Mavrick Murder Trial Recap: Day Eight
CALLIE FRYE (The Daily Moth Reporter):
The defense attorney for Mavrick Fisher was finished with his questions, and it was the District Attorney’s turn. Mavrick sat down in the witness box.
DA: Why did you travel with Grant if you knew that Grant had a tendency to smoke marijuana and drink while driving?
Mavrick: I couldn’t get away from him.
DA: Grant invited you to go on a camping trip with him and you went ahead and joined him. You could have said no.
Mavrick: I didn’t want to push Grant’s buttons.
DA: So, you were concerned about pushing his buttons — because Grant would become angry with you?
Mavrick: Oh yes, from what I could see, based on what Grant did to others like Lee, Emily, and other people. I didn’t want to make the same mistake.
DA: You said Grant drove recklessly and that you didn’t like him, among other things. But you was never direct with him about it?
Mavrick: I couldn’t.
DA: You could have declined to join Grant.
Mavrick: You’re right.
DA: Did you feel threatened by Grant with his words and messages?
Mavrick: Yes. He said, “I’ll do ‘calibre’ shit to people who fuck around with me.
Both the DA and Mavrick talked back and forth about “Calibre.” What is it? It is the title of a movie that both of them watched together. It is a murder movie.
[VIDEO CLIP OF TRIAL: Mavrick: “It is a murder movie.”]
DA: Did Grant specifically threaten your son?
Mavrick: No.
DA: Did Grant specifically threaten Emily?
Mavrick: No.
DA: You said Grant was very angry. Did he ever attempt to assault you?
Mavrick: During an argument? No.
DA: Did Grant threaten you with his body at any time or aggressively approach you?
Mavrick: No.
[VIDEO CLIP: DA: “Did Grant threaten you or move towards you during the argument?” Mavrick: No.”]
DA: When you and Grant had that heated talk about splitting up, did you feel upset?
Mavrick: I was nervous, upset, and a bit scared. All of these at once.
DA: Does Grant typically enter the tent and step over you as you lay down, so he wouldn’t step on you, is that right?
Mavrick: That’s right.
DA: You both have camped together in the past. Do you both always sleep in the same position with Mavrick near the tent zipper (front door) and Grant being in the back?
Mavrick: Yes.
DA: Did you feel any anxiety that night on what Grant could do to you when he entered the tent?
Mavrick: A little bit, yes.
DA: How long was you lying down on the sleeping bag before Grant went inside?
Mavrick: It felt like a few hours. Two or three hours, I don’t know.
DA: Did you see Grant or his figure when he was standing outside of the tent before he went inside?
Mavrick: No.
DA: When you took the rock, did you put your body out of the tent?
Mavrick: My torso never went outside of the tent.
DA: I know you have answered this question before, but I wanted to be sure you said your head was outside of the tent?
Mavrick: It was enough to see the rock.
DA: You could see the rock?
Mavrick: That’s how I took it.
DA: But it was dark outside. How did you see the rock?
Mavrick: I could see the shape of it.
DA: How did you gather the rocks to use for the tent’s corners?
Mavrick: I found them around the place. Near the river, at the trail, and at other places on the campground.
DA: You gathered the rocks from various places?
Mavrick: I was looking for the right rock to place on the spike holes, at the four corners of the tent.
DA: What kind of rock was you looking for?
Mavrick: A flat surface that you would be able to secure on the spike hole and the fabric tab next to it. I didn’t want a weirdly shaped rock. The rock should look like a brick.
DA: How heavy was it?
Mavrick: It feels like a brick.
[VIDEO CLIP: Mavrick: It feels like a brick.]
DA: Did you need two hands to hold the rock and carry it? Or just one hand?
Mavrick: Just one hand.
Callie Frye:
Now, let’s go to the incident in the tent.
DA: Did you strike the rock on various parts of Grant’s body?
Mavrick: No.
DA: So, every time you struck Grant, you aimed for the head?
Mavrick: Yes.
DA: You could have hit his arm or back, right?
Mavrick: Yes, I could have.
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DA: Every time you struck him, you pulled your back arm as to load up on your full strength so you could hit him with tremendous force, right?
Mavrick: It was not at my full ability, it was more of like throwing a baseball.
DA: So you didn’t use your full strength?
Mavrick: Yes, I used my full strength. I put my life behind it.
[VIDEO CLIP: DA: You didn’t use your full strength? Mavrick: Yes, I used my full strength. I put my life behind it.”]
DA: After the final blow, at that time, was Grant still breathing?
Mavrick: Yes.
DA: You could have called for help when Grant was still alive.
Mavrick: Theoretically, I could have.
DA: There were other people near by, right?
Mavrick: Yes, there was a camper or a tent. I don’t remember. There were a couple or three people, some females. I don’t know.
DA: Did you approach them to ask for help?
Mavrick: No.
DA: You could have used Grant’s phone to text Lee to explain what happened and notify him that you’re on your way?
Mavrick: Theoretically, I could.
DA: You wanted help from Lee as soon as possible?
Mavrick: Yes. I wanted help as soon as possible.
DA: Lee could have helped you? If you texted back and forth with him, he could have helped?
Mavrick: I did not do it.
[VIDEO CLIP: DA: Lee could have helped you if you used Grant’s phone to text him back and forth? He could have helped. Mavrick: I simply didn’t do it.]
DA: When you got to Lee’s property that early morning, the gate was closed. Did you try to text Lee to let him know that you were there and needed help?
Mavrick: I did not have cell phone service on my phone.
DA: But you had Grant’s phone.
Mavrick: I did not use it.
DA: Grant’s phone had reception. You could have texted him when you arrived.
Mavrick: Yes, I could have.
[VIDEO CLIP: Mavrick is flipping through a few papers as the DA stands by him]
Callie Frye: The DA gave papers for Mavrick to read it. They were printouts of Mavrick’s texts to Lee. The printout:
Mavrick (texting to Lee): “I’m going on a road trip with Grant. We are going to Mt. Shasta. The engine felt funny. The RPM went up and down. We pulled over and checked the car out. My finger went into the fan wheel and I felt the belt cut it. Grant was frustrated and turned on the engine while my finger was on the pulley and belt. The belt cut off a chunk of my skin.”
DA: So, all of that was a lie
Mavrick: Yes.
[VIDEO CLIP: DA: (Reading) “The belt cut my skin off.” So, in short, you are saying all of this was a lie? Mavrick: Yes.]
DA: Now, let’s move to the part where you packed the tent and supplies into a tote. Did you put the knife in there?
Mavrick: No, I did not put a knife there.
DA: But everything else was put in the tote.
Mavrick: That’s right, everything was in there except for the knife, that was the only thing. But is it just the one? I can’t remember. I can’t say if it was just the knife, but yes I put the knife in the car.
DA: Who did the knife belong to?
Mavrick: I have no idea.
[VIDEO CLIP: DA: Who did the knife belong to? Mavrick: I have no idea.]
DA: Let’s move forward. When you were at the Lake County police station, were you planning to walk up and inform them you killed Grant?
Mavrick: If an officer came up to me while I was in the car and asked questions, I might have told him.
DA: You could have walked with Mr. Fucci to the police station. You could have signed in ASL and Fucci would (have used his voice) to tell the officers that you killed Grant.
Mavrick: That was possible.
[VIDEO CLIP: Judge: We’ll wrap up for the evening.]