Forensic pathologist discusses Modesto restaurant owner’s wounds

A defense-hired forensic pathologist on Thursday answered questions about injuries found on a Modesto restaurant owner who suffered numerous slashes on his arms and hands as he tried to protect himself from a meat cleaver.

Zhi Jian Mei, 33, is on trial. He is charged with the murder in the death of his boss, Wing Ming Chan. The 47-year-old man was found dead face down in a pool of blood inside his restaurant, China Gourmet.

The jury on Thursday morning was shown photos of Chan’s autopsy, depicting his wounds from the meat cleaver.

Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist who works for the Alameda County Coroner’s Office, has testified that most of Chan’s wounds were superficial incision cuts, or “slashes.” She said Thursday these cuts slice into tissue but don’t damage bone; they are longer cuts on the skin than they are deep.

“It’s a distinction in terminology,” said Melinek, who also has a private practice as a forensic pathology expert and was hired by the defense to review Chan’s autopsy, investigation photos and the police report.

There were some “chops” found on Chan’s scalp. Melinek described these wounds as deep cuts that damage bone.

Stanislaus County Forensic Pathologist Sung-Ook Baik has testified that he found 80 “chops” alone on Chan’s face and head. Chan suffered 141 cuts on his body.

One of the cuts sliced Chan’s cheek open toward the back of his head. His right ear was severed. Melinek called Chan’s facial and head injuries “assaultive” wounds, meaning the cuts were inflicted by someone else.

The restaurant owner also suffered the “defensive” cuts as he apparently raised his arms and hands to try to protect himself from the meat cleaver. One of the cuts was found on his left hand, between the thumb and the index finger.

Melinek testified that she couldn’t tell by looking at the photo if that cut had reached bone. She did say the wound was consistent with Chan trying to stop the blade of the meat cleaver with his left hand.

The defendant also suffered defensive and assaultive wounds in the form of cuts, punctures, bruises and scrapes on his hands, face, neck, shoulder and chest. Melinek testified that a curved scrape on Mei’s neck is consistent with an attempt to strangle him, but she cannot determine whether the attempted strangulation occurred before or after Mei grabbed the meat cleaver.

Baik has testified that he found that the normal appearance of Chan’s face and head had been “completely destroyed.”

Melinek disagreed with Baik’s characterization. She testified that it would be more accurate to say that normal appearance of Chan’s face and head have been “altered” by blunt-force trauma.

Chan’s death occurred sometime after 9 p.m. on May 4, 2011, at his restaurant in the Century Center at Oakdale Road and Orangeburg Avenue in northeast Modesto.

Mei had waited until after the restaurant closed to tell Chan he was quitting his job. An argument between the two began and escalated. Mei has told police he ran from his boss into the kitchen, where he grabbed the meat cleaver. Testimony has indicated that Chan then retreated into a back room. The defendant has said that he and his boss then wrestled over the meat cleaver.

Testimony in the murder trial is expected to continue Friday in Stanislaus Superior Court.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Forensic pathologist discusses Modesto restaurant owner’s wounds."