

Kayla Giles is facing life in prison on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

The state continued presenting its evidence, calling a Louisiana Department of Justice digital forensics investigator who retrieved the contents of Coutee's cellphone.

Louisiana Assistant Attorney General Brooke Harris showed Duane Vince copies of a photo of Coutee and a screenshot of a text exchange, asking him if these were among the items he pulled off the phone.

The photo showed a circle drawn around red marks on Coutee's face, and Harris asked him if he had placed it there. Vince said no.

Harris introduced the items as evidence, but said she would wait to show them to jurors.

Giles' defense attorney, George Higgins III, showed Vince several other photos and asked him to identify people. Vince, at one point, told Higgins he "had no clue" who the people were.

Autopsy shows single gunshot wound as cause of death

Dr. Christopher Tape was the next witness. He performed the autopsy on Coutee and, as he entered the courtroom, a victims advocate with the AG's office knelt in front of Coutee's mother, Cathy Pearson.

"You sure you want to be here for this?" she mouthed to Pearson, who nodded. As Tape began testifying, Pearson cried as she rocked back and forth while those around her tried to comfort her.

Tape said Coutee had the one gunshot wound to the center of his chest, as well as some abrasions on his face. Around the gunshot wound was stippling, which is unburned particles of gunpowder.

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The pathologist said he didn't like to use the term "close range" because it was too subjective. He did say stippling tends to fall away after a distance of 2 to 3 feet, however.

The bullet broke a rib, went though the pericardium — the membrane surrounding the heart — before hitting Coutee's heart. It also damaged his stomach, liver and spleen, Tape testified.

The bullet did not exit, and Tape said he removed fragments during the autopsy. Harris asked him if it was a survivable wound.

"Everything would have to be lined up just right," he said, like being shot right outside of a hospital. But he said it was possible.

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In his cross examination, Higgins asked Tape about Coutee's size and then had him read a description of Giles' height. He asked about the difference.

Higgins then grabbed a wooden rod and asked Tape to use it to show how the bullet hit Coutee. Tape testified the bullet hit Coutee at about a 45 degree downward angle.

Higgins asked Tape several times about what that could say about the possible position of Giles and Coutee when the gun was fired. Tape was reluctant to tell Higgins whether it was consistent with any particular position.

"It's consistent with a million things," he said.

Law enforcement documented disputes

Two former law enforcement officers who took reports from Coutee also testified. The first was Jacob Gomez, who was a Rapides Parish Sheriff's deputy in 2018.

He now lives in New Mexico and no longer works in law enforcement.

Harris asked him to tell how he came to take Coutee's report. Gomez testified that he was dispatched to Coutee's home, but that the incident he wanted a report on happened a week prior.

He said Coutee told him that, during a child swap, he tried to get a last hug from the kids when Giles slapped him.

Harris asked him if he spoke to Giles? He said no, and Harris asked why.

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Gomez said he didn't believe there was any danger since a week had passed and that Coutee only wanted a report on file.

Harris then asked to hand jurors copies of the previously introduced text screenshot, and asked Gomez to read it aloud. The screenshot contained texts Giles sent to a mutual friend, according to court records.

One from Giles stated that she had "knocked the shit out of Thomas. It felt good tho."

Harris then asked Gomez if Coutee had expressed any other concerns. He replied that Coutee talked about "her drug-addicted boyfriend and her wanting to move."

Defense co-counsel Rocky Willson asked Gomez if he took the complaint seriously, which Gomez said he did, and whether he had followed Louisiana law for domestic violence incidents.

Willson also asked if he had searched for any protective orders, which Gomez said he didn't do.

"It doesn't look like you did any of the stuff in there," said Willson, referring to the statute.

He asked Gomez if he'd ever seen people file complaints just to build a case against someone. Gomez said he had, both in domestic and custody cases.

Harris, in her redirect, asked Gomez if he was required to make an arrest. He said no.

She asked if he was allowed to use his own discretion, and he said yes. She asked if he ever met either Coutee or Giles after the call or if Coutee had wanted Giles arrested.

Gomez said no to both questions.

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Next was former Alexandria Police Department officer Len Hall, who now lives in Houston.

He had been dispatched to Krogers in Alexandria in August 2018. Coutee told him that Giles repeatedly punched him after a car door hit her butt during a child swap.

Hall testified that Coutee had red marks on his face and a knot above one of his eyes. Giles was not at the scene, he said.

LeBeau asked him if he made an arrest, but Hall answered that the report he took went to detectives because it was a possible felony.

Willson asked in his cross examination whether Hall spoke to Giles. He said that would have been a task for detectives.

School payments in question

The last witness before Thursday's lunch recess was Joelle Flaherty, the head of school at the private Montessori Educational Center in Alexandria.

LeBeau asked if she controlled school records and did so in 2018, to which she said yes.

He asked if she knew Giles and how. Flaherty said yes, that Giles' three daughters attended the school in 2018.

She testified that Giles was responsible for the girls' tuition. She said that Coutee never signed the school's tuition agreement.

LeBeau asked her about the school's payment processing system. Flaherty said the school has a third-party system that allows parents to have their own accounts linked electronically to their banks.

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He asked her if Coutee ever was given an account number? She said no, but testified that Giles did have one.

LeBeau asked her if she met Coutee after a particular payment was processed. She said yes, and that the school ultimately determined funds from his bank account had not been authorized to be used for the girls' tuition.

The money was refunded.

Higgins asked if Giles had paid for the older girls' tuition the previous year, before the youngest attended. She said yes.

But, on LeBeau's redirect, he asked if Coutee's bank account had been used to pay for the two girls' tuition then.

"Not to my knowledge," replied Flaherty.

Testimony will resume Thursday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Jurors hear pathologist describe how gunshot killed Thomas Coutee Jr.