He said search dogs were directed to some of those items in hopes that they could detect her scent and eventually find her.

There were groceries in the minivan and Christensen said he noticed the smell of "groceries going bad." On Sept. 3, store surveillance cameras captured Nina Reiser and her two kids going shopping at the Berkeley Bowl. Police say she then dropped off the children at her estranged husband's home on Exeter Drive in the Oakland hills and disappeared.

Christensen said he also helped process Hans Reiser's home on Sept. 13 and Sept. 14. While the crime-lab collected evidence, Christensen said he and a technician trainee took photographs at the home; those photos were shown to the jury today.

10:51 a.m.: Redwood City police Sgt. Eric Stasiak took the stand this morning. read more