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IN THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY TRIAL COURT DISTRICT


WEST VALLEY DIVISION, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE


OF CALIFORNIA,

Plaintiff,

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Case No. FWV-032194

-vs-

SCOTT FREDERIC HARRISON,


Defendant.

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REPORTER'S TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL PROCEEDINGS

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TESTIMONY OF KARL JOSEPH DITOMMASO

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BEFORE HON. INGRID A. UHLER, JUDGE

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DEPARTMENT 4
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA

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TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2005 and
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2005

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APPEARANCES:
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For the People:

MICHAEL A. RAMOS
District Attorney
BY: CHERYL KERSEY
Deputy District Attorney

For the Defendant:

ROBERT E. BOYCE
Attorney-at-Law

Reported by:

DEBRA A. GODINEZ
Official Reporter
C.S.R. No. 4491

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CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX

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WITNESS

PAGE

(FOR THE PEOPLE) :


KARL JOSEPH DITOMMASO
Direct Examination
Cross Examination
Cross Examination (Resumed)
Redirect Examination
Recross Examination
Further Redirect Examination

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105
122
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141

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RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF; WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2005; 1:45 P.M.

DEPARTMENT 4

APPEARANCES:

HON. INGRID A. UHLER, JUDGE

The Defendant HARRISON with his Counsel,

ROBERT E. BOYCE, Attorney-at-Law; CHERYL

KERSEY, Deputy District Attorney of the

County of San Bernardino, representing the

People of the State of California.

(Debra A. Godinez, C.S.R., Official

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Reporter, C-4491)

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(Whereupon proceedings in this matter

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were held, reported but not transcribed herein)

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(The following proceedings were held

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outside the presence of the jury)

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THE COURT:

We are on the matter of People vs.

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Scott Harrison, who is present with Mr. Boyce.

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Kersey is present.

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Ditommaso is present.

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examination of Mr. Ditommaso.

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Miss

Former Sgt. Dean is present.

Mr.

We are going to start with the

There had been a previous discussion in regards

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to Miss Kersey made it amply clear that no statements

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were made to Mr. Ditommaso except for the statements made

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between her and Mr. Ditommaso in the presence of Mr.

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Gebbie and Detective Perez that should have been on tape,

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and I gave Mr. Boyce an opportunity to review the

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transcript and listen to the audiotape of that

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conversation, and that should be the end of that.

Mr. Boyce?

MR. BOYCE:

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Ditommaso.
THE COURT:

You certainly can question him, if

you want to, outside the presence of the jury.

MR. BOYCE:

MS. KERSEY:

THE COURT:

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Maybe I should just ask Mr.

Mr. Ditommaso
I'm sorry.

Could we swear him in?

Mr. Ditommaso -- we need to swear him

in first.

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KARL JOSEPH DITOMMASO,

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called as a witness on behalf of the People, was sworn

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and testified as follows:

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THE CLERK:

You do solemnly state that the

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testimony which you are about to give in this case shall

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be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,

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so help you God?

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THE WITNESS:

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THE CLERK:

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Please state your full name, spelling your first

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Yes.
Thank you.

Please be seated.

and last name for the record.


THE WITNESS,

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D-i-t-o"m-m-a-s-o.

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THE COURT:

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Mr. Boyce?

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MR. BOYCE:

Karl Joseph Ditommaso,

Thank you.

Hi, Mr. Ditommasso.

How are you?

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THE WITNESS:

Fine.

How are you?

MR. BOYCE:

Your attorney is Bill Gebbie; is that right?

THE WITNESS:

MR. BOYCE:

Good.

That's correct.
And have you had some conversations

with him about a letter that is going to be written for

you to the Parole Board?

THE WITNESS:

MR. BOYCE:

Yes, sir.
And your attorney told you that the

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District Attorney would write a letter to the Parole

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Board advising them of your cooperation and assistance in

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testifying in this case; is that correct?

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THE WITNESS:

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MR. BOYCE:

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THE WITNESS:

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MR. BOYCE:

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And it's your belief that that might

help you get out on parole at some point?

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Yes, sir.

I don't know, sir.


Your attorney didn't discuss that

with you at all?


THE WITNESS:

He said it possibly could, but it's

up to the Parole Board if I did get a date to go home.


MR. BOYCE:

That's right.

But you're hoping that

letter is going to help you get a date to go home, right?

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MR. KERSEY:

Objection.

Relevance, your Honor.

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THE COURT:

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THE WITNESS:

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MR. BOYCE:

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I don't have anything further.

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THE COURT:

It's overruled.
Yes.
Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

You could bring everybody

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in, Bill.

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Since you've been previously sworn, we won't


swear you in in front of the jury.
Move the microphone towards you.

(The witness complied)

THE COURT:

Thank you.

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(At this time the jury

entered the courtroom)

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THE COURT:

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Okay.

We are on the matter of People

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vs. Scott Harrison, who is present with Mr. Boyce.

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Kersey is present.

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jurors and alternates are presently constituted.

previously sworn as a witness.


And, Miss Kersey, when you're ready, you may

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The

This is Karl Ditommaso, and he has been

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Former Sgt. Dean is present.

Miss

proceed.

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DIRECT EXAMINATION

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BY MS. KERSEY:

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Good afternoon.

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Good afternoon.

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Now, your last name is Ditommaso.

Just so we have

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some consistency, in the 1990's at some point you changed

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your name from "Bragg" to "Ditommaso"?

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That's correct.

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Would you like to be called "Ditommaso" at this

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point?

Yes.

Now, we heard from a person named Lisa Bragg, now

Markwart.

Was that your former wife?

That's correct.

Your first wife?

First wife.

Did you have children with Lisa?

I'll just call her

Lisa Bragg.

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No, ma'am.

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When do you recall getting married to Lisa Bragg?

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It was in April of '89.

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And later you divorced Lisa Bragg?

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That's correct.

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Do you know when you got divorced or how long the

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marriage was?
A

I think it was in '93, I believe.

It might have

been sooner.

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How old are you now, Mr. Ditommaso?

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I'm36.

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So in 1991 how old were you?

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Twenty -- 21?

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Yes.

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I was 20-years-old.

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And then throughout that marriage, you got divorced

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'91,

'92?

How old were you when you got married?

about four years later, so you were about 24, 25?

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24 or 25.

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So that was pretty -- you were both -- were both of

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you the same age or --

No.

Now, currently you're in custody.

That's correct.

You were convicted of murder?

That's correct.

Regarding the death of phil Perry?

That's correct.

And that conviction occurred in -- I want to say

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April, 2002?

2001?

MR. BOYCE:

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She's older than me.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

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remember.

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in front of me.

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Was it in April, 2002?

I don't know the exact date.

THE COURT:

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Leading.

I don't have it

Why don't you ask him if he remembers

the date.

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

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I believe it was July or August.

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Okay.

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Yes.

Do you remember?

So late in the year?

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MR. BOYCE:

Vague as to what year.

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THE COURT:

What year?

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THE WITNESS:

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THE COURT:

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If you

(BY MS. KERSEY)

2002.
Thank you, Mr. Ditommaso.
What I want to initially talk to

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you about, Mr. Ditommaso, is your relationship with

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with Lisa, Lisa Bragg Markwart, okay?

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A Okay.

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/-

town?

Alta Lorna, California.

Where were you working?

For B&B Associates.

Can you tell us what B&B Associates were?

We were a loan brokerage.

Now, back in 1991, where were you living?

What

People that wanted to

obtain a loan to purchase a house or refi, they'd come to

us and we'd help retain them.

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You're saying -- who's "we"?

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It was me, David Kong, Scott Harrison.

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We all

worked together doing loans.

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Who was the other "B" for?

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Bragg.

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I assume one "B" was for

Oh, it -- it was for -- it was not for no other

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Bragg or nothing; just B&B.

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we wanted to be closer to the front of the ads, you know,

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in the Yellow Pages.

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So who -- in 1991,

We came up with that because

'92, who generally -- you've

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named some names -- Scott Harrison, David Kong.

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else?

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Myself.

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Did Robert Minor work there at the business?

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No, rna' am.

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Did he ever assist or help out in typing?

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the phones?

Anything like that?

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He did occasionally.

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What kinds of things would Robert Minor do

Who

Answering

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occasionally?
A

He would help either by transporting a package, like

delivering it to the lender for us -Q

So he didn't really have any special skills in loan

applications or loan processing?

He was trying to learn.

Now, how -- did you go to school to learn loan

processing and applications?

Yes, I did.

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And you said Scott Harrison was working there at the

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I took real estate classes.

business?

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He worked with me, yes, ma'am.

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So were -- was Scott Harrison a commissioned

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employee or a salaried employee?

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Commission.

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Was everybody commission?

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Everybody was commission.

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And what was commission based on?

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If you brought the loan in and we funded the loan,

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you got paid a percentage of the commission that we made.

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So who funded the loans actually?

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It would be like Pin Fund Mortgage (phonetic

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What company?

spelling) .
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So if people wanted a loan, you'd give them the loan

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paperwork, they'd fill it out, then would you process

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that loan and get a lender basically?

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Exactly.

I was a middleman.

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So the commission, then, for everybody would be

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based probably on how much the loan was?


A

That's exactly -- it's usually 1 or 2% of the loan

amount.

How long did you have that business?

I had it -- well, actually I had it all the way up

until I got arrested.

So when would that have been?

2001.

Did the business stay in the same location?

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No.

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Where did it move to?

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It was in different locations in Rancho Cucamonga,

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and then we had an office that we ended up moving to

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towards 2001 in San Bernardino off of Arrowhead.

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There's a --

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MS. KERSEY:

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THE COURT:

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MS. KERSEY:

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May I walk through the well?


That's fine.
Okay.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

There's an exhibit that's been

marked as No.1, which is just generally

it's a map.

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Would you familiarize yourself with that?

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(Pause)
Do you see the location of B&B Associates at the

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time, in 1991,

'92?

2.5

(No audible response)

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You're pointing to a blue square pretty much in the

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middle of the map.

And is the address correct, 9631

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Business Center Drive?

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That is correct.

And where were you living at that time?

Up here on 19th.

Okay.

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Again you're pointing at Exhibit 1 to a blue


rectangle, and that indicates 8990 19th Street, No. 440?

That's correct.

Now, there was a condominium that you -- at least at

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some point owned or processed.

Do you recall the

condominium?

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The Minor's.

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"The Minor's," meaning Robert and Elizabeth?

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Robert and Elizabeth.

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Again you're pointing to a blue rectangle.

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the correct address, 8430, No. H, Spring Desert Place?

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Yes.

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Thank you.
During 1991 did Robert and Liz Minor live at the

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Is that

condominium?

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Yes.

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Did they at some point move to an apartment?

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Yes.

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When did they move to the apartment?

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When they -- well, Bob Minor lost his job and Liz

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was not working, and that's when -- that's when they

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couldn't afford to make the payments.

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So they lost the condominium --

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Yes.

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in foreclosure?
They were losing it, and then a friend of mine and I

picked it up.
Q

When you say "picked it up," did you take over the

loan paperwork?
A

Took over the loan paperwork, brought the payments

current and sold the property.

Where did Robert and Liz Minor move after living at

the condominium?

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At an apartment complex on 9th Street.

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Do you see that on Exhibit 1?

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(No audible response)

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Again you're pointing to a blue square, 1319 East

Ninth Street, No. 13?

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That's correct.

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And at the time of the murder of Phil Perry where

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were Liz and Robert -- where were they living?

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On 9th Street in the apartments.

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So they had already moved from the condo?

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(No audible response)

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Is that a "yes"?

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Yes.

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How long did that condominium stay vacant, if you

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remember?

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I believe two months.

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Was it during this va- -- was it vacant at the time

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of the homicide?
A

Yes.

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Back then in '91,

'92 was -- was your business

rather busy or slow or can you characterize it?

I was doing okay.

Now, you've talked about some of your employees.

I was pretty busy.

You mentioned Scott Harrison.

Yes.

Is he in court today?

Yes.

Would you please identify him for the record?

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He's sitting over there in the blue suit.

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At the end of counsel table?

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At the end of the counsel table.


THE COURT:

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The record will reflect the witness

identified the defendant, Mr. Harrison.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

How long did Mr. Harrison work for

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you there -- or work -- it sounds more like worked with

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you is better than worked for you.

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Yes, because he was attending college at Point Loma

at the same time.

And I'm going to assume, based on what you've said,

was he drumming up his own business?

Loan applications?

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Exactly.

Anyone that wanted a loan that he knew, he

got paid for.


Q

So you weren't telling Scott Harrison what to do as

far as making assignments or --

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MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

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THE COURT:

Sustained.

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Were you telling Scott Harrison

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what to do as a supervisor would?

NOt

Now, you said that Scott Harrison was attending

ma'am.

college?

Yes.

Where was he attending college?

Point Lorna Nazarene School.

the name.

I'm not quite sure of

It was in Point Lorna.

Is that in San Diego County?

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Yes.

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How long did you know -- or up till 1992, give or

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take, how long had you known Scott Harrison?


A

I met Scott through Lisa because he was dating

Lisa's sister, Sheila.


Q

And apparently

I believe I met him in 1988.


eventually did Scott get married

to Sheila?

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Yes.

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And did you go to their wedding?

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AYes.

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When did that wedding occur, if you remember?

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I don't recall.

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Was it after phil Perry's death?

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Yes.

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How often during 1991 and '92 would you see Scott

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I was the best man.

Harrison?
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Quite often through family -- I would say through

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family gatherings, holidays.

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weekends.

Urn, he was down here on

We went to San Diego on weekends.

We spent

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quite a bit of time together.

So just you and Scott Harrison?

No, the four of us, Scott and Sheila and myself and

Lisa.

Did Scott Harrison have a car?

No.

How would you get together to see him?

Usually at the time he rented a -- I think it was a

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Lincoln Towne Car (phonetic spelling) -- I'm not too


sure

and then he used my Mercedes from time to time.

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Would he ever ride the train?

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Yes.

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How frequently would he ride the train?

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MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

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THE COURT:

Sustained without further foundation.

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

Lack of foundation.

Did you ever go to the train

station and pick him up?


A

I don't recall.

Union Station.

I think maybe once at - - urn, at

I do believe he came in once.

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That would be in Los Angeles?

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Yes.

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Was Scott Harrison at your business or at B&B

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everyday or what were the hours

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He was only there when he was in town, in Rancho.

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Did he ever stay the night at your house?

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Yes.

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How frequently?

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Whenever he was down he spent the night there.

Urn,

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on the weekends definitely,

'cause him and his wife would

come down here and spend the weekend with us.

