COQUILLE — Images of Linda Foley’s near-naked body flashed on a courtroom TV screen in rapid succession. Her swollen face. Her arm marked with bruises. A cut under her right breast. Graying hair mixed with blood.

“She died of … blunt trauma to the head, neck, chest and abdomen,” said Kris Karcher, the Coos County chief deputy medical examiner.

Karcher testified on Thursday morning that she first saw Foley’s corpse on the master bedroom floor of the Bunker Hill home she shared with her boyfriend, Fred Cozad, and his son, Henry. Beneath the 59-year-old’s body, investigators found her black jeans — buttoned and zipped – and a pair of crumpled panties.

“She was found naked from the waist down,” the trained sexual assault nurse said as she reviewed photos presented by the Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier.

Karcher was one of several members of the Coos County Major Crimes Team to testify regarding the March 12 murder scene and the condition of the Cozad Home. In a three-day hearing in front of Judge Martin Stone, the DA is arguing mentally retarded murder suspect Henry Cozad should be civilly committed to a secure group home. Doing so would prevent him from injuring others while meeting his basic needs.

While he still faces the murder charge, it is believed the 18-year-old will never be able to aid in his own defense.

On Thursday, Cozad, sat for only eight minutes with his attorneys John Meynink and Carole Hamilton, before making gestures to deputies that he wanted to leave. He then waved goodbye to the DA, before deputies led him away.

Bloody evidence

The medical examiner, along with local law enforcement officers, were immediately suspicious as they entered the 63469 Third Road home. Someone, it appeared, had sexually assaulted and beaten Foley. But it wasn’t until they met Henry Cozad outside that they believed they had a suspect.

Coos County sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Hermann said he and Karcher approached the teen, who immediately wanted a hug.

When he stepped back, Hermann said he realized Cozad’s jeans were stained with elongated streaks of dried blood.

“He appeared to have some abrasions on his knuckles. We found blood on his pants and shoes,” Karcher said.

Later, police confiscated Cozad’s pants, shirts, boots and eventually his underwear for evidence. Before the end of the evening, officers took the teen to jail.

Investigators found streaks of blood on Cozad’s bed, a clump of blood and tissue on his floor, and a bloody smear on his doorframe. They also located blood splatter on the bed, boxes and other items in the master bedroom.

Sexual assault?

During an autopsy at Bay Area Hospital, Karcher testified she found a small abrasion in Foley’s vaginal canal. However, DNA testing showed no semen anywhere on her body.

The autopsy also revealed numerous injuries including bleeding in her brain, broken ribs, a lacerated liver, a blood clot in Foley’s ear consistent with it being slapped or hit, a swollen right eye, abrasions around her neck and a ruptured aorta.

Via teleconference, Oregon State Police Forensic Scientist Jamie Schroeder said DNA from blood-stained cuttings of Cozad’s pants, shirts and a swab of blood from his boot, match Foley’s. More genetic material from her right breast area shows evidence of two other people. The scientist said she could not exclude Cozad as one of the contributors. She added that his underwear showed no presence of anything foreign.

“There was nothing other than him in that underwear,” she said.

Forensic Scientist Traci Rose, out of the OSP Springfield lab, analyzed Foley’s rape kit, but found no trace of Cozad’s DNA.

“I don’t think we can discount it that there was a sexual assault,” Frasier said. “You can still have sexual assault even if the suspect didn’t ejaculate. She’s naked from the waist down. She has an exposed right breast. She has bruising on her inner thigh and a vaginal injury.”

Rose did find evidence of contact bloodstains and blood splatter on Cozad’s clothing.

“What this shows is he had to be close to Ms. Foley when blood from her body was flying through the air,” Frasier explained later.

Fall injuries?

Police also seized one controversial piece of evidence — a welder located inside of Cozad’s bedroom — during a follow up to the initial investigation. Fred Cozad has argued his girlfriend died by falling on the welder. The DA contends she would have had to fall repeatedly onto the device to sustain her injuries. However, Detective Sgt. Dan Looney said he did find one small drop of blood on the welder. Frasier contended it was blood splatter during the attack.

Final day in court

Today, Frasier will make his final push on the argument that Cozad’s home is inappropriate for his well-being. On Thursday, the judge got multiple glimpses of the condition of the interior and exterior of the house via photographs, as well as testimony.

 Coos County Sheriff’s deputies it reeked of urine, especially in Cozad’s bedroom.

“It was enough to make your eyes water,” said Deputy Del Dahlen.

Also today, Frasier said he plans to call Cozad’s mother, Devita to stand, along with Dr. Jason Quiring, who evaluated the suspect at the State Hospital. Then the defense will take over. He said he assumed the defense’s witnesses would speak to Cozad’s character, which Frasier believes isn’t all bad.

“He’s a friendly kid, but then he gets going and God help you.”