Detective's black humor won't be seen in court

     Associated Press
      MINDEN -- Jurors will not see a photo of a top detective adorned in headgear bearing fake bones while he was investigating the death of a woman whose remains were buried in the back yard of her Lake Tahoe home.
      Defense lawyer Terri Roeser sought to introduce the photo of Douglas County Sheriff's detective Ron Bushey as evidence Wednesday in the trial of the victim's husband, Monte Meier.
      In a hearing outside the presence of jurors, Roeser argued the photo relates to Bushey's credibility.
      Bushey had testified that he assured Meier that the removal of his wife's remains would be done in a dignified manner.
      "It shows the cavalier attitude that authorities had in dealing with the remains," Roeser said.
      Deputy District Attorney Tom Perkins countered that while the officer's conduct was unwarranted and inexcusable, it had no bearing on facts.
      "It's difficult for me to understand this kind of black humor," Perkins said. "There's no way to excuse the conduct of the officer, but it isn't relevant to the case."
      District Judge David Gamble agreed.
      "It's offensive, asinine and uncalled for," the judge said. "But it's irrelevant to these proceedings and won't be admitted into evidence."
      Meier, 57, has admitted to burying his wife, Julie, under a wood pile at the couple's Stateline home in January 1994. He said he woke up and found her dead on the floor, but claimed he does not know how she died.
      Authorities went to the home last May after receiving a tip from one of the couple's daughters.
      The prosecution contends the defendant had a history of physically abusing his wife.
      Meier's two daughters have testified that their alcoholic father frequently became enraged and took his anger out on their mother.
      But the defense has countered that the victim also was known to drink heavily and frequently stumbled and fell.