Him and his wife Sheila?

Yes.

So that would be after the death of Phil Perry?

No.

You mean his girlfriend, then?

His girlfriend.

So if we're talking -- I mean -- I guess what I'm

That was even before.

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trying to get at is how often would you really see him

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during that year, that time period?

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Twice a week?

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week.'

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Like once a week?

Probably about -- at least three or four times a

And would you characterize your relationship as

friendly?

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Yes.

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How close of friends were you?

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We were very close.

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When he was in town, did you do things together?

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Yes.

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Other than work?

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Yes.

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Was he -- was Scott Harrison the person that you

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spent most of your time with as far as male friends at

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that time period?

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At that time period.

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Now, did you -- during this time also did you carry

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a weapon?

~~

Yes, ma'am.

How would you carry that weapon?

Where

~on

your body

or how would you do that?

In a black bag.

What kind of bag?

Like a little attache case bag that you have for --

like the front part had credit cards in --

Was it, like, a zippered case?

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Yes, ma'am.

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Why fid you carry one?

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MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

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THE COURT:

Sustained.

Relevance.

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

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Yes, ma'am.

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And what -- how did he carry his weapon?

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In a similar-shaped bag.
MR. BOYCE:

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Objection, 352, and I've objected

before, your Honor.


THE COURT:

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Did Scott Harrison carry a weapon?

And I'll make the same ruling.

Overruled.
Q

(BY MS. KERSEY)

How frequently would Scott Harrison

carry a weapon?

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He had it with him all the time.

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How frequently did you carry a weapon?

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All the time.

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Well, why -- why were you carrying a weapon?

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MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Relevance.

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THE COURT:

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

MR. BOYCE:
(BY MS. KERSEY)

THE COURT:

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Were you ever -- were you making

cash transactions at a bank --

Sustained.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Objection.

Relevance.

-- or --

Sustained.
Did you have a concealed weapons

permit?
A

No, ma'am.

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MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Relevance, 352.

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THE COURT:

Overruled.

The answer. may remain.

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(BY MS. KERSEY)

Now, when Scott Harrison would stay

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the night, did you ever see the weapon at your house?

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Yes.

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In the same -- in this zippered case?

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Yes.

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And when you would see him at the business, did he

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have a weapon?

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Yes.

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Now,

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at some point in 1992 did you find out your

wife was having an affair?

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Yes, I did.

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How did you find that out?

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I found that out because I found some letters

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written to Mr. Perry from Lisa.

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them?

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How did you find the letters and where did you find

In Lisa's car.

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What kind of car did she drive?

At the time she had a white Jeep.

And what were you driving?

I had a blue Mercedes 190E.

Did you have another car?

Yes, a Supra.

So you found the actual letters, though, in the

Jeep?

Yes.

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What did you do with the letters?

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Held onto them.

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Did you read them?

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Yes.

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At some point did you do something with those

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letters?

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I confronted her with it.

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What happened when you confronted her?

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She says they were just friends.

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Did you know Phil Perry at that point?

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Very well.

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How did you know him?

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I knew him from St. Joseph's Church.

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He was a

deacon there.
Q

And when you say you knew him very well, would you

describe that relationship that you had?


A

Well, he was kind of like a marriage

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counselor/advisor.

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him about it.

Whenever I had a problem,

I'd talk to

Um, me and Lisa had a lot of marital

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problems, and he used to come and sit with us, talk to

us.

with me and talk to me, studied the Bible.

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He'd come to my office on Arrow in Rancho and sit

So at that time it sounds like he was somewhat

acting as an advisor or counselor to you and Lisa.

Yes.

So when you found the letters, how did you feel?

Betrayed.

Did you ever confront Phil Perry about the letters?

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Yes, I did.

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What happened then?

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He said there was nothing there; they were just

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friends.
Q

Do you know in terms of time when you confronted

Phil Perry?

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I don't know the exact time or date.

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If you could, give an estimate in terms of -- like,

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for instance, after January?

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time of Phil Perry's death, was it in that time period or

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was it prior to that?

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Like January '92 till the

I think the very first time was before that.

in the end of '91.


Q

So it sounds like, then, you confronted Phil Perry

more than once.

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Yes.

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So the first time you confronted him you had

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It was

letters?
A

Yes.

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What happened the second time?

The second time was when I confronted him with, urn,

the head priest at St. Joseph's.

Fahnestock or Fahn- -- I'm not correct on his name, but I

think it's Fahnestock.

I believe it's

Father John Fahnestock?

Yes, that is correct.

Did you know Father John?

Yes.

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Now, did you -- at this particular time you were

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aware that Lisa was attending some kind of classes at the

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church?

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That is correct.

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Did you go to those classes with her?

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Urn, a couple times I did.

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Is that how you initially met Phil Perry?

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Urn, no.

I met Phil Perry, urn, going to church.

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was a very friendly man.

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didn't know you, he'd walk up to you and introduce

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himself.

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Sandridge's.

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classes, so I had been to one of his classes 'with Lisa

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and one that Phil gave.

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He'd walk up to you -- if he

I actually went to -- urn,

it was Danny

That's where he was doing some of the

When you were talking about "one of his classes,"

you went to Danny Sandridge's residence?

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Residence.

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And this is all courses about religion?

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Yes.

He

21
20

2
3

So the second time you confronted Phil Perry, what

happened?
A

It was with John Fahnestock, and Mr. Perry said that

they were still friends.

Father John Fahnestock said that he was going to make

sure that everything would stop.

7
8

He denied everything.

And then

So in that meeting, I take it -- it sounds like you

were there, Father John Fahnestock and Deacon Perry?

Deacon Perry.

10

So there was some agreement that the relationship

11

would stop?

12

Yes.

13

At that point in time did you believe it was just a

14

friendship or did you think there was more involved than

15

that?

16

Well, per the letters there was more.

It seemed

17

like there was more to it, but I was trying to give

18

everyone the benefit of the doubt.

19
20

Now, at some point did you obtain your wife's P.o.

box location and go to that P.O. box?

21

Yes.

22

Did you collect letters?

23

Yes.

24

And were any of those letters from Phil Perry?

25

Yes.

26

So it sounds like you had quite a few letters.

27

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Leading.

28

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

22
1

You could answer "y'e s " or "rio .

THE WITNESS:

3
4

(BY MS. KERSEY)

II

Yes, I did.
Now, was there a -- did you ever

discuss with your family this inappropriate relationship?

Yes.

Who in your family was aware of the problem?

My mother, um, Jose Brambila, which was my

stepfather, Tony Brambila.

Are all these people members of the same church?

10

Yes, we were all members of the same church.

11

And what about your grandmother?

12

I don't think she knew the whole situation.

13

Did you ever talk to Liz Minor or Robert Minor about

14

it?

15

Liz Minor.

16

Without Robert?

17

Yes.

18
19
20
21.

Did she know?

Robert Minor was at the end, more so, than at

the beginning.
Q

Well, we're talking about the beginning.

Could you

give us a time frame?


A

When I first received the letters, I talked to

22

Elizabeth Minor about it.

When I got the ones out of the

23

P.O. box, Robert was present at that time.

24

Oh, he was with you at the P.O. box location?

25

Yes.

26

Now, in terms of time, do you know -- I mean, you've

27

said that you found out about -- or got the first set of

28

letters around the end of 1991?

23
1

Uh-huh.

Is that yes"?

Yes.

Okay.

And then when did you talk to people -- or when

did people become aware of the relationship in terms of

that and your second meeting -- or your meeting with Phil

Perry and Father Fahnestock?

Well, the first set of letters I talked to my mother

10

about because at the time Lisa was working with my

11

mother.

12

then around January -- I believe it was January or

13

February is when I found the other ones inside the P.o.

14

box.

15

16
17
18

And I would say that was before Christmas.

And

At what point in time did you confront your wife

about the letters?


A

Probably about a week after I found them in her --

inside the car.

19

That's the first time?

20

The first time.

21

Did you ever talk to her again about the letters?

22

~.

23

Did you ever get intq a confrontation with her about

24

their relationship?

25

No.

26

So you were just collecting evidence?

27

Well, I also found other letters, too, that she was

28

having -- she was apparently sleeping with another guy as

24
1

well.

So where -- where did you -- I mean, at some point

you had to have some kind of confrontation with Lisa.

you know when that happened?

Around March.

Was that after your meeting with, urn, Father John

and Phil Perry or before?

That was after.

And during that confrontation in March with your

10

wife, was anybody else there?

11

Yeah.

12

Who was there?

13

Sheila, her sister.

14

At that point did Miss

15
16

Yeah.
MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

18

THE COURT:

Sustained.

20
21

well, your wife, Lisa

Bragg, deny the affair and say it was over or --

17

19

Do

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Well, what happened during that

discussion with your wife?


A

She said that she's no longer seeing Phil.

She said

22

she was now seeing this other guy she was apparently

23

having an affair with.

24

always denied the relationship with her and phil.

She always -- for some reason she

25

Even though you had letters?

26

Yes.

27

Now, at some point -- you said that that was March

28

or thereabouts -- did you have any other confrontations

25
1

2
3
4

with Lisa about her relationship with Phil?


A

I think that was the last one 'cause that was also

the time that we mentioned about getting divorced.


Q

At some point did you find out that Lisa was

pregnant --

Yes.

-- during that -- how did you find that out?

She came and told me.

And did you talk to her about who the dad, the

10

father, was?

11

Yes.

12

Did you ask her if Phil Perry was the father?

13

I did.

14

And did she deny it?

15

She said she didn't know.

16

Do you know, in terms of time, when that happened?

17

I believe that was in April, the beginning of April.

18

Was that a -- did that -- I mean, I'm using the word

19

"confrontation."

Was that an argument?

20

Yeah, because she wanted to have an abortion.

21

And you didn't know -- well, was there a discussion

22

between you and her as to whether or not you, yourself,

23

were the father?

24
25

Yes.

She didn't know if it was me, Phil Perry, or

the man she's married to now.

26

Did that make you angry?

27

Yes.

28

And that occurred sometime in April?

26
2

Yes.

Did you ever try to personally talk to Phil Perry

3
4

after that meeting that you had with Father Fahnestock?


A

No.

I believe that that was the last time.

Phil came over and we still talked, but I believed

that

time we talked with Father Fahnestock.

8
9

I mean,

I believed that everything was settled at the

Do you remember receiving a letter from -- from Phil

Perry saying that he couldn't meet with you anymore?

10

Yes.

11

Did you ever talk to him about why he couldn't meet

12
13

with you anymore?


A

Yes.

He said that was because Father Fahnestock had

14

told him not to meet with me no more in regards to this

15

situation.

16

In other words, was it

17

being inappropriate for you

18

with you and Lisa or with Lisa?

19
20
21
22
23
24

Yes.

was it something about it


well, for phil Perry to be

It was supposed to be that, urn, Phil Perry

wasn't supposed to be around either one of us.

Do you know when that -- when that information

when you learned that from Father Fahnestock?


A

Somewhere right after the meeting with him that

letter was issued.

25

And you received the letter?

26

Yes.

27

So you knew after receiving the letter that Phil

28

Perry was not going to meet with you?

27

:2

But he did.

When did he meet with you?

Like a week later.

He came over to have coffee with

me.

.A

At the business?
Yes.
Now, at some point -- I'm going to jump ahead a

little bit -- you became pretty angry with Phil Perry; is

that accurate?

10

That's correct.

11

At that point in time you were angry with him why?

12

I was angry when I found out; that they were having

13

an affair.

14

man because he was a deacon of the church.

15

him.

16

him about my father,

17

problems, and then I find out he's sleeping with my

18

ex-wife, which would be currently my wife at the time, so

19

I was very upset.

20
21

I felt betrayed.

I opened up myself to this


I trusted in

I talked to him about my personal life, I talked to


I talked to him about my marriage

I felt very betrayed.

Now, at some point you -- urn, you talked to your

sister, Liz?

22

Correct.

23

Did you ask Liz for a favor?

24

Yes, I did.

25

What did you ask Liz to do?

26

Go talk to him.

27

When was she supposed to go talk to him?

28

The night he actually got murdered.

28
2

What were you doing that day?

I was at San Antonio Hospital.

Your daughter, Elise, was having

A tonsillectomy.

And that was an appointment that had been made in

advance?

Yes, ma'am.

What time, if you recall, did you get to the

9
10
11
12
13

hospital?
A

It was early in the morning.

I think 4:00 or 5:00.

It was an in and outpatient.


Q

So you were there for -- basically when Elise was

admitted to the hospital that morning?

14

Yes.

15

Was she supposed to be -- or was she let out that

16

day?
I believe it was that afternoon.

17

That night.

18

Well, you knew in advance it wasn't an overnighter?

19

Correct.

20

Were you at the hospital the entire time during the

21

surgery that Monday?

22

Yes.

23

So she got admitted and you waited for the surgery

24

to be completed?

25

Yes.

26

Okay.

27
28

Do you know approximately what time she was


discharged from the hospital?

29
2

I don't remember the exact time.

Well, could it have been around 6:00 p.m?

It could have been.

After she was discharged, do you remember what

happened with Elise?

With Elise?

Uh-huh.

Yes.

Was there anybody at the house with you that was

10

I took her home.

going to take care of her?

11

My grandparents and her grandmother.

12

Would that be Dorothy --

13

Merchain.

14

So were they already at the house or did everybody

15

kind of travel together?

16

We all traveled together from the hospital.

17

Did you leave the house that night after getting

18

back from the hospital?

19

No.

20

Now, you had -- when did you talk to Liz to make the

21

arrangements for her to meet with Phil Perry?

22

Liz was at the hospital.

23

I mean, at what point did you talk to her to meet

24

with Phil Perry to ask her that favor?

25

I believe a couple days prior to that.

26

Did you -- when you talked to her -- I mean, what

27
28

did you ask her to do exactly, if you remember?


A

Just to go tell Phil to leave our family alone.

30
3

Just to talk to him?

Yes.

Did you tell her that somebody was going to go with

her?

Yes.

Who did you tell her was going with her?

Scott Harrison.

Had you already talked to Scott Harrison and asked

him for this favor?

10

Yes.

11

And he agreed?

12

Yes.

13

Do you recall when you talked to Scott Harrison to

14

get him to agree to this favor?

15

A couple days prior.

16

Now, was there some reason why you wanted Liz to

17
18
19
20
21

meet with Phil Perry on the day of the surgery?


A

No, .1 don't recall exact why, just -- I wanted -- I

didn't care what day she actually met with him.

Well, you were -- you were at home, family members

were there, Elise was there on Monday.

22

Correct.

