LAKEPORT — The first day of the jury trial in the murder case against John Robert Gray began Wednesday at the Lake County Courthouse, with the prosecution calling two witnesses to help establish a timeline of the alleged murder night.
Judge Arthur Mann presided. Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe represented the Lake County DA”s Office and attorney Kevin Ikuma represented Gray.
Gray faces a felony charge of murder with special allegations of infliction of great bodily harm and personally using a deadly weapon against another person for his alleged role in the death of Clear Lake Riviera resident Eric Joaquin.
Authorities allege that Gray bludgeoned Joaquin to death in the early morning hours of Feb. 28, 2009 using an aluminum baseball bat.
Joaquin had been living in a bedroom at Gray”s house. Joaquin was found dead at the foot of his bed at Gray”s house on Del Monte Way in Clear Lake Riviera later that morning.
The trial began with Grothe offering the prosecution”s opening statement.
Grothe told the jury he thinks the case”s evidence will show that on Feb. 28, 2009, Gray had been under the influence of amphetamines and staying at his girlfriend”s house when he returned to his house on Del Monte Way around 2 a.m. to pick up his dog.
Grothe said that while at the Del Monte Way residence early that morning, Gray “bludgeon(ed) to death in very, very graphic fashion, his roommate.”
Gray then returned to his girlfriend”s house on Terrace Way in Clear Lake Riviera, where he was later taken into custody by authorities on the afternoon of Feb. 28, 2009, according to Grothe.
Grothe told the jury that investigators found a pair of Gray”s shoes and socks, both of which were covered in blood, at the time of his arrest. The blood was subsequently proven to be Joaquin”s, according to Grothe.
Gray”s girlfriend found an aluminum baseball bat behind the front door of the Del Monte Way residence nearly a month after the Lake County Sheriff”s Office and defense investigators completed their initial investigations of the murder scene, according to Grothe.
Grothe said forensic tests showed that the bat was covered in Joaquin”s blood, leading authorities to determine it was the murder weapon.
Defense attorney Ikuma told the jury in his opening statement that the evidence will show that there was “no conflict” between Gray and Joaquin and that Joaquin “had enemies and had demons.”
Ikuma said that Gray drove to his Del Monte Way home around 2 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2009, and discovered Joaquin”s body.
Gray thought that Joaquin had committed suicide and did not call the authorities, in part, because of a previous experience in which another friend had committed suicide, according to Ikuma.
Ikuma said the evidence will show that Gray had “walk(ed) into the crime scene and made the mistake of not saying anything to the cops.”
Ikuma also said that the evidence will show that other people had a motive to kill Joaquin and that those leads were “ignored by the government.”
The first witness called by the prosecution was Stacey Jones, Joaquin”s girlfriend at the time of his death.
Jones testified that she had stayed with Joaquin at Gray”s house off and on until around 10 p.m. on Feb. 27, 2009. She said the last time she talked to Joaquin was over the phone at around 10:30 that night.
Under cross-examination, Jones said that she considered Gray a “friend” and a “peaceful person.”
She also said that she does not think that Gray was capable of committing a violent crime.
Heath Vijsma was the final witness called Wednesday. He testified that he had been friends with Joaquin for about 14 years prior to Joaquin”s death.
Vijsma said that he was in a relationship with a woman who stayed at Gray”s girlfriend”s house on Terrace Way and that he slept there beginning at around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2009. He testified that Gray”s truck was in the driveway when he arrived at 1:30 a.m.
Vijsma said that at some point after falling asleep, he may have seen Gray”s truck leaving in that night, but could not be entirely sure because he was “drunk.”
Vijsma told the court when he woke up around noon on Feb. 28, 2009, Gray was at the Terrace Way residence and seemed “despondent.”
The trial adjourned for the day at 4 p.m. and will reconvene today at 9 a.m.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
