PORT ANGELES — The one eyewitness to testify within the triple-murder trial of Dennis Marvin Bauer returned to the stand Tuesday morning and defended her evolving account of the homicides to authorities because the jury ready to wrap up testimony earlier than the vacation weekend.
Kellie Ann LeTellier stated she had smoked methamphetamine and heroin 20 minutes earlier than her arrest a month after the grisly homicides — the final time, she stated, that she used medicine.
Her detox within the county jail generated a response akin to stressed leg syndrome, “however throughout your physique,” LeTellier recalled beneath questioning from Michele Devlin, Clallam County chief felony deputy prosecuting lawyer.
“My reminiscence didn’t make sense half the time,” LeTellier, 37, stated of taking meth.
LeTellier is serving greater than 33 years for the self-confessed Dec. 26, 2018, homicide of triple-homicide sufferer Tiffany Might, whom LeTellier has testified she shot within the again after Bauer threatened LeTellier with a gun. Then, LeTellier stated, Bauer shot Might 4 extra instances.
Bauer, 53, is going through three consecutive life phrases if convicted within the murders of Might, Darrell Iverson, 57, and his son, Jordan Iverson, 27.
LeTellier stated the 2 males raped her and had been killed in an act of revenge by Bauer and Ryan Warren Ward, 40.
Ward is serving three life phrases after pleading responsible within the shotgun slayings outdoors Darrell Iverson’s Bear Meadow Street residence off Deer Park Street east of Port Angeles.
Ward referred to Bauer as his uncle in a possible trigger assertion however is just not Bauer’s nephew, LeTellier testified Tuesday, calling the 2 quick associates who, after delving into their household tree, joked they may very well be cousins and informed one another tales about what they did to those that crossed them.
“They had been like two peas in a pod,” LeTellier stated.
Following Tuesday’s testimony, Bauer’s trial is scheduled to renew at 1 p.m. Monday.
LeTellier stated she started staying at Bauer’s home on Decrease Elwha Street on the Decrease Elwha Klallam reservation in late 2018. She had been homeless since Might of that yr.
“Finally, when the climate obtained colder, now and again, an individual has to shut their eyes and fall asleep, and so finally it turned wherever there was a heat place to put my head,” she stated.
After Bauer supplied to let her keep at his “farm” or “compound,” because the property has been described throughout the trial, he was beneficiant and pleasant, however she later grew afraid of him, she stated.
“He was like household, I believed,” LeTellier stated.
“At first, that completely was what it appeared like. Then, over time, issues modified, and I noticed a distinct aspect.”
Ward and Bauer informed her a number of instances “issues that they used to do to folks,” LeTellier recalled. “I used to be scared to loss of life.”
Whereas at Iverson’s dwelling the day of the murders, when everybody current was doing methamphetamine, LeTellier stated she couldn’t go away as a result of the again door was locked and three of the 4 males within the entrance yard amongst Bauer, Ward and the Iversons had been armed.
Whereas standing on the porch, she stated she may see Bauer and Ward, with Bauer armed.
“I used to be scared,” she stated. “I used to be gazing somebody who was pointing a gun at me. I had simply heard an entire bunch of gunshots.”
Might was screaming, LeTellier stated, including she was being yelled at to shoot Might.
“I shot her,” LeTellier stated, including that Might fell to the fitting.
Bauer then walked over to Might and shot her 4 extra instances within the again, LeTellier stated. On the trip leaving Iverson’s residence, LeTellier stated Bauer talked about folding Might’s physique over within the shed, which was locked when authorities found her.
LeTellier stated she was initially scared to confess to murdering Might and repeatedly cooperated with authorities with out receiving a cooperation settlement from the prosecuting lawyer’s workplace.
She confessed Jan. 27, in her second interview with legislation enforcement, and finally pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide in change for her testimony towards Bauer and Ward.
“I wished to do it as a result of it was the fitting factor to do,” she stated.
Devlin requested her why she didn’t implicate Bauer within the murders in 2019.
“I used to be scared,” LeTellier stated. “I used to be simply making an attempt to pay for what I did. Ultimately, I noticed that it might be a disservice in some ways to their households to not know what actually occurred.”
Unger has stated Bauer was a bystander as Ward dedicated the murders.
LeTellier admitted she may have turned herself in on a drug-related warrant and acquired shelter, successfully not making LeTellier homeless when she determined to stick with Bauer.
LeTellier stated she was afraid of going to jail if she acceded to the warrant.
For a few yr, Unger stated LeTellier “by no means pointed a finger at Mr. Bauer as pointing a gun at you.”
LeTellier agreed.
Unger recalled LeTellier’s phrases that it was “absolutely the reality” that she had stated she alone had killed Might.
“And now you’re saying that wasn’t absolutely the reality, is that what you’re saying?” Unger requested.
LeTellier stated sure.
“So absolutely the reality right this moment was not absolutely the reality again then, is that correct?” Unger stated.
“And it’s additionally not absolutely the reality that you just had completely nowhere else to go aside from you didn’t wish to go to jail right?” Unger stated.
“So jail was an choice, right?”
“Certain,” LeTellier responded.
LeTellier would have been heat, had meals and addressed her drug downside, Unger stated.
LeTellier agreed.
“You selected, as a substitute of coping with your [drug offense] sentence, to remain in a spot the place you felt unsafe, is that your testimony?”
“Once more, sure,” LeTellier stated.
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Senior Employees Author Paul Gottlieb will be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at [email protected].