23

So you would have people that would be able to say

24

that you were at home on that particular day.


MR. BOYCE:

25
26

Argumentative, your

Honor, and leading.


THE COURT:

27
28

Objection.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

It's leading.

Sustained.

Would there be people that would

31
3

1
2

say you were at home that day?


A

Yes.

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

5
6

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Three.

Okay.

11

Who could have said that you were

at home as far as how many people were at the house?

10

Who were they?


A

Dorothy Merchain, Katherine Ditommaso and Frank

Ditommaso.

12

And your daughter?

13

And Elise.

14

Where was Lisa?

15

Lisa left.

16

Do you know where she went?

17

I don't know.

18

out

19

20

Leading.

I had -- well, I ended up finding

I heard she went to church to see Phil.


But did she come home from the hospital with

everybody?

21

Yeah.

22

And then she left after that?

23

She had to shower because Elise threw up on her

24

inside the hospital.


So once Elise got home, did you see her leave the

25

26

house?

27

Yes.

28

And what time -- or when did she come back?

32
3

After a couple hours.

But you -- you were there the entire time at night?

Yes.

At some point that night did you receive a phone

call

Yes.

-- from Liz?

Yes.

.MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

10

THE COURT:

Sustained.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Did you receive a phone call?

11

12

Yes.

13

From who?

14

Liz Minor.

15

And about what time, if you could recall, did that

16
17
18
19

20

call come in?


A

It was late.

I don't recall the exact time, but it

was late.
Q

Do you recall whether or not Lisa had gotten home

yet from church?

21

Yes.

22

So it was after that?

23

Dh-huh.

24

Is that a "yes"?

25

Yes.

26

When you say "it was late," what does that mean to

27

28

you?
A

I believe it was after -- I know it was after 10:00.

33
3

1
2
3

9:00 or 10:00.

Did you talk to anybody else on the phone that night

other than Liz?

Just Liz.

Now, let's go back to the discussion that you had

with Liz and Scott a couple of days before, the 13th.

7
8

When you talked to Scott Harrison, was that on


the phone or face-to-face?

I believe it was face-to-face.

10

What did you ask him to do?

11

I asked him to go tell Phil Perry to leave us alone.

12

Leave "us," meaning --

13

My family.

14

15

Me and Lisa.

16

Did you tell him anything else?

17

And I told him to be as aggressive as he needed to

18

be.

you and Lisa?

19

Did you tell him about the affair?

20

Scott already knew about the affair.

21

How did Scott know about the affair?

22

Scott knew about the affair when I found the

23
24
25

letters.

So is that something that you confided in him as his

best friend?

26

Yeah.

27

How long -- if you could give a time, how long had

28

Scott known about the affair?

34

He knew all along, the whole time.

So as soon as you knew, Scott knew?

Yes.

Did he ever see the letters?

Yes.

Did you show them to him?

Yes.

Where did you keep the letters?

At the office.

10

Were they in any type of locked drawer or cabinet or

He knew before my family knew.

11

anything like that?

12

or what?

13
14
15
16

Could everybody kind of look at them

I don't recall where I had them in the office, but

it was inside my personal office at B&B.

Now, when you had talked to Scott Harrison about the

affair, did he ever react to that information?

17

MR. BOYCE:

Leading.

18

THE COURT:

Overruled.

19

THE WITNESS:

20

21

Yes.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

How did Scott Harrison react to the

information?

22

He was very upset.

23

Upset with Lisa?

24

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

25

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

26

THE WITNESS:

27

28

(BY MS. KERSEY)


And Phil.

Leading.

Yes, with Lisa.


Or was he upset with anyone else?

35
3

Did Scott Harrison know Phil?

Yes.

Do you -- were you present -- or do you know how

4
5

they
A

how they met?


I don't recall.

I mean, they could -- there could

have been plenty at times that Phil was at my mother's

house when Scott was there too.

the first time.

I don't recall when was

There were plenty of times --

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Speculation.

10

THE COURT:

Overruled.

You need to let him

11

finish his answer.

12

So you could proceed.

13

THE WITNESS:

"There were times ... "

There were plenty of times that

14

they were at my house together.

15

time that they originally met.

16

(BY MS. KERSEY)

17

Scott and Phil.

18

Q At your house?

19

At my mom's house.

20

Okay.

I don't know the first

When you say "they were" --

During family events?

21
22

Family events.

23

So was

I'm just trying to get the gist of the

24

relationship.

25

why would Phil be at your mother's house?

26

Was Phil -- would Phil be at your -- or

He'd come over, like, after work or at night and

27

kinda study because Liz and Tony and my brothers were all

28

taking classes with him, and he'd come over there.

Lisa

36
4

would be there all the time.

And then also when Lisa had

her open heart surgery, he was there continuously.

So he was at the hospital, you mean?

At the hospital and when Lisa went home.

So how much contact, if you recall, did Scott

Harrison have with Phil Perry?

Quite a bit.

Now, when you asked Scott to do this for you, you

told him to be what?

lO

Aggressive.

II

Did you give him any further instructions, other

l2
l3

l4

than be aggressive?
A

If he had to, slap him around, to let him know that

he was serious.

l5

Serious about what?

l6

What he said, about staying away from me and Lisa.

l7

Now, was anybody present during that conversation?

l8

Liz.

19

Can you -- when did that occur?

20

I think the day

no, it was a few days ago -- a

It was the last time that Scott Harrison

2l

few days prior.

22

was down in Rancho that Liz and all of us met.

23

Now, you said that you asked Liz for this favor?

24

Uh-huh.

25

Was that face-to-face?

26

Uh-huh.

27

"Yean?

28

Yes.

37
4

THE COURT:

THE WITNESS:

3
4

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Is that "yes"?
Xes.
And you asked Scott for this favor

and that was face-to-face?

Yes.

Was that at the same time you were talking to him or

was it separately?

It was at the same time.

How -- did you give Liz any direction as far as how

10

to meet with Phil Perry?

11

How to meet with Phil?

12

How to arrange this meeting.

13

No.

14

Did you ever talk to -- or did you ever ask her to

15

make an appointment with Phil?

16

Well, that I did, yes.

17

Now, was that supposed to be the meeting?

18

Yes.

19

You know, perhaps I should just ask it this way:

20
21
22

What was the plan?


A

The plan was for them just to -- to set up a meeting

and go meet with him at the church.

23

Why at the church?

24

'Cause that's where he was always at usually.

25

believe it was that night he was -- he did either -- I

26

think he had his class that night at the church.

27
28

So this is the night of the -- the 13th, the

surgery?

38
4

Uh-huh.

"Yes ll ?

Yes.

So did you tell Liz to make the appointment for

5
6
7
8
9

He went to -- he went to the church.

Monday?
A

I didn't tell her -- I just told her to make an

appointment.

Did you know when the appointment was going to

happen?

10

Yes.

11

Was that Monday?

12

Yes.

13

The day you were going to be at the hospital?

14

Yes.

15

Did you know or talk to Liz about what time the

16

appointment was supposed to be at?

17

Yes.

18

Okay.
What was that conversation?

19
20
21

Just mainly I told her to make sure it was in the

evening.

22

Why?

23

Because he had -- I believe he had -- he had to

24

go -- by the time he got off work and he drove from

25

Pasadena and by the time I got horne with Elise and

26
27
28

. everything else
Q

So you basically wanted to be covered during the

time of the appointment?

39

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

3
4

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Did you want -- did you want to be

somewhere else at the time of the appointment?

Yes.

Now, how -- do you know how Scott Harrison arrived

in town, in Rancho?

On the train.

How do you know that?

10

'Cause he told me he was coming down on the

11

Metro- -- not Metrolink -- the Amtrak.

12

Did you pick him up?

13

No.

14

Do you know who picked him up?

15

Liz Minor.

16

How do you know that?

17

Because I told her to go pick him up.

18

Is that a couple days before or the day of or --

19

The day it was -- I believe the day of.

20

Was that already

21
22
23
24

25

was that arranged already, too,

for the day of?


A

For him to come down?

Yes.

When we discussed this,

he knew that that day he was coming down.


Q

So -- and the discussion you're referring to was two

days ahead?

26

Yes.

27

So going back to the two days ahead of the day that

28

Deacon Perry was killed, can you describe for us the

40

l
2

plan, what you told these people?


A

The plan was to go meet with Phil Perry and tell him

to leave me and Lisa alone and, if he needed to, be very

aggressive with Phil.

5
6

Well, when you said that to Scott Harrison, you knew

he carried a gun?

Yes.

And did you know that he would -- well, did you have

lO
II

l2
l3
l4
l5

any idea whether he would carry a gun for that meeting?


A

I believed he would because he carried it everywhere

he went.
Q

Now, why did you ask Scott Harrison to do this for

you?
A

Well, I just -- I wanted him to go there 'cause I

knew he was more the aggressor than Liz and --

l6

You mean Scott Harrison?

l7

Scott Harrison.

l8
19

20

be with Liz, he would intimidate Phil.

23

MR. BOYCE:

26

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Objection.

Leading.

Did you ask Scott Harrison to do

this because he carried a gun?


MR. BOYCE:

24
25

Is there some reason you chose Scott Harrison,

somebody you knew to carry a gun --

2l
22

So I knew when he -- when he would

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Objection.

Leading.

Just explain to me why Scott

Harrison.

27

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

28

THE COURT:

Overruled.

Asked and answered.

41
5

THE WITNESS:

Because Scott Harrison was my

friend at the time and at the same time he was very upset

with Phil Perry, and I knew that he was

to get the point across to Phil.

would be able

(BY MS. KERSEY)

To leave us alone.

When you asked Scott Harrison to do this for you,

And "the point across" being?

did you anticipate a murder?

Absolutely not.

10

Did you ever say to Scott Harrison, you know,

11

you __

12

aggressive?"

II

for instance ,,-- be rough with him and

13

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

14

THE COURT:

Sustained.

15
16

"will

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Did you ever say to Scott Harrison,

"Don't kill Phil Perry"?

17

No.

18

Did you -- I mean, you knew about Liz Minor making

19

the appointment, but did you know about the details of

20

making the appointment before that Monday?

21

time, how she was going to get there, for instance?

22

Anything -- any other details?


No.

Location,

23

That was between -- pretty much between Liz and

24

Scott.

25

Why do you say that?

26

Because I did not know how they were going to go

27

meet with Phil.

I knew that they were going to meet Phil

28

at the church, and that was it.

I didn't know, like,

42
5

who -- what car they were using or what car they were

going in.

3
4

On that particular Monday you said that you were --

you were at the hospital with Elise, correct?

Correct.

I'm going to show you Exhibit 61 down here halfway

through the stack.


Is this your signature here?

8
9

That's correct.

10

Is this the admission paperwork for Elise, your

11

daughter?

12

Yes.

13

And what time did you sign that?

14

At 7:55 a.m.

15

So you were at the hospital to sign that?

16

Yes.

17

I want to go to the point of time in which you got

18

home from the hospital.


You say you received a call from Liz at the

19
20

house?

21

Yes.

22

What did she say?

23

She said, "Scott killed Phil."

24

What -- did you leave the house after that?

25

No.

26

Did you do anything with that information?

27

No.

28

I -- I just sat down.

couldn't believe it.

I was shocked.

43
5

Did she give you any other details, other than Scott

,,~

killed Phil?

No.

Did you ask her where Phil was?

No.

So that was it?

Uh-huh.

Is that "yes"?

Yes.

10

So you went to bed?

11

Later on.

12

What did you do the next day?

13

Went to Liz's house where Scott was at.

14

When we're talking about "Liz's house"

15

Liz's apartment on Ninth Street.

16

How did you know Scott was at the apartment?

17

'Cause that's where he stayed at that night.

She was crying and hysterical.

That's all the conversation?

That

18

was arranged, that he -- that Liz was going to have him

19

stay at the apartment.

20

When was that arranged?

21

When she picked him up.

22

From?

23

Union Station.

24

So you knew that she was going to pick him up from

25
26

Union Station?
A

Uh-huh.

27

THE COURT:

28

THE WITNESS:

Is that "yes"?
Yes, 'cause I told her to pick him

44
5

2
3

up from Union Station.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

And you knew he was going to stay

the night -A

At Liz's house.

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Foundation, hearsay.

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

So the next morning you then go to

Liz and Robert's apartment?

Apartment, yes.

lO

And who was at the apartment?

II

Liz, Bob, their children, Scott, Liz's girlfriend

12

that she was going to Missouri with and her kids.

13

Could it have been Utah?

14

Maybe Utah, yes.

15

And her kids?

16

Uh-huh.

17

THE COURT:

18

THE WITNESS:

19

THE COURT:

Thank you.

20

MR. BOYCE:

"Her kids"?

21

MS. KERSEY:

22
23

Is that "yes"?
Yes.

Obj ection.

Vague.

I could clarify.

(BY MS. KERSEY) So at the apartment we have Liz and

Bob?

24

Yes.

25

Their children?

26

Yes.

27

How many kids did they have?

28

At that time it was -- I'm not quite sure if Aaron

45
6

was born yet.

I think Aaron was born.

So there was more

There was three.

Three?
And you said Scott?

Scott.

And then you said "Liz's friend"?

Dh-huh.

Do you know her name?

10

I don't remember her name.

11

And the friend's kids?

12

Yes.

13

What time, about, did you go to -- what time did you

14
15
16

go to the apartment?
A

It was early.

morning.

I don't recall.

I don't recall.

17

How did you get there?

18

I drove.

19

What did you drive?

20

My car.

21

Which one?

22

The Mercedes.

23

Thank you.

The Mercedes 190.

Once you arrived at the apartment, what happened?

24
25

I went and knocked on the door.

26

that talked to me was Liz.

27

me.

28

It was early

You were alone?

The first person

She came outside to talk to

46
6

Yes.

What did you talk about?

Liz came outside and said that they went and met

Phil at the -- she pretty much ran down what took place.

She went and met with Phil.

told phil that -- urn, told -- I think it was the

priest -- that they had a meeting with Phil.

and got Phil.

that she had car trouble and went around there --

She knocked on the door,

They went

They took Phil out to his car and said

10

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

11

THE COURT:

That statement is for co-conspirator,

12

so overruled on that basis.

13

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Let me break it down a little bit.

Was part of the plan that she was going to say

14
15

Hearsay.

her car was broke down?

16

Yes.

17

So you knew about that ahead of time?

18

Yes.

19

Did you know where -- or any of the details as to

20

where her car would be broken down at?

21

No.

22

But that was the plan as far as her asking Phil out

23

of the church?

24

Correct.

