Mavrick Murder Trial Day 5 Recap, Part 2
CALLIE FRYE:
Detective Kreutzer was sitting down and reading from a transcript of his second interview with Mavrick Fisher, this time in Lake County. The interview was conducted via laptop using Microsoft Word. There were no interpreters.
[Video Clip]
We used one laptop and passed it back and forth with question and answers.
CALLIE FRYE:
The information from the first interview was similar.
[Video clip]
“Please do clarify everything here.”
“On Monday, August 19th, Grant and you were camping. During the daytime you told Grant that you didn’t want to work with him anymore. You wanted to go your separate ways. That angered Grant and on that night while you were camping, Grant went inside and had a knife in his hand. He tried to strike you, but you pushed it away and grabbed his hand. You twisted his hand and then you realized that he had a knife because your finger was cut. But you didn’t see the knife right away. And then to defend your life, you picked up a rock from the rocks in the four corners and used it to strike Grant in the head. You hit him five or six times. Then you saw that he was dead and you became scared about going to jail for defending yourself. You threw the rock in the river and then put Grant in your sleeping bag, took down and folded the tent and put everything in the car and drove it to Lee’s ranch. At Lee’s ranch, you borrowed Lee’s ATV and put (the body) on it and transported it to a wooded area and abandoned it. As for the tent itself, it was put in a tote container that was 2 feet by 2 feet and left on Lee’s property. Lee suggested you to get rid of that car by taking it to a parking lot near Dollar General. Does that look right?”
“Yes, 100 percent.”
CALLIE FRYE:
Mavrick shared his feelings on Grant. He said he felt trapped because Grant was very manipulative and he was a young, 21-year-old person. Great would get angry easily and he felt timid and that he couldn’t confront Grant. He said he sensed that Grant had a fear of abandonment. Grant didn’t like being alone. It seemed like Grant didn’t like being single as well. The detective said it seemed like Mavrick was in an abusive relationship with Grant. Mavrick agreed to it completely and said that’s exactly how he felt. Mavrick said Grant caused him to have stress-related hives on his legs and on his body. He said he used to have hives and he was not sure if he got it from Lee’s ranch or from Grant causing him stress. He said Grant was very manipulative. That he told him he couldn’t be successful in business without him, that Grant had more life experience than him. Mavrick said he knew where he lived, where his family lives, and was concerned.
[Video clip]
“I was too afraid to leave him. I was too afraid. He knows where I live, where my son lives, he knows everything about me. He manipulated me into thinking I couldn’t do anything without him. I felt very afraid.”
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CALLIE FRYE:
The fourth part: Detective Kreutzer remained seated and spoke out loud a transcript of Facebook Messenger texts between Lee and Mavrick.
[Video clip]
“Were you able to retrieve any texts or messages between Lee and Mavrick?”
“Yes.”
CALLIE FRYE:
Mavrick told Lee on August 20 that he and Grant were done working together. Lee asked where Grant was. “Grant’s gone to see his girl in Los Angeles. He has been talking with that girl for over a year. Lee asked where did he leave the body and included a smiley face emoji.
[Video clip]
Mavrick: “Grant and I are done working together.”
Lee: “Where is Grant?”
Mavrick: “He is on his way to LA to see his girl. But IDK if he is actually going to get her.”
Lee: “Where did you leave the body?” (smiley emoji)
CALLIE FRYE:
With Grant’s attitude, bury his ass in the mountain! Lee said this.
[Video clip]:
8/20/19: “With his attitude, bury his ass in the mountain.”
CALLIE FRYE:
Mavrick messaged him saying he needed to borrow Grant’s car because it had trouble in it. He said Grant allowed him to use his car when he is here, that Grant did not want to drive his car to LA.
On August 22… Mavrick said he wanted to tell Lee the truth about the cut on his finger, that he felt he wanted to tell him what happened.
Both of them exchanged messages disparaging Grant.
Mavrick said Grant left the keys in the tent and he took them, that he left his wallet as well, and that he left. Mavrick said he has the keys and the wallet and took $480 from his wallet, LOL.
[Video clip]
“He left his wallet in his tent. I took $480. LOL.”
CALLIE FRYE:
On August 23, Mavrick asked Lee if he could borrow his ATV to get things from the car. Lee told him to wait a bit. After a while, Mavrick did borrow the ATV. Mavrick said he has finished cleaning the car and that it was very stinky. Mavrick said he saw maggots on the floor of the car. He asked what he should do with it. He said the stench came from turkey deli.
[Video clip]
“I’ve cleaned the car. DANG. STINKS! Rotten turkey deli. Maggots on the floor.”
CALLIE FRYE:
Lee sent a response two days later on August 25. He said, “Mavrick, please tell me if you are sure that Grant fled after you two fought, like you told me a few days ago?”
Mavrick responded, “I lied.”
Lee said, “Damn it!”
