NCJ Number
152123
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 18 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 62-66
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The trial of Victor J. Cazes for the brutal murder of 68- year-old Gladys Skinner involved testimony from a physician considered an expert regarding bites, who confirmed that the teeth marks left on the victim's body were made by the defendant.
Abstract
The rape and murder took place in 1988 and was the second in a series of four brutal attacks on women, three of whom were murdered, in Tennessee. Victor Cazes had a physically abusive, heavy drinking father and was a chronic bedwetter. Due to truancy, he was sent to juvenile facilities. He also abused drugs and said they brought on hallucinations and blackouts. He also had a history of violence and sexual assault. He was a difficult prisoner and client. Prosecutors obtained a search warrant and court order to obtain plaster molds made from his mouth. Dr. Richard Souviron, a Florida dentist known as the bite doctor, appeared as an expert witness and assured jurors that the bitemarks on the victim's chest were made by Cazes. The jury found Cazes guilty and sentenced him to capital punishment. He has not yet been executed. He filed some motions asking for an execution date and then withdrew his request for execution. Photographs