25

Do you know if Phil Perry had ever met Liz, your

26
27
28

sister?
A

Yes.

Liz was attending his religious classes, plus

she met Phil quite. a bit at our house, my mom's house.

47
6

All right.

So back at the apartment the following day Liz

comes out, you were discussing what happened the night

before; is that correct?

That's correct.

Now, does she ever tell you where the body is?

Yes.

Where did she tell you the body was?

It was in his car in the condo.

10

Phil's car?

11

Phil's car.

12

Was -- is that the first time you had heard that

13

Phil's car and Phil were in the condo?

14

Yes.

15

Well, the night before you didn't have any

16

information about where he was?

17

No.

18

So after talking to Liz for a little while out

19

front, what happened?

20

Scott came out.

21

Did you talk to Scott?

22

Uh-huh.

23

Q Yes?

24

Yes.

25

And was Liz present while you were talking to Scott?

26

Yes.

27

What did you talk to Scott about?

28

Scott just said things got out of hand and he got --

48
6

1
2
3

and Phil's dead.


Q

Did Scott at that point indicate whether or not he

had killed Phil?

Yes.

What did he say?

"I shot Phil."

Did he say why?

No.

What did you do after that?

10

We all went to breakfast.

11

Was that at Spires?

12

Yes.

13

Where is Spires?

14

On Haven and Foothill -- or a little -- it's off

15

it's not exactly on that street corner but it's --

16

Who went to breakfast?

17

Everybody that was at the apartment.

18

Okay.
So everybody you named -- Liz, Bob, Scott, Liz's

19
20

friend

21

Uh-huh.

22

-- you and the kids?

23

Uh-huh.

24

THE COURT:

25

THE WITNESS:

26

THE COURT:

27

THE WITNESS:

28

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Is that "yes"?
Yes.
Thank you.
Sorry.
Showing you what's been marked as

49
6

Exhibit 14, does that look familiar to you?


A

Yes.

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

Foundation.
I'm sure she is

going to lay it with the next question.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Yes.

What is it?

That's a receipt from Spires Restaurant.

10

And is that your receipt?

11

Yes.

12

Did you save that?

13

Yes.

14

Why?

15

For tax purposes.

16

Okay.

17

18

It looks familiar?

So this indicates April 14th, seven guests?


A

Yes.

19

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

20

THE COURT:

In terms of -- I didn't hear the last

21

thing that you read off, Miss Kersey.

22

MS. KERSEY:

23

THE COURT:

24

Foundation, hearsay.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

You said

April 14th, seven guests.


It's overruled.
So this is the morning -- the

25

morning after Phil Perry's killed, all of you then. go to

26

breakfast?

27

Correct.

28

And do you discuss the -- well, now that you know,

50
7

the murder at breakfast?

No.

Does anything unusual happen while at breakfast or

did you guys just eat and leave?

We ate and we all ended up going to the condo.

When you talk about "we all," let's get some names

here.

Bob Minor, Scott Harrison, Liz Minor and myself.

Okay.
So Liz, Bob, Scott and you?

10
11

Uh-huh.

12

Just so we're clear, you're calling him Bob.

13

That's

Robert Minor?

14

Robert Minor.

15

At what point did you ask Bob to go with you to the

16

condo?

17

Then.

18

At breakfast?

19

Right there at breakfast.

20

Did you tell him why at that point?

21

Bob already knew.

22

How did Bob know, if you know?

23

Bob knew from them at the house, Liz and Scott

24
25
26

staying at the apartment.


Q

When you say he already knew, he knew that Deacon

Perry was dead?

27

Uh-huh, yes.

28

Okay.

51
7

So he then went -- from breakfast, all four of

you go back to the condo?

Correct.

What happened at the condo?

Well, that's when Liz and I went upstairs and we

started arguing.

Just -- just you and Liz?

At that point, yes.

When you're talking about "upstairs," just so I have

10
11

a visual, is this a 2-story condo?


A

Well, yes,

'cause the garage was downstairs, then

12

you had stairs that went up to where the living room and

13

the bedrooms and kitchen were at.

14
15

So you and Liz are. then in the living area of the

condominium?

16

Correct.

17

How did you enter the condo?

18

Through the garage.

19

When you entered through the garage, did you see

20

anything?

21

Phil Perry's car.

22

Did you recognize the car?

23

Yes.

24

Did you look inside the car?

25

Not at that point.

26

Did anybody stop and look inside the car?

27

Bob -- Bob and Scott stayed in the garage, so I

28

don't know what they did at that time.

52
7

So you and Liz then went upstairs?

We went upstairs.

What happened upstairs while you were arguing?

She said that, urn, she was leaving and she was not

going to take the body down to Mexico.

Now, your -- when was Mexico discussed?

That was between her and Scott.

They wanted to go

drop the body off down in Tijuana and then have Scott

dropped off at Point Lorna.

10

So as far as you knew,they had discussed -- Liz and

11

Scott had discussed Mexico before you came over in the

12

morning to the apartment?

13

Correct.

14

So when did you first hear about Mexico then?

15

Right then and there when Liz was talking about it.

16

And what was your discussion about with Liz on the

17
18

body issue?
A

She said,

"You and --" "You and Bob are going to go

19

with Scott and the body and take it down to Mexico

20

because I'm leaving to go to Utah."

21

Where was the girlfriend and her kids?

22

I think she took the car to go get gas or something

23

because she ended up coming back and picking Liz up.

24

"She" meaning the girlfriend

25

The girlfriend, yes.

26

27

At the condo.

28

So once Liz is gone, it's you, Bob and Scott at the

picked Liz up at the condo?

53

condo?

Correct.

Do you talk to Scott and Bob?

About?

About going to Mexico.

Yes.

Tell us about that discussion.

That discussion was that, urn, Bob and I would be in

10

the Jeep, the white Jeep, and Scott was going to drive
Phil's car down to Mexico.

11

Why Mexico?

12

Tijuana, actually.

13

Was there any discussion about where to leave the

14

15

I don't -- I have no idea why.

car in Tijuana?
A

No, because as soon as we went across the border,

16

they found an empty street and we just pulled over,

17

stopped, and left it there.

18

19

Now, why was Scott going to drive the Chrysler, not

you, for instance?

20

Oh, I wasn't gonna drive it.

21

Why not?

22

I refused to.

23

Well, was there some kind of discussion in the condo

24

in the garage?

25

Yes.

26

What was that?

27

Over who was going to drive the car, and -- and I

28

said "I'm not driving it."

54
7

What about Bob?

Was he gonna drive it?

At first Bob said he would drive it.

Bob was

scared.

I was scared.

I mean --

Why were you scared?

Because you've got a dead body in the car.

But this is your best friend.

Well--

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

10

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Argumentative.

What I'm trying to get to, Mr.

11

Ditommaso, is you find out that Scott Harrison has killed

12

Phil Perry, and now there is a discussion about taking

13

the body down to Tijuana and it's just --

14

MR. BOYCE:

15

MS. KERSEY:

16

THE COURT:

I haven't heard the question yet,

MR. BOYCE:

Well, that's --

17

20
21

(BY MS. KERSEY)

There had to have been a discussion

Uh-huh.
THE COURT:

23

THE WITNESS:

25

Well, I'm getting to my question.

in the garage about the body, right?

22

24

Argumentative, leading.

so ...

18
19

Objection.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Is that "yes"?
Yes.
Can you tell me about that

discussion?

26

You mean about where we were taking the body?

27

Yes.

28

Yeah, it was discussed.

It was already set that

55
8

they were taking it to Mexico.

Who said that?

Scott said it.

So whose idea was it?

MR. BOYCE:

Objection

THE WITNESS:

MR. BOYCE:

Withdrawn.

THE COURT:

Thank you.

THE WITNESS:

I don't know.

It was either -- it was done prior.

10

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

11

THE COURT:

Sustained.

12

Next question.

13
14

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Nonresponsive.

So it sounds like, Mr. Ditommaso,

the decision to go to Mexico was already made.

15

Correct.

16

So you went along with it, in other words?

17

Yes.

18

What about Bob?

19

Yes.

20

So you moved from where you're going to take the

21

Did he go along with it?

body right away to who's going to drive the car?

22

Correct.

23

Did you look at some point while in the garage at

24

the body?

25

I opened the door.

26

What door?

27

The back door of the Chrysler.

28

What did you see?

56
8

2
3
4

5
6

Well, there was a bunch of bags on top of him, so

you couldn't really see him.


Q

You saw -- I saw a foot.

Now, when you're saying "a bunch .of bags," do you

know how the bags .got on top of Mr. Perry?


A

Scott was taking them out of the trunk and putting

them on the back seat.

Did you see him do that?

At the end -- the final last few I did when I came

downstairs from being with Liz.

10

So Scott was making an effort to conceal Mr. Perry?

11

Correct.

12

What was Mr. Minor doing at that time?

13

Helping him.

14

How was he helping him?

15

Grabbing the bags out of the trunk.

16

Looking at Exhibit 27, does that look familiar to

17

you?

18

Yes.

19

Why is that familiar?

20

That's Phil's car.

21

Is that Phil's body?

22

Yes.

23

Now, looking at Exhibit 30, can you describe that

24
25
26
27
28

for the jurors?


A

It's the back seat of Mr. Perry's car with clothes

and a black bag of -- that's how I saw it in Liz's condo.


Q

So when you first saw Mr. Perry, that's how you saw

him in the sense of the clothes were on top of Mr. Perry?

57
8

I know I misspoke that, but --

Yes.

And there's a black Hefty bag.

4
5

on the back seat of the car?


A

Yes.
MR. BOYCE:

6
7

MS. KERSEY:

Is it 31?

10

12

For the record, what exhibit is that,

counsel?

11

Is that what you saw

THE WITNESS:

(BY MS. KERSEY)

I'm sorry.

I'll get it.

Yes.
Now, when you said you "opened the

back door" --

13

Correct.

14

-- passenger side or driver's side?

15

Driver's side.

16

And that's where you saw his feet?

17

Correct.

18

So looking at Exhibit 26, what is that?

19

It's a picture of Phil Perry.

20

In the back seat of the car?

21

In the back seat of the car.

22

And where are his feet?

23

On top of the seat.

24

Is that the driver's side or the passenger side?

25

Driver's side.

26
27
28

MR. BOYCE:

I'm sorry.

What exhibit number was

that, your Honor?


THE COURT:

Court Exhibit, again, No. --

58
8

MS. KERSEY:

THE COURT:

3
4

(BY MS. KERSEY)

The trunk.

The Hefty bags?

The trunk.

All of them?

Uh-huh.

10

Is that lIyes"?

11

Yes.

12

THE COURT:

MS. KERSEY:

15

THE COURT:

16

MS. KERSEY:

17

THE COURT:

18

MS. KERSEY:

19

Okay.
They've been up there for awhile.
Could I take this down?
Sure.
Could you hold those, please?

I think I need to go to a craft store and get


more.

22

THE COURT:
there.

24
25

You could take the other two exhibits

(Pause)

20

23

Now, do you know where these

down if you want.

14

21

-- 26.

clothes came from?

13

That was 26.

The red ones are the strongest, obviously.


MS. KERSEY:

There are a couple more in the corner

(BY MS. KERSEY)

There.
Now, did you -- did you ever notice

26

whether or not any of the blood was spilling out of the

27

car?

28

Yes.

It was not spilling out of the car.

It was --

59
8

when the car was pulled out, there was some. blood in Liz

and Bob's garage.

In the condo garage?

The condo garage, yes.

Did you ever make an effort to find the bullet?

No.

Do you recall a discussion between Bob and Scott

about trying to find the bullet?

Yes, they talked about it.

10

When did that happen?

11

In the garage.

12

Were they trying to move, urn, Mr. Perry's body?

13

They moved it, yes, but they could not actually move

14

it 'cause I guess it was stuck in the seat or something.

15

Where were they going to move him to?

16

The trunk.

17

Did you -- did you touch Phil Perry?

18

Did I personally touch him?

19

Yes.

20

No.

21

Did you touch any of the bags, clothing, or anything

22

like that?

23

Yes.

24

Did you help cover him up?

25

No.

26

Why would you touch the bags or how did you do that?

27

It's when the bags were on the floor of the garage

28

before they actually, urn, put the last -- the last black

60
9

ones in.
Q

Okay.
So the bags were already taken from the trunk and

3
4

put on the floor?

Correct.

But you didn't move the bags to the back seat?

No.

Who did that?

Scott and Bob.

10

I'm going to show you what's been marked as Exhibit

11

5.

12

Does that look familiar?

13

That's the condo garage.

14

And Exhibit 6?

15

That's inside of the condo garage.

16

And this is where Phil Perry's car was parked?

17

That's correct.

18

Did you see blood on the outside of the car?

19

No.

20

Did you see blood on the inside of the car?

21

No, not on the driver's side I didn't.

22

Did you ever walk around to the other side of the

23

car where Phil Perry's head was?

24

No,

25

Did you ever ask Scott Harrison where he shot him at

26

I didn't, only when the car was pulled out.

on his body?

27

I don't recall.

28

Was there a discussion in the garage as to why Scott

61
9

Harrison shot Phil Perry?

Scott just said things got out of hand.

So he shot him?

Yes.

Now, at -- somebody must -- did somebody ask Robert

6
7

Minor to go to Mexico?
A

The initial -- the initial was -- Liz said that --

up in the condo -- Bob, myself and Scott were going to

go.

10

So she -- was she originally going to go?

11

Yes.

12

Did you ever talk to Bob about whether or not he

13

wanted to go to Mexico?

14

Yes.

Bob said he would go.

15

Did you have to give Bob anything to go to Mexico?

16

As far as -- you mean money?

17

Money or --

18

No.

19

-- presents, anything.

20

No.

21

Was Bob working at that time?

22

No.

23

Did he owe you any money?

don't recall him owing me

25

family at the time, so -- I mean, I know I did help them

26

out occasionally with food and tried to help them out

27

with the rent and that sort of stuff.

28

Do you recall ever talking to Bob and telling him,

62
9

you know, to do this with you and he wouldn't have to pay

back -- I don't know

I think it was a hundred bucks?

No, I don't recall that at all.

So how were you going to get down to Mexico?

We were going to drive.

What were you going to drive?

The Jeep.

Why the Jeep?

That's the car that Bob and Liz were using.

10

They

were purchasing that car from me at the time.

11

Were they making payments on it?

12

No.

13

When you say they were purchasing it, what do you

14
15

mean by that?
A

They were supposed to -- they wanted me to pay the

16

payments to the bank, but they were going to make the

17

payments to me.

18

So they were using the Jeep?

19

Yes.