[Video clip:]
Lee, on 8/25/2019: “Please, Mavrick, let me know if you saw that Grant ran away after you fought, just like you told me the other day?”
Mavrick, “I lied.”
Lee: “Damn it.”
Mavrick: “That stinky smell in the car was Grant’s body. I’m in Mexico right now.”
CALLIE FRYE:
Mavrick said, “That stench in the car is Grant’s body. I’m in Mexico right now. I’m never going back to the USA.”
Lee said, “Oh shit, Mavrick. Did Grant try to kill you first?”
Mavrick said, “YES!” “Grant threatened me. He knows where my son lives.” Lee said, “All right. It is self defense. Was Grant’s body still in the car when you parked it on my property?” Lee asked, “Emily Reno told the police that you dropped off Grant’s body on my property. I need to know the truth, please.”
The next day, which is on August 26, Mavrick responded, “My friend Scotty Jackson convinced me to tell you where Grant’s body is.” He provided directions to where, telling there was a blue gate, a fork in the road, to go over a hill. Lee said, “Damn it! I will let people know. Bro, why did you bring him here?” Mavrick said, “I have no fucking idea what to do!”
[Video clip]
“Why, bro? Why did you bring him here?”
Mavrick: “I have no fucking idea what to do.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney approached the stand and asked many questions.
[Video clip]
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney asked, “When you interviewed Mavrick in San Diego, you were trying to use a video tablet, but it did not work out. You couldn’t use a video recorder. You tried an iPhone, but it didn’t work. Did you check whether the devices were on or not? The detective said, “No, I did not.” The defense attorney asked, “When you explained the Miranda rights, did Mavrick ask for clarification?” The detective said, “Yes.” The defense attorney asked about a person entering the interview room and whether the room was private, what kind of room it was. The detective explained that a front desk person let me know that there was something about this room. He acknowledged there was someone in the room. The defense attorney noted it and asked how much time passed from the time Mavrick went to Mexico until the moment he sat down for an interview with him. The detective said he didn’t know.
[Video clip]
“How long was Mavrick in the U.S.A. before you did the interview? What was going on?”
“I don’t know.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney also asked about when Mavrick was extradited to Lake County and how much time passed from when he arrived to his second interview. The detective said he didn’t know. The defense attorney said, “Did you ask him?” The detective said, “no.”
The detective was asked if Mavrick told him that the interpreter was not a five-star interpreter that he had a hard time understanding him. The detective said Mavrick did say this.
[Video clip]
“The interpreter from the first interview — his description was ‘not a five-star interpreter.’”
“Yes.”
“And the interpreter struggled to understand him several times?”
“Yes.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney also showed an image of Mavrick’s pinky finger that had a cut on it. The interview in Lake County had a camera recording. There were images of Mavrick showing his finger and saying he couldn’t feel it at all.
[Video clip]
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney asked whether Mavrick received medical attention in jail. The detective said he didn’t know. The defense attorney asked about the method of communication for the second interview — a laptop — and whether the name tags in the document indicated when Detective Kreutzer and Mavrick typed was there prior to the interview or if it was added after the interview. The detective said he added the name tags after the interview.
The defense attorney asked if Mavrick’s head nods or gestures were not included in the transcript. The detective said that was right. The defense attorney asked if it was accurate that Mavrick described the struggle with Grant on video camera. The detective said, “Yes.”
[Video clip]
“Did the video recording show Mavrick gesturing the fight?”
“Yes.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The jurors had questions related to the rocks — about whether they were inside or outside of the tent. The detective said during the first interview, Mavrick said they were outside of the tent, but in the second interview, he shared a different story because he said the rocks were inside the tent.
[Video clip]
“It was different. He said the rocks were inside the tent in the four corners inside the tent.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney walked up to the detective and challenged him to show where the information about the rock was in the transcript.
[Video clip]
The detective looked through the pages. It took him a good while. He then said it was not in the transcript.
[Video clip]
“I’ve looked at it and I don’t see it in the transcript.”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney made a point that Mavrick’s head nods or gestures was not documented anywhere. He said it shows that there could be miscommunication. The detective said he mouthed certain words and made gestures and that Mavrick was able to understand him just fine. The defense attorney challenged this, then had a private discussion with Mavrick before going back to the detective. The detective was taken aback.
[Video clip]
“‘I asked, was it outside’? His head shook. I said, ‘Inside?’ He nodded. That’s how I remember it.’”
CALLIE FRYE:
The defense attorney’s final challenge to the detective was a question on whether in his years of experience he had ever interviewed deaf or hearing-impaired suspects. The detective said “Less than six.” The defense attorney asked how many out of these did he do an interview for a prolonged period of time. The detective said, “Just one.” The defense attorney asked if this “one” was Mavrick. The detective said Mavrick is the only one.
The defense attorney asked whether the detective ever used a laptop with a simple word processing program in an interview before. The detective said it was his first time with Mavrick.