Fatal Vision1984

Franz Grebner:
You're a very well-educated man, Doctor. And I'm just gonna be fair with you right now. Your story doesn't ring true. I've been in the U.S. Army for 19 years and I've studied a lot of crime scenes, but there's something wrong with this one. I've seen all night poker parties that have caused more damage to a living room. For instance, do you seen anything odd in that photograph?

[Grebner hands MacDonald a photo of the living room coffee table on its side]

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
[as he looks at the photo] No.

Franz Grebner:
That's the first thing I saw when I went into your house that morning. Notice the flower pot next to the table.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
[confused] Why it's standing.

Franz Grebner:
Uh-uh. And notice the magazines at the end of that table neatly stacked under it.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
I don't understand the significance of it.

Franz Grebner:
Well, Ivory, Shaw, and myself all tipped that table over and it went all the way. It never landed on its edge. It's top-heavy.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
Well, couldn't the table have been pushed around in the struggle?

Franz Grebner:
Yes, it could have, but it would have been upside down when it stopped.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
What are you trying to say?

Franz Grebner:
That the table was not pushed, but it was gently set on its side by someone who staged the scene to make it look like a struggle happened in the living room.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
Wait, are you saying "I" staged the scene?

Franz Grebner:
[after a short pause] I think so.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
You think I stood the flower pot up too if I staged the scene?

Franz Grebner:
Well, somebody stood the pot up.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
[suddenly outraged] Your saying that I killed my wife and kids? That's unbelievable! For God's stake, why would I do that? What motive would I have? What would I do that for?

Franz Grebner:
I think we can come up with several reasons perhaps.

Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD:
You don't think I was happily married?

Franz Grebner:
Oh, I'm happily married too, Captain, and I get pretty mad at my wife sometimes. Especially when I was younger and quicker to anger.