20

Now, there was, urn, some information about a letter

21

that was written regarding the Jeep and that purchase.


Do you recall that?

22
23

Correct.

24

I'm going to show you what's been marked as 57.

25

your mother write this note?

26

you.

27

28

I'm going to show it to

Yes.
MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Leading.

Did

63
9

(BY MS. KERSEY)

I'm going to show it to you.

THE COURT:

It's foundational.

MR. BOYCE:

Sorry.

THE WITNESS:
(BY MS. KERSEY)

that?

No.

Okay.

Withdrawn.

Yes.
Did you ask your mother to write

Well, what was the purpose of this?

10

It's overruled.

Robert -- Robert asked her to write it because he

11

didn't know how to put it in words 'cause we were trying

12

to get the insurance transferred over to his name

13

because they would not insure the Jeep with Bob anymore

14

since Bob was driving it.

15
16

Did you know where this note was stored after it was

written?

17

No,

18

Now, the note was specific as to the date of April

19

14th.

20

I didn't.

Do you recall reading that?

10
21

Yes, I saw the April 14th.

22

Do you know if it was written on April 14th?

23

I don't recall.

24

Now, were you

I guess I'll just ask it this way:

25

Was the purpose of that note, written by your mother, to

26

put the Jeep in Robert's possession for April 14th?

27
28

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Leading and calls for

speculation as to what Nina Brambila intended.

64
10

THE COURT:

MS~

3
4

KERSEY:

Sustained.
I could rephrase it.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Did you tell Nina

that's your

mother -- to write that letter for that specific date?

No.

Did you direct Nina at all to write that note?

No.

Did you even know about it?

Yes, I did.

10

How did you know about it?

11

Because I asked Robert to get

12
13
14

to write it, and

Robert asked my mother to write it.


Q

About what time would you say you were at the condo

after breakfast?

15

In the morning.

16

How long, if you recall, were you at the condo with

17

I don't know what exact time.

Scott and Bob and Liz?

18

Maybe 45 minutes to an hour.

19

Did -- were you ever -- were you ever threatened in

20

any way to go to Mexico?

21

Yes.

22

Who threatened you?

23

Mr. Harrison.

24

In what way?

25

He said I had to go.

26

Anything else?

27

He said if I didn't go, he was going to hurt Elise,

28

which was my stepdaughter.

65
10

Did he say anything to Robert about going to Mexico?

Yes.

What did he say to Robert?

The same thing, that he had to go to Mexico.

Did you say no?

No.

Would you say no after you see a dead body in

the garage?

What about Robert?

No.

10

So at that point Harrison's going to drive the

11

Did he say no?

Chrysler?

12

Correct.

13

And you have the Jeep or Robert has the Jeep?

14

Robert has the Jeep.

15

So how do you leave the condo?

16
17

18

Which direction do

you go?
A

I went and took the Mercedes down to the office,

which is down the street on Archibald and Arrow.

19

Did they go with you?

20

Yeah.

21

What happened at the office?

22

I -- we all went in the office.

I went inside.

23

think I made a couple calls or something or checked

24

something, then we left.

25
26

I left the car there.

Now, was there -- were there any letters written to

Father John and Mrs. Perry?

27

Yes, there was.

28

When were those written?

66
10

them.

Was it after the murder or before?

I think the -- I don't know when the actual letters

I don't recall when those were written, but I mailed

were written.

Were they written in preparation of this event?

No.

I think it was afterward.

It was to try to

cover it up.

So who wrote the letters?

10

Scott wrote them.

11

Where did he write them?

12

At the office.

13

So did he write them at the office after you left

14

the condo?

15

Yes.

16

Were you there?

17

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

18

THE COURT:

Sustained.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

19

When were the letters written?

20

At the office.

21

When?

22

After the murder.

23

So was that -- you mean - - did you go from - -

24

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

25

THE COURT:

Rephrase.

26
27
28

(BY MS. KERSEY)

office directly?
A

Yes.

Leading.

Did you go from the condo to the

67
10

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Overruled.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Probably about 45 minutes.

It's foundational.

How long were you at the office?

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

Asked and answered.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Me, Bob and Scott.

And that's when you dropped your Mercedes off?

10

Uh-huh.

11

Is that "yes"?

12

Yes.

13

You said these letters were written for what

14

Who all went to the office?

purpose?

15

To cover it up, his disappearance.

16

Looking at Exhibit 16, does that look familiar to

17

you?

18

Yes.

19

Why is it familiar?

20

'Cause it's the letter that was written to Tina.

21

And Exhibit 44, does that look familiar to you?

22

Yes.

23

Why is it familiar?

24

That's the letter that was written to John

25
26
27
28

Fahnestock.
Q

Now,

I notice that they're both dated April 2nd,

, 92 .
Who dated those?

68

10

I don't recall.

I mean, who -- somebody had to type them.

them?

Who typed

Scott typed them on Lisa's memory typewriter at the

office.

What were you doing while he was typing them?

I was in my office.

Whose idea was it to write the letters?

I don't remember who -- what was the reason.

10

I know

it was to cover up his disappearance.

11

So once the letters are written, did you read them?

12

Yes, I read them.

13

So Scott Harrison types them, you read them, then

14

what happens?

15

They were left at the office.

16

Now, who wrote

17

I don't know who signed them.

18

So they were left at your office?

19

Yes.

20

Now, when you -- when you left -- well, let me get

who signed it on 16 and 44?


I don't remember.

11

21

another exhibit.
When they were left at the office, were they put

22
23

in envelopes?

24

Yes.

25

I'm going to show you what's been marked as Exhibit

26

16, which contains two envelopes.

Do these look familiar?

27
28

Yes.

69
11

What are those?

Envelopes addressed to Tina Perry and St. Joseph's

Church.

Who typed up the envelopes?

Scott.

Scott Harrison?

Yes.

The letters were placed inside the envelopes?

Correct.

10

Did you place them in the envelopes?

11

Yes.

12

When you say you mailed them, do you mean you

13

And I mailed them.

physically put them in a mailbox?

14

When we got back, yes.

15

Okay.
So it wasn't, like, left for the mailman to come

16
17
18
19

by the business?
A

No, it was a physical mailbox that was on the street

corner of Archibald, right outside the office complex.

20

Did you lick the stamps for those two envelopes?

21

Yes.

22

Do you know who licked the envelopes?

23

I don't -- I think I did.

24

Do you remember licking the stamps --

25

Yes.

26

-- and physically putting them in a mailbox?

27

And putting them in the mailbox.

28

But you didn't mail them until after you came back

70
11

from Mexico?

Correct.

Was it the same day?

Yes.

Now, after -- you said that you were at the business

for about 45 minutes?

Correct.

Did Scott and Robert stay the entire time at the

business?

10

Yes.

11

So after about 45 minutes, the letters have been

12

written, what happens?

13

We leave.

14

What is the plan?

15

We went through -- urn,

I'm trying to remember -- it


It had a car wash.

We filled

16

was a Mobile gas station.

17

the cars up and the cars got washed -- well, Phil's car

18

got washed.

19

Was that on Haven Avenue in Rancho?

20

I believe so, yes.

21

So both cars were gassed up?

22

Yes.

23

When we're talking about both cars, what is "both

24

cars"?

25

26

Jeep.

27

Who was driving the Jeep?

28

I believe it was Robert.

It would be Phil's car, the Chrysler, and the white

71

11

Were you in the Jeep?

Yes.

And Scott Harrison was driving the Chrysler?

Yes.

So did you both pull into the gas station at the

same time?

Correct.

After filling up the gas tanks and having -- was it

the exterior washed?

10

Yes.

11

After that was done, what happened?

12

We got on the freeway, on the 15 Freeway, and went

13

to Tijuana.

14

Any stops along the way?

15

I don't recall any stops on the way.

16

When you went down to Tijuana, did you -- I mean,

17

were you staying behind or were you the lead car?

18

We were behind.

19

Once you crossed the border, what did you do?

20

We drove, and then Scott found the street, turned

21

down the street, and we just followed him and parked.

22

got out, wiped the car down.

23

Who?

24

Scott.

25

So that's something you observed?

26

Uh-huh.

27

Is that "yes"?

28

Yes.

He

72
11

I'm showing you what's been marked as Exhibit 12.

2
3
4
5

Does that area look familiar?

Yes, it looks like where the car was left in

Tijuana.

So when you say you -- urn, you pulled -- you pulled

up on some kind of street, you saw Scott get out of the

Chrysler

(No audible response)

Is that yes"?

10

Yes.

11

What did you do during that time?

12

We, me and -- Bob and I were still in the Jeep

13

behind him.

14

So did you just park?

15

We parked.

16

Did you get out of the Jeep?

17

No.

18

Did Robert get out of the Jeep?

19

No.

20

You just waited?

21

We waited.

22

What did you see Scott doing?

23

Just wiped off the door handle.

24

With what?

25

It was a rag.

26

Was there any discussion about where to put the

27
28

ignition keys to the Chrysler?


A

No.

73
11

Do you know that they were left in the ignition?

Yes.

Was there a reason for that?

I don't know.

When you were in Mexico, you never got out of the

Jeep?

I don't recall getting out of the Jeep, no.

Did you ever look in the front portion of the car?

In the where?

10

In the driver's compartment.

11

No.

12

When you said you saw Scott Harrison wiping down the

13

car, did you see him do anything else?

14

Yes.

15

Off the Chrysler?

16

Yes.

17

Had that been discussed prior to dropping the car

18

He took the license plates off.

off?

19

No.

20

Was there any discussion about trying to make it

21

look like -- or so it would take a long time for the

22

authorities to identify Phil?

23

I believe so.

24

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

25

THE COURT:

Overruled.

26

MR. BOYCE:

I'm sorry.

27

THE COURT:

Overruled.

28

THE WITNESS:

Leading.

12
What was the ruling?

I believe that was the whole

74
12

1
2

purpose of the car going to Mexico.


Q

(BY MS. KERSEY)

I mean, was there a specific

discussion about taking the car to Mexico for that

reason?

Not in front of me.

MR. BOYCE:

Ob-

THE COURT:

Did you want to withdraw it or --

MR. BOYCE:

Withdrawn.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

When the car was left in -- was

10

there ever any discussion about removing personal

11

identifying items out of the car, you know, like

12

registration, insurance, things like that?

13

No, just his -- I know that the wallet was taken.

14

What do you mean?

15

Phil Perry's wallet.

16

How do you know that?

17

Because that's what the cars were gassed up on.

18

Did you see it?

19

Yes.

20

Who had it?

21

His credit card?

22

When you said Scott had his credit card, did he have

23
24
25

What wallet?

Scott had his credit card.

his whole wallet or just the card?


A

Just the credit card.

That's what was used, the

Mobile card, for gas.

26

Was that card used again?

27

Yes, on the way back to fill the Jeep up.

28

Was there any discussion about the plan as far as

75
12

making it look like Phil had -- I mean, we've talked

about the letters -- had just left town?

Yes.

What about leaving the car in Mexico?

of it?

Yes, that was part of it.

Do you know if Scott Harrison took the registration

That's the reason for the letters.


Was that part

out of the glove box?

I don't recall.

10

But you know he took the license plates?

11

Yes.

12

Did you see what he did with the license plates?

13

I believe he wrapped them in a towel and handed them

14

to Bob.

15

When did that occur?

16

When he was getting into the Jeep.

17

In Tijuana?

18

In Tijuana.

19

Do you know what Bob did with the license plates?

20

He disposed of them when we got back to Rancho.

21

Did you tell him to get rid of them?

22

No.

23

them.

24

He was already -- he knew he had to get rid of

When you and Bob were driving down to Tijuana

25

following Scott Harrison in the Chrysler, did you and Bob

26

talk about what had happened?

27

Yeah.

28

What did you talk about?

76
12

MR. BOYCE:

THE WITNESS:

THE COURT:

Objection.
Bob--

Sustained at this time.


(Pause)

Actually, it's overruled based on co-conspirator

5
6

Hearsay.

statements.

MR. BOYCE:

It's after the fact.

THE COURT:

No, it isn't.

THE WITNESS:

10
11
12

It's overruled.

Bob was disclosing what he'd heard

from Liz and Scott that night that the murder took place.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

So Bob heard Liz and Scott talking

about the murder at the apartment?

13

Yes.

14

So he was just filling you in?

15

Yes, because he said Liz was totally hysterical when

16

she got home and he didn't know why and finally he

17

overheard them, her and Scott, talking that night.

18

About murdering Mr. Perry?

19

Murdering Mr. Perry.


THE COURT:

20
21

Let's take a recess for about 10

minutes.

22

MS. KERSEY:

23

THE COURT:

Okay.
You are admonished not to discuss the

24

case among yourselves or with anyone else, nor form or

25

express an opinion until the cause is finally submitted

26

to you.

27
28

Let's take about a 10-minute recess so I could


rest my court reporter's fingers.

Get up and stretch,

77
12

then come back in about 10 minutes.

2
(Recess taken)

3
4
THE COURT:

Okay.

We're back on the matter of

People vs. Scott Harrison, who is present with Mr. Boyce.

Miss Kersey is present.

The jurors and alternates are presently constituted.


We are on the direct examination of Mr.

9
10

Ditommaso, and you may resume.

11

MS. KERSEY:

12

THE COURT:

13

Former Sgt. Dean is present.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Where we left off, Mr. Ditommaso,

14

you were in Mexico and you saw Scott Harrison take the

15

plates off of the Chrysler.

16

Correct.

17

Did he get into the Jeep then?

18

Yes.

19

About what time of day were you dropping the car off

20
21
22
23
24

in Tijuana?
A

I'd say in the early -- about -- somewhere in the

afternoon, early afternoon.


Q

When Scott Harrison got into the Jeep, where did he

sit?

25

In the back.

26

We haven't talked about this yet, but at some point

27
28

did you see a weapon?


A

A gun?-

There was a gun in the center console.

78

12

Who put it there?

I don't know if it was Scott's or -- the one that he

3
4

carried -- or if it was Bob's.


Q

Now, let's talk about this gun.


You're talking about the center console of the

Jeep, right?

13
7

Yes.

What kind of gun was it?

I believe it was a revolver.

10

And you're saying you don't know whose it was.

11
12

13

Had

you not seen it before?


A

Correct.

Because the one that Scott had was a

.380,

a black .380.

14

A pistol?

15

Pistol.

16

When you're talking about a black .380, was that the

17

gun that was kept in the pouch?

18

Yes.

19

This gun that you saw, was it in a pouch?

20

This

revolver?

21

Yes.

22

What kind of pouch?

23

It was a green one.

24

Was it similar to what you carried and Scott

25

carried?

26

No.

27

Okay.

28

It was a regular gun carry bag.

You're going to have to explain to me what a

79
13

1
2
3

"regular gun carry bag" is.


A

It's the one that has a zipper around -- it just

pops up like that (indicating).

So it's made for a weapon?

Made for a weapon.

And the pouch that you carried was

It was more like an attache case.

It had zippers

like this and -- it was a bag, and you put your credit

cards, your money, in the front part, then it had a part

10

that was open so you could insert something big inside.

11

So this revolver was in a revolver-type case?

12

Correct.

13

Open?

14

The zipper wasn't closed all the way.

15
16
17
18
19

It was open.

knew it was a revolver.


Q

When did you notice that revolver in the center

console?
A

When they opened it up to put the license plates in

the middle.

20

In the middle?

21

Console -- center console.

22

Who's "they"?

23

Scott handed them to Bob.

24

That's how I

Bob put them in the

center console.

25

So was Bob in the front passenger seat or were you?

26

Bob was still in the driver's seat.

Where Bob and I

27

switched was -- um, I believe we went to get gas, and I

28

drove the rest of the way home.

80
13

When you saw the gun, did you take it out and

examine it?

No.

And do you know whose gun it was?

No.

And had you ever seen it before?

No.

What happened to that gun?

That I don't know.

10

Well, when you dropped off Scott Harrison, did --

11

He took it with him.

12

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

13

THE COURT:

It's sustained.

14

Leading.
Rephrase your

question.

15

(BY MS. KERSEY)

16

Yes.

17

When?

18

When we dropped him off at Point Lorna.

19

That same day?

20

Yes.

21

After leaving Tijuana?

22

Leaving Tijuana, yes.

23

Was there any discussion about him taking the gun

24

Did Scott Harrison take the gun?

with him when he -- at Point Lorna?

25

No.

26

What about the license plates?

27

He left those and then told Bob to take care of

28

He just took it.

them, and Bob said okay.

81
13

Have you seen that gun again?

No.

Did you ever talk to Scott Harrison about that gun

either before or after?

No.

So it never came up?

No.

No?

No.

10

Can you -- other than being a revolver, can you give

11

us any other description?

12

Just it was a large revolver.

13

Do you know the caliber?

14

No, I don't recall any of that.

15

And that was your Jeep?

16

Yes.

17

Had you ever seen that gun before in your Jeep?

18

No.

19

So now you are in the car and, I take it, then you

Color?

20

drive -- or Bob is driving and he comes back across the

21

border?

22

Correct.

23

What time do you think it was when you came across

24
25
26
27
28

the border?
A

It was in the afternoon.

I don't recall what time

it was.

So sometime in the afternoon you crossed back over

the border?

82
13

Correct.

Did you stop anywhere before going to Point Lorna

College?

Yes, to get gas.

In the Jeep?

Yes.

Whose credit card -- or how was it paid for?

Phil's credit card.

Did you have the credit card?

10

No.

11

Who had the credit card?

12

Scott had the credit card.

13

But you knew you were using Phil Perry's

14

Yes.

15

-- card?

16

Yes.

17

How did you know that?

18

'Cause I saw it.

19
20
21

I pumped the gas.

It was the same credit card we

used when we filled it up in Rancho.


Q

Well, when you were in Rancho, you said you went to

the Mobile station?

22

Dh-huh.

23

Okay.

24

Does the amount $33 sound correct when you gassed

25

up?

26

I believe so.

27

And you remember a car wash also?

28

Yes.

83
14

1
2

Now, when you were in San Diego using the credit

cards, did you go to a Chevron station?

Yes.

Yes?

Yes.

Did you do any car washing or anything like that?

No.

So does $15 -- or I'm sorry -- $13.01 sound correct?

Yes.

10

Were different credit cards possibly used for each

11

transaction?

12

Yes.

13

But you - - what you do remember and you do know is

14

that they were both Phil Perry's?

15

They were both Phil Perry's, yes.

16

What about the other items in Phil Perry's wallet?

17

Do you know what happened to any of those?

18

No.

19

Or the wallet itself?

20

No.

21

Do you remember seeing it at all at anytime?

22

I never saw the wallet at all.

23

So when Scott Harrison got out of the car at Point

24
25
26

Lorna, you didn't see the wallet?


A

No.

How I knew they had the wallet, Liz told me

they took the wallet.

27

When did Liz tell you that?

28

When we were in the condo.

She said they took it

84
14

the night of the murder.

Did she tell you why?

No.

MR:

THE COURT:

6
7
8

BOYCE:

Objection.

Hearsay.

There's no response anyway, so it's

overruled.
Q

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Now, once you gassed up the car in

San Diego, where do you go?

Take Scott back to Point Lorna.

10

Was that part of the plan, to drop him off at Point

11

Lorna?

12

Yes.

13

Did he have any clothing or anything with him?

14
15
16

mean, had he packed a bag?

I don't

think he did have a small little

overnight bag.

17

Did he take that with him?

18

Yes.

19

But he had -- 'cause he had stayed the night before

20

at --

21

Liz's.

22

Okay.

23
24

Now,

once you dropped him off, when is the next

time you saw Scott Harrison?

25

I don't recall.

26

Did you maintain a friendship with him, referring to

27
28

Scott Harrison?
A

No.

We really just kinda went our separate ways.

85
14

1
.~

However, you mentioned that you were the best man at

his wedding.

Correct.

Which was after the murder.

Correct.

So you were still friends.


MR. BOYCE:

7
8

Leading, your Honor.

THE COURT:

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Sustained.
So can you describe for us, if any,

11

changes in the relationship before Phil Perry's murder

12

till after?

13
14
15
16

The

nature of the question is leading.

9
10

Objection.

Yeah.

Our relationship as far as trust between the

two of us changed.
Q

Now, were you aware when, urn, Phil Perry's body was

found in Mexico?

17

Yes.

18

How did you become aware of that?

19

Lisa told me.

20

Was it -- when was it, if you remember?

21

I don't remember exactly when it was.

I remember

22

she was hysterical when she found out the body was found

23

in Mexico.

24
25

Was it -- was Phil Perry's body found a lot faster

than you expected?

26

No.

27

Was it within a few days?

28

It was in a few days.

86
14

1
2

So once Phil Perry's body was found, at some point

you were interviewed by law enforcement?

Correct.

Did you admit to law enforcement your involvement in

this crime?

No, I did not.

Did you talk to law enforcement about Scott

Harrison's involvement?

I think I did briefly, but not to the full extent.

10

Well, wasn't your first statement, um, to law

11

enforcement basically that you were at the hospital and

12

didn't have any idea what happened?

13

MR. BOYCE:

14

THE WITNESS:

15

THE COURT:

16

MS. KERSEY:

17

Leading.

Are you talking about


Sustained.
It's offered for impeachment, your

Honor.

18

THE COURT:

19

THE WITNESS:

20

Objection.

It's still leading.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Are you talking about when I was -Let me ask another question.

Did you talk to the police and tell them you were

21
22

at the hospital the whole day of the murder?

We're

23

talking about just your first interview, your contact

24

with law enforcement.

25

The first time?

Not with Bobby Dean?

26

Correct.

27

Yes.

28

That would have been with Detective Emmerson and

That would have been with --

87
14

Detective Yost.

Yes.

So you denied involvement?

I denied everything totally to them.

At that particular time Detective Emmerson and

Detective Yost had done some search warrants at your

business and at your home?

Correct.

I'm going to show you what's been marked as 55 for

10

Identification.
Does that look like the Jeep that you owned back

11

12

in 1991,

'92?

13

Yes.

14

Here's a rear view with the plate, Exhibit 56.

15

Is that the Jeep --

16

That is it.

17

-- or a photograph of the Jeep?

18

Yes.

19

Now,

20

also in 1992 were the -- your cars, the Supra

and the Jeep, searched?

21

Correct.

22

But not the Mercedes?

23

No.

24

Did you -- that first contact with law enforcement

15

25

in 1992, did you turn over the letters that you had

26

collected to law enforcement?

27

They

during the search warrant they took them.

28

But it wasn't by you volunteering them.

You didn't

88
15

1
2

volunteer those letters, in other words?


A

No.

MS. KERSEY:

THE COURT:

Cross-examination, Mr. Boyce?

Nothing further, your Honor.


Thank you.

6
7
8
9

CROSS EXAMINATION
BY MR. BOYCE:

Mr. Bragg -- or I'm sorry -- Mr. Ditommaso, you were

10

given some documents to review before you testified in

11

court today, weren't you?

12

Not today.

13

Before today you were given some documents --

14

Yes.

15

-- to review?

16

Yes.

17

Who gave you those documents?

18

It was Detective, urn, Gina Perez.

19

Was i t a transcript of some statements that you had

20

made?

21

Correct.

22

Did you review that document?

23

Correct.

24

And were those statements true that you made?

25

Yes, pretty much.

26

Did you also review those statements with your

27
28

attorney?

No.

89

15

You have an attorney now, don't you?

Yes, I do.

His name is Bill Gebbie; is that correct?

That's correct.

And one of Mr. Gebbie's associates is seated here in

the courtroom; is that correct?

MS. KERSEY:

Objection.

Relevance, your Honor.

THE COURT:

You could answer "yes ll or "no.

THE WITNESS:

10
11

12

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Overruled.
1I

Yes.
He's seated next to your

grandmother; isn't that right?

13

That's correct.

14

And you have an attorney because you have a

15

what's known as a writ of habeas corpus pending, don't

16

you?

17

Correct.

18

And immediately before testifying today you called

19

your attorney and asked if anything that you said today

20

could be used against you and hurt you in your writ of

21

habeas corpus, correct?

22

Correct.

23

Because the purpose of that habeas corpus is to get

24

your conviction overturned, correct?

25

Correct.

26

And you have been sentenced to life in prison,

27
28

correct?
A

Correct.

90
15

So you're essentially at the mercy of the Parole

Board; is that right?

That's correct.

And the Parole Board seeks information when you're

up for parole from the law enforcement agency and also

the prosecuting agency that prosecuted you, correct?

Correct.

And you were told by, um,

the detectives and also

the prosecutor in this case that if you testified, they

10

would write a letter to the Parole Board for you, didn't

11

they?

12

Yes.

13

And you hope that that letter is going to help you

14

get out on parole, correct?

15

Correct.

16

Your appeal is over, isn't it, Mr. Ditommaso?

17

The state part is.

18

Now, in 1992 you were working in a business called

19

B&B Enterprises; is that right?

20

B&B Associates.

21

B&B Associates.

22

You told us earlier that "B&B" was

just to get in the phone book; is that correct?

23

Pardon?

24

The reason you used B&B was just Bragg, but two B's

25

to get in the phone book ahead of other businesses; is

26

that correct?

27

That's correct.

28

Isn't it true that your brother, Tony Brambila, was

91
15

also involved in the business?

Was he involved?

Yes.

Not as a partner, no.

He was never involved as a partner?

Well, in the very beginning he was.

And that's how the business got named, isn't it?

Because it was Bragg and Brambila?

No.

10

That's not why it was named that?

11

No.

12

In April of 1992 you had two other people working

13

there, didn't you?

14

April of '92?

15

Yeah.

16

I don't recall.

17

It was a business financially backed by your

18

parents, correct?

19

Correct.

20

And you had

Katherine Ditommaso, the lady here in

21

the courtroom, your grandmother, she was the

22

receptionist?

23

Correct.

24

And also Joe Plunkett (phonetic spelling), he was

25

vice-president, wasn't he?

26

That's correct.

27

And then there's Don Sutton (phonetic spelling)?

28

Correct.

92

15

He was also working at B&B, correct?

Correct.

And then you had just hired somebody by the name of

Robert Minor, correct?

I don't recall hiring Bob Minor.

Well, that's what you told the police back --

Detective Emmerson back in April of 1992 -- didn't

you? -- when you were interviewed?

Bob worked and tried to bring deals in, but Bob did

10

not have any qualifications as far as going and trying to

11

generate loans.

12

Okay.
What you told -- well, you told Detective

13
14

Emmerson that Robert Minor -- that you "Just hired

15

somebody and his name is Robert Minor.

16

brother-in-law.

17

trying ...

He's my

He just got laid off from work, so we're

Is that right?

18

19

No.

20

That was a lie?

21

I did not hire him.

22

Would it refresh your recollection to see a page of

16

23

your transcript statement to Detective Emmerson back in

24

1992?

25

26
27
28

Sure.
MS. KERSEY:

Your Honor, counsel hasn't provided

me with that transcript.


MR. BOYCE:

It's Page 377 of the discovery --

93
16

THE COURT:

Thank you.

MR. BOYCE:

-- provided by the prosecution.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Bob was

Does that refresh your recollection?

was not actually hired because everybody

that worked for B&B was on a commission basis only.

grandmother answered the telephones for free till the

company got going.

8
9
10

My

Mr. Ditommaso, all I'm asking is did you tell

Detective Emmerson that you hired somebody and his name


is Robert Minor?

11

I don't recall saying I hired Bob -- Robert Minor.

12

That's what it says on the statement, though, right?


MS. KERSEY:

13
14

Objection, your Honor.

Argumentative.

15

THE COURT:

Overruled.

16

MR. BOYCE:

I'll withdraw the question, your

17

Honor.

18

19

(BY MR. BOYCE)

You didn't mention that Scott

Harrison was working for you, did you?

20

I don't recall.

21

You don't know?

22

I don't recall.

23

At that time Scott Harrison was -- to your knowledge

24

he was going to school at Point Lorna, correct?

25

That's correct.

26

And he was coming up on weekends to see your

27
28

sister-in-law Sheila, correct?


A

Correct.

94

16

Q Now, you changed your name after April of 1992 to


Ditommaso; is that correct?

That's correct.

Why did you do that?

Because my grandfather, Frank Ditommaso, has been a

6
7
8

father to me all my life when my real father hasn't.


Q

And then in August of 2001, um, you were no longer

living at the same address you were in 1992, were you?

Repeat that, please.

10

In August of 2001 you were -- you had moved.

11

You

weren't living in the same place you were in 1992.

12

No.

13

You had moved a couple of times, hadn't you?

14

Correct.

15

And in August of 2001 you were staying in a hotel

16

under an assumed name, weren't you?

17

Correct.

18

That name being "Stan Ritter"?

19

Correct.

20

You were hiding from the police, weren't you?

21

That is incorrect.

22

Well, you were under indictment for auto theft, real

23

estate fraud and identity theft, weren't you?


MS. KERSEY:

Objection, your Honor.

25

MR. BOYCE:

It goes to his

26

THE COURT:

Overruled.

27

(BY MR. BOYCE)

28

That is true.

--

Isn't that true?

95
16

1
2

alleging various kinds of fraud and --

3
4

In fact, there were approximately ten counts

MS. KERSEY:

Objection, your Honor.

Relevance.

And this is well beyond Castro.

MR. BOYCE:

Castro is not the law.

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

That's correct.

And in that - - in that- fraud you were falsifying

Is that correct?

10

your name on driver's licenses.

11

driver's license of Richard Medona (phonetic spelling)

12

you'd placed your photograph on that driver's license,

13

hadn't you?

14
15

MS. KERSEY:

Objection, your Honor.

This is well

beyond the scope and well beyond impeachment.

16
17

In other words, on the

THE COURT:
credibility.

It's overruled.

It goes to his

It's overruled.

18

(BY MR. BOYCE)

19

That's correct.

20

And you used these fraudulent documents to go to car

21

Is that correct, Mr. Ditommaso?

dealerships and purchase cars, didn't you?

22

That's correct.

23

You also were involved in some fraudulent real

24

estate transactions, weren't you?

25

That's correct.

26

Using other people's names, correct?

27

That's correct.

28

Now -- and it was in August of 2001 when you were

96

16

staying in this motel under the name of Stan Ritter that

the police found you and arrested you in this case; is

that correct?

That's correct.

Now, you told us, I believe, that on April 13th of

1992 -- back in 1992 again -- that your daughter Elise

had a tonsillectomy, correct?

That's correct.

And it's your testimony that you stayed home all

10

night with your daughter, Elise, and your mother, Dorothy

11

Merchain -- or your step- -- your -- I'm sorry -- your

12

mother-in-law, Dorothy Merchain; is that correct?

13

That's correct.

14

So it was you and Dorothy Merchain and Elise at the

15

house; is that correct?

16

And my grandparents.

17

Lisa was there, too?

18

For a short while.

19

And at some point at night they went to bed, didn't

20

they?

21

Who?

22

Elise did, didn't she?

23

Yes.

24

Do you know what time she went to bed?

25

I don't recall.

26

She didn't stay up till late -- early in the

27
28

Lisa?

morning, did she?


A

No.

97

l6

And your grandparents, I assume, would have gone to

bed, wouldn't they?

Yes.

That day you were driving the Supra, weren't you?

I don't recall which car I had the day of the

l7
6
7

surgery.

Would it refresh your recollection to see -- did you

tell Detective Emmerson back on April 30th of 1992 -- and

this is on Page 39l of your discovery, counsel -- did you

lO

tell him that it was that Monday that you

II

the Supra, "We were all in the Supra when we went to the

l2

hospital"?

l3

MS. KERSEY:

l4

MR. BOYCE:

l5

MS. KERSEY:

l6

MR. BOYCE:

l7

MS. KERSEY:

l8

THE WITNESS:

19

(BY MR. BOYCE)

I'm sorry.

Line?
4.
Thanks.
I believe so.
And the Supra was, urn, one of the

cars that you and Lisa had?

2l

MS. KERSEY:
the evidence.

What page were you on?

39l.

20

22

urn, you had

Objection, your Honor.

It misstates

It says Subaru, not Supra.

23

(BY MR. BOYCE)

24

No.

25

You had a Supra, though, right?

26

Yes.

27

And that was the car that you were driving that day,

28

correct?

Well, did you have a Subaru?

You weren't driving a Subaru, were you?

98
17

1
2

No, it was a Supra, and I don't recall driving it.

I believe Lisa was driving it.

All right.

Because Lisa got a ticket in it.

And when you left the hospital, what car did you

6
7
8
9
10

leave in?
A

I believe we all left in the Supra.

That's how we

got there.

So you were driving the Supra on Monday; is that

correct?

11

Dh-huh.

12

You have to say "yes" or "no."

13

Yes.

14

Now, the next day, April 14th, you told the police

15

that you were working at an apartment -- at your

16

apartment in Adelanto; is that correct?

17

I never had an apartment in Adelanto.

18

Is that what you told the police, though, in April

19

of 1992?

20

That I had an apartment?

21

That you were working in an apartment in Adelanto.

22

I believe I was working on a deal in Adelanto.

23

The next day; is that correct?

24

That's correct.

25

And you said Lisa could have had the Jeep that day,

26

correct?

27

I don't recall.

28

That's what you told the police, Detective Emmerson,

99
17

back on April 30th, 1992, correct?

I don't recall.

Read lines 19 thru 22 to see if that refreshes your

recollection.
(Pause)

5
I'm sorry.

Thru 26.
(Pause)

Did you read that?

8
9

Yes.

It says possible.

10

And Detective Yost asked you,

"I have a problem with

11

Tuesday.

I have a real bad problem with Tuesday"

12

that was the Tuesday after Monday when the deacon was

13

missing -- and Detective Emmerson asked you,

14

have driven the Jeep on Tuesday?"And you said,

15

"Possible, possibly could," is that right?

and

"Could Lisa

16

That's what it says.

17

You didn't tell them that you drove the Jeep -- or

18

you were in the Jeep that went down to Mexico, did you?

19

No.

20

Before the deacon disappeared, had you written a

21

letter to the archbishop complaining about the deacon?

22

Did I write one?

23

Yes.

24

Yes, I did.

25

And it stated that the deacon impregnated your wife?

26

Yes.

27

And you were upset because you never heard back from

28

the archbishop?

100
17

That's correct.

And you said that Nina -- well, your mother knew

about the affair; is that right?

That's correct.

And Liz, your sister-in-law (sicl, knew about the

affair?

That's correct.

And that when Liz found out about the affair, you

thought Liz was gonna hurt Lisa for a long time because

10

Liz really -- to get to the point,

"Liz had some rough

11

people she used to hang out with and wanted to beat up

12

Lisa, and I didn't want her to do that because I was

13

scared that -- you know, she has problems with her

14

heart"?

15

That's correct.

16

And you told the police that you didn't send anyone

17
18
19
20

to talk to the deacon; is that correct?


A

The first time I told the detectives I didn't have

anything to do with it at all.


Q

You said you didn't need to send anybody to talk to

21

the deacon because you and the deacon talked on a weekly

22

basis?

23

That's correct.

24

And then it was Liz that told you that she was going

25

We had a very close relationship.

to talk to the deacon; is that right?

26

After I asked her to.

27

Well, you told the police that Liz came to you and

28

said she was going to talk to the deacon.

101
17

No.

And you say Liz told you that Scott was going to go

I asked Liz to go talk to the deacon.

with her?

asked Scott.

Well, you told the police that Liz told you that

18

Scott was going with her.

Detective Emmerson that back in 1992?


A

10

don't recall.

Do you remember telling

know what I told the first set of

detectives was I did not have nothing to do with it, and


I

was lying at that point.

11

But you're telling the truth today; is that correct?

12

Yes.

13

Now,

14

on April 13th Liz came over to your office

before she went to talk to the deacon; is that correct?

15

Liz was at the hospital in the morning.

16

Well, did Liz come to the office and talk to you

17

about going to the deacon?

18

On the 13th?

19

On the 13th or the day before.

20

Yes, she agreed to go.

21

But did you meet with Liz at the office either on

22

the 13th or the day before the 13th?

23

Yes, before.

24

On the 12th?

25

Before Elise's surgery, you mean?

26

Elise's

27

Uh-huh.

28

-- tonsillectomy.

102
18

Yes.

The day before Elise's tonsillectomy did you meet

with Liz at the office?

Yes.

Did you -- did you give anybody a gun --

No.

-- to go talk to the deacon?

No.

Did you leave a gun in a bag outside your office?

10

No.

11

You know, Liz says that you did.

12

MS. KERSEY:

13

THE COURT:

Objection, your Honor.

Hearsay.

It's overruled.

14

(BY MR. BOYCE)

15

I've heard.

16

And you're saying that's not true?

17

That's not true.

18

You never paid anyone to go talk to the deacon?

19

No.

20

And you never gave anybody a weapon to go talk to

21

You've been told that, right?

the deacon?

22

No.

23

And you also said during these conversations that

24

Scott said he got the gun from Robert Minor; is that

25

right?

26

Which gun?

27

The gun that you saw in the car.

28

I don't know.

103
1

18

THE COURT:

Mr. Boyce, I'm sorry to interrupt,

but I have to go to a meeting, so we are going to have to

take our evening recess.

you, but I have to go to that meeting at 4:00 and I'm a

little bit late.

chambers.

I apologize for interrupting

I could hear them meeting in my

So you are admonished not to discuss this case

among yourselves or with anyone else, nor form or express

an opinion until the cause is finally submitted to you.

10

See you back tomorrow at 10:30 in the morning,

11

and we are going to resume the cross-examination of Mr.

12

Ditommaso, okay?

13

Thank you.

14
"~

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

(Proceedings of 7/13/05 concluded)

104
11

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF; THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2005; 10:45 A.M.

DEPARTMENT 4

APPEARANCES:

HON. INGRID A. UHLER, JUDGE

The Defendant HARRISON with his Counsel,

ROBERT E. BOYCE, Attorney-at-Law; CHERYL

KERSEY, Deputy District Attorney of the

County of San Bernardino, representing the

People of the State of California.

(Debra A. Godinez, C.S.R., Official

10

Reporter, C-4491)

11
KARL JOSEPH DITOMMASO,

12
13

having been previously duly sworn, resumed the witness

14

stand and testified further as follows:

15
16

THE COURT:

We're back on the matter of People

17

vs. Scott Harrison, who is present with Mr. Boyce.

18

People are represented by Miss Kersey.

19

The

And we have currently Mr. Ditommaso on the

20

witness stand.

We are going to resume the

21

cross-examination.

22

record at this point?

And do we need to put anything on the

23

MR. BOYCE:

I don't believe so, your Honor.

24

THE COURT:

Okay.

25

So we'll go ahead and bring the jurors in.

26
27

(At this time the jury

28

entered the courtroom)

105
11

THE COURT:

We are back on the matter of People

~~-

vs. Scott Harrison, who is present with Mr. Boyce.

Kersey is present.

jurors and alternates are presently constituted.

Former Sgt. Dean is present.

Miss
The

Hopefully we are going to finish up Mr. Ditommaso

5
6

sometime this morning or early afternoon, then you have

to look forward to a slide presentation on DNA evidence.

That's what's going to happen this afternoon.

9
10

So with that said, Mr. Boyce, you may resume your


cross-examination, sir.

11

MR. BOYCE:

Thank you, your Honor.

12

THE COURT:

You're welcome.

13
CROSS EXAMINATION (RESUMED)

14
15
16
17

BY MR. BOYCE:
Q

Mr. Ditommaso, you were interviewed by, urn,

detectives about a month ago, weren't you?

18

A month ago?

19

Yeah, on June 17th.

20

I believe -- yes, I believe somewhere around that

21

time.

22

You recall being interviewed by detectives, right?

23

Uh-huh.

24

Is that "yes"?

25

Yes, Mrs. Perez, actually.

26

Miss -- that's Gina Perez.

27
28

correct?
A

Uh-huh.

She's a detective,

106
11

THE COURT:

THE WITNESS:

3
4

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Is that "yes"?
Yes.
And with her was -- was Miss Kersey

with her at that time?

Yes.

Miss Kersey is the person seated at the end of

.counsel table here, correct?

Yes.

The Deputy District Attorney in this case?

10

Yes.

11

And during that interview, you told them that there

12

was something you'd like to bring to their attention that

13

they didn't know.


Do you recall saying that?

14

15

Yes.

16

And that was that before the deacon disappeared,

17

that Liz was blackmailing the deacon and was supposed to

18

bring the deacon to you to do a house loan; is that

19

correct?

20

Correct.

21

And that Liz had threatened the deacon by telling

22

him that -- that she was going to tell Mrs. Perry about

23

the affair that Lisa was having with Mr. -- Mr. Perry and

24

show Mrs. Perry the letters and the cards that were

25

exchanged between Mrs. Perry's husband and your wife; is

26

that correct?

27

That's correct.

28

And you had learned at that point that -- well, Lisa

107
11

told you that Lisa and the deacon were going to be

leaving and starting a life over again, correct?

Liz said that.

Liz said that?

That's correct.

That Lisa and the deacon were going to be leaving

Your stepsister told you that?

and starting a life over again?

That's correct.

And so the deacon actually came to you about this

10

loan, correct?

11

Yes.

12

And the loan was for approximately $100,000?

13

That's what he was talking about, but .he never took

14
15
16

the loan out.


Q

He never took the loan out because he told you he

couldn't get his wife's cooperation; is that correct?

17

That's correct.

18

And he consulted you about how you got around a

19

spouse's unwillingness to go through with a refinance of

20

community property, correct?

21

That's correct.

22

And he came to your office and talked about that,

23

correct?

24

That's correct.

25

He also had in the past come to your office and

26

talked about his problems?

27

Correct.

28

He'd stop by for coffee?

108
11

Correct.

And you two became fairly good friends?

Yes.

Who were you better friends with?

The deacon or

Scott Harrison?

Scott.

Now, you told -- do we have -- where's the --

MR. BOYCE:

Your Honor, where are the exhibits?

THE COURT:

They should be in the box.

10

MR. BOYCE:

I was looking for the charts.

11

THE COURT:

Oh.

12

MR. BOYCE:

Also, before I forget

13

THE COURT:

Did you make copies?

14

MR. BOYCE:

-- I made copies of the family

16

THE COURT:

Thank you, Mr. Boyce.

17

MR. BOYCE:

-- so everybody could have one.

18

THE COURT:

And if you want, you could just go

15

They need to be brought out.

chart

19

ahead and hand six on the top and six on the bottom for

20

the jurors and they could pass them through, and then we

21

will make sure that one gets to the alternate here in the

22

lonely corner.

12
23

Now everybody is happy.

24

Thank you, Mr. Boyce, for doing that.

25

MR. BOYCE:

I have one for the Court, too.

26

THE COURT:

I'll take one.

27

And we did bring out the box of evidence for you

28

as well.

Okay.

109
12

MR. BOYCE:

Bill, do you have the easel?

THE COURT:

Mr. Boyce, if you are going to

Thanks.

actually have the witness refer to this chart, you might

be able to put it closer to him and he could use the

pointer to refer to it for obvious reasons.

MR. BOYCE:

All right.

THE COURT:

And you could put the easel over

there, if you want, instead of on the board.


I know you put it up there.

What number is it?

10

MR. BOYCE:

This is Exhibit 52.

11

THE COURT:

Thank you.

12
13

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Mr. Ditommaso, I'm referring to

Exhibit 52.
Do you generally recognize the map of that area?

14
15

Yes.

16

And on that map do you see there's -- in the center

17

of Exhibit 52 there's a notation, B&B Enterprises, at

18

9631 Business Center Drive.


Do you see that?

19
20

Yes.

21

Does that accurately reflect the area where your

22

business was located back in April of 1992?

23

Yes.

24

And--

25

That is Archibald and Arrow, correct?

26

It is Arrow, and -- I'm not sure if that's

27
28

Archibald, but that looks like the general area, correct?


A

Uh-huh.

110
12

1
2

And did you know where Deacon Perry's house was at

that time?

Yes.

And is that the general location of where Deacon

Perry's house was located?

Yes, right around the corner.

Now, also on that diagram is a notation,

"Minor/Bragg Condo," which is in the center of Exhibit

52.

10

Do you see that?

11

Yes.

12

Was that the condo that Liz Minor and Robert Minor

13

quitclaimed to you sometime in 1992?

14

That's correct.

15

And they quitclaimed that to you before the deacon

16

disappeared, correct?

17

Correct.

18

And the notation at the far left-hand side, if

19

you're facing the diagram, Exhibit 52, where it says "San

20

Antonio Community Hospital," is that where your daughter

21

Elise had the tonsillectomy on April 13th?

22

That's correct.

23

And that's the location of that hospital?

24

Yes.

25

And then St. Joseph's Church -- just above San

26

Antonio Community Hospital, is that where St. Joseph's

27

Church is located?

28

Yes.

111

12

1
2

And at the time you were living at 8990 19th Street;

is that correct?

That's correct.

And is that accurately reflected at the top of the

diagram?

Yes.

Now, do you recall telling the police back in 1992

when you were interviewed -- April 30th, 1992 -- that you

were home Tuesday night after -- the Tuesday after the

10

deacon disappeared on Monday and that you had received a

11

phone call from someone that referred to Lisa as "Hi,

12

babe"?

13

Yes.

14

And you told the police that the only person it

Do you remember that?

15

could have been that called on Tuesday night was the

16

deacon since he was the only person that referred to Lisa

17

as -- he was the -- you and the deacon were the only

18

people that referred to Lisa as "babe," is that correct?

19

That's correct.

20

And of course this is the Tuesday night after the

21

deacon had disappeared on Monday, correct?

22

That's correct.

23

You told us that on April 14th, in the morning, that

24

you went to the -- the condo that Liz and Robert used to

25

own; that you and Robert and Liz and Scott went over to

26

the condo together after breakfast, correct?

27

Correct.

28

And that the -- you didn't -- the deacon's car was

112
12

in the garage, correct?

Correct.

And you looked in the driver's side rear seat of the

car, correct?

The back door.

The back door.

You didn't touch the deacon or touch

anything in the car, correct?

Correct.

The only thing you touched were some bags that were

10

out on the floor, correct?

11

Correct.

12

And what did you do with those bags?

13

I just threw them over.

14

Over to the side of the garage?

15

Uh-huh.

16

Is that "yes"?

17

Yes.

18

And the side of the car that you looked into was the

19

side where the

20

that correct?

the deacon's feet were sticking out; is

21

Right.

22

Or the deacon's feet were pointed towards you; is

23

that correct?

24

That's correct.

25

You agreed to drive to Mexico out of fear because

13

26

you had seen a body in the car, correct?

27

told us yesterday.

28

Correct.

That's what you

113
13
~

No one put a gun to your head?

I was in fear of Mr. Harrison.

Nobody put a gun to your head, though?

Mr. Harrison did.

Mr. Harrison put a gun to your head in the garage?

Yes, he threatened me.

And that's why you went to Mexico; is that correct?

Correct.

And he threatened to kill your daughter, Elise,

10

correct?

11

Correct.

12

And it was after that that you say that you and

13

Robert followed Scott Harrison to Mexico, correct?

14

That's correct.

15

Now, the gun that you saw in the car appeared to be

16

Robert Minor's gun, correct?

17

I believe so.

18

And you had seen that gun before, correct?

19

It was -- it was a revolver, like a .357.

20

Yes.

21

You saw that gun, though, when you and your

brother Tony Brambila went target shooting, correct?

22

Yes.

23

And that was before the deacon disappeared, correct?

24

Yes.

25

And Tony actually had a gun identical to that gun,

26

didn't he?

27

No.

28

Who was shooting that gun at that time during the

114

13

target shooting?

Robert.

Oh, Robert went with you?

To go target shooting?

Yes.

You -- you said when Tony and I?

Yes.

And Robert.

QThe three of you went target shooting?

10

11

Tony.

12

Tony had a different gun?

13

Uh-huh, yes.

14

And this is the Tony that you started the business

15

Yes.

Robert's the one that owned the .357, not

with, B&B Enterprises?

16

Yes.

17

Did you -- before the deacon disappeared, did you

18

have a conversation with your stepsister, Liz Minor,

19

telling her that unless she helped you, that you were

20

going to tell her husband, Robert, about the affair that

21

Liz was having at that time?

22

No.

23

You never told that to Liz?

24

No.

25

You never threatened Liz that you were going to tell

26

Robert about this affair?

27

No.

28

And after the deacon disappeared that weekend, did

115
13

you meet Liz again at the condo?

Afterward?

Yes.

No.

She says that you raped her in the condo --

That is incorrect.

-- and that you threatened to slit her kids' throats

in front of Robert and kill Liz and Robert if she said

anything.

10

That's not so.

11

Now, the day that you met with Miss Kersey, the

12

Deputy District Attorney, and Gina Perez, the detective,

13

about a month ago, shortly before that, you had met with

14

Liz; is that correct?

15

Met with Liz?

16

Yes.

17

No.

18

You had contact with Liz, though, didn't you?

19

I saw Liz here at the jail.

20

And where did you see her?

21

She was locked up.

22

And that was before you met with Miss Kersey and

23
24
25
26
27
28

Detective Gina Perez?


A

Yes.

dry run.
Q

That was the time that we got sent here for a


There was no court hearing.

After April of 1992, you and Lisa got divorced,

correct?
A

Correct.

H6
13

And you remarried Jessica Delacruz?

Correct.

.3

And, actually, your mother divorced Jose; is that

correct?

Correct.

Yeah, but before he died, your mother divorced Jose

Jose is deceased now.

Jesus Brambila, correct?

Correct.

And your mother remarried Jessica's father, correct?

lO

Correct.

II

Now, when you were -- when you were first arrested

l2

in 200l and -- between 200l and your trial in 2002, you

l3

had some jail conversations over the telephone between

l4

you and Jessica Delacruz, didn't you?

l5

Yes.

16

And you told Jessica Delacruz that you were -- you

l7

had a problem with lying, didn't you?

l8

Yes.

19

You said you were a habitual liar, right?

20

Yes.

2l

Mr. Ditommaso, I'm showing you what's been marked as

22

Exhibit 66 and Exhibit 67.


Do you recognize these two pieces of paper?

23
24

Yes.

25

They appear to be journal entries, don't they?

26

Yes.

27

And did you write the information on these two

28

pieces of paper?

117
13

Q And on Exhibit 66 there appears to be an entry for

Yes.

April 13th, 1992; is that correct?

Correct.

And under that, there's an entry for April 14th,

1992, correct?

Correct.

Then we have one for April 15th, April 16th and

10

April 17th, and the entries for April 16th and 17th are
on page -- or Exhibit 67, correct?

11

That's correct.

12

And on the -- and you -- you did write these,

14
13

correct?

14

That's correct.

15

And you stated that -- on April 13th you said that

16

"Monday:

17

day.

18

to go to church that night for confession.

19

with my daughter and mother-in-law, Dorothy.

20

with us the whole week," correct?

21

Elise, are (sic) daughter, has a surgery that

We were at the hospital 7:45 to 6:30.

THE COURT:

23

THE WITNESS:

24

THE COURT:
Q

I stayed home
She stayed

Correct.

22

25

My wife had

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Is that "yes"?

Is that correct?

Yes.
Thank you.
Then on April 14th you have written,

26

"Tuesday.

Lisa went to work at 8:30.

I was at my office

27

by around 9:00 when my brother-in-law meet me (sic) to

28

pick up my Jeep for the day, and I took his car.

I had

118

14

to go to look at some apartments in Adelanto, California,

18125 Bellflower Street, Raintree Apartments.

about 9:30 or 10:00 for there, and was back in the office

by around 12:30 or 1:15 in the afternoon, in which my

secretary

__ 1I

MS. KERSEY:

6
7

narrative.

impeachment.

10
11

Objection, your Honor.

This is a

There's no question pending and it's not


It's counsel reading.

THE COURT:

I left

Sustained.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Did you -- you wrote all that

information, correct?

12

Correct.

13

And the information which I did not read on Tuesday

14

states that you came back to the office at about, urn,

15

12:30 or 1:15 on Tuesday, April 14th; is that correct?

16

That's what it says.

17

Did you write that?

18

Yes.

19

And your secretary was there; is that correct?

20

That's correct.

21

Who was your secretary?

22

It was Katherine Ditommaso.

23

Your grandmother?

24

Dh-huh.

25

THE COURT:

26

THE WITNESS:

27

THE COURT:

28

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Is that "yes"?
Yes.
Thank you.
And then you say in

.in this entry

119
14

that you stayed at the office until 5:00 p.m; is that

correct?

Dh-huh, yes.

With your grandmother, Katherine Ditommaso, correct?

Yes.

And that then you went straight home?

MS. KERSEY:

Counsel's reading.

is improper.

Objection again, your Honor.


The document speaks for itself.

This

10

THE COURT:

Sustained.

11

MR. BOYCE:

Your Honor, I would move these two

12

exhibits, 66 and 67, into evidence and request they be

13

pUblished to the jury.

14

MS. KERSEY:

I would object at this point as an

15

undue consumption of time.

16

at a later point.
THE COURT:

17

We could probably take it up

I think the jurors should have the

18

benefit of either hearing it from the witness or having

19

an opportunity to look at it.

20

way you want to go because, obviously, Mr. Boyce would

21

like the jurors to hear that information and/or to have

22

an opportunity to see the information while he's

23

cross-examining him.
MS. KERSEY:

24
25
26
27
28

You need to decide which

I'm going to leave it up to the

Court.
THE COURT:

I'm going to overrule the objection,

then, and you may continue, Mr. Boyce.


MR. BOYCE:

Publish it to the jury?

120
14

THE COURT:

1
2
3

No, just continue with your

cross-examination about the information on the journal.


Q

(BY MR. BOYCE)

And then you stated under April

14th, 1992, that you went home from the office at about

5:00 p.m.

You went straight home; is that correct?

That's correct.

You stayed home all night with your daughter and

mother-in-law; is that correct?

That's correct.

10

On wednesday, April 15th, you stated you went to

11

work again at 9:00 -- about 9:00, and around 11:00 Lisa

12

called you up at the office crying and told you to come

13

home because "we need to talk," is that right?

14

Yes.

15

And in this entry you say that that's when you found

16

out that Lisa and the deacon were seeing each other,

17

correct?

18

Yes.

19

You state,

20

"I didn't know anything about Lisa and

him seeing each other," isn't that correct?

21

Correct.

22

And just before that, you said, "I found out about

23

Phil Perry missing, and Lisa and Phil were still seeing

24

each other," correct?

25

Correct.

26

And this is -- you've written this for your entry on

27
28

April 15th, 1992, Wednesday, correct?


A

Correct.

121
14

MR. BOYCE:

Your Honor, I don't have any further

questions, but I would move the letter regarding Robert

Minor's use of the Jeep on April 14th at 8:30 a.m. into

evidence and request that it be published to the jury.

THE COURT:

Any objection?

MS. KERSEY:

What was the number?

MR. BOYCE:

MS. KERSEY:

No.

57.

Thank you.

10

THE COURT:

Court Exhibit No. 57 is so received.

11

And then each juror will have an opportunity to

12

review that particular court exhibit, and obviously you

13

will also have that at a later time during your

14

deliberation process.
Do you as jurors want to have an opportunity to

15
16

look at the document as we go through redirect, or can

17

you still pay attention while you're looking at the

18

document?

19

things at one time?

15

Does anybody have difficulty trying to do two

(No audible response)

20

So you may proceed with your redirect, Miss

21
22

Kersey.

23

MS. KERSEY:

24

THE COURT:

I need to use the letter.


Okay.

If you could, hand the letter

25

back to Miss Kersey, then I will provide it back to the

26

jurors~

27
28

MS. KERSEY:

I just want to resolve something,

then I'll hand it back.

122
15

THE COURT:

That's fine.

2
3

REDIRECT EXAMINATION

BY MS. KERSEY:

Showing you Exhibit 57, which was shown to you, I

think, by me and Mr. Boyce, at this point do you remember

identifying that?

Yes.

And that's the letter that you had your mother write

10

to authenticate -- or put the Jeep somewhere else on the

11

day of Tijuana, correct?

12

Correct.

13

So it was intentional on your part to have your

14

mother write that letter to make sure that the Jeep was

15

not in your possession on the 14th of April?

16

Correct.

17

Okay.

18

Make sure you speak into the microphone, okay?

19

Yes.

20

And then once your mother wrote it, you had Robert

21

Minor sign it?

22

Correct.

23

Now, Robert Minor, though, was in Mexico on the

24

14th, correct?

25

Correct.

26

MR. BOYCE:

Leading, your Honor.

27

THE COURT:

Overruled.

28

The answer may remain.


I

123
15
--"

1
2

THE WITNESS:
Q

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Correct.
But it sounds like you didn't care

so much about Robert Minor being in Mexico, but you

wanted to make sure that you weren't in Mexico with the

Jeep.

Correct.

And you were aware during

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

10

(BY MR. BOYCE)

in 1992
Leading.

In 1992 in your interview with the

11

police officers, Detectives Emmerson and Yost -- do you

12

recall that point in time?

13

Yes.

14

Do you remember them talking to you about the u.S.

15

Customs keeping track of cars coming across the border?

16

Correct.

17

Is that the first time you became aware that they

18

had a record of the Jeep coming across the border?

19

Yes.

20

So did you -- is that why you had this letter

21

written?

22

Yes.

23

Now, Mr. Boyce was reading to you what's been marked

24

as Exhibit 67.
Now, this is your handwriting, correct?

25
26

Correct.

27

Now, did you write this diary or journal for the

28

same reason, generally, as you had the vehicle letter

124
15

1
2

written?
A

Yes.

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

5
6

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Why did you write this letter or --

I don't want to call it a letter -- the journal?

It was to cover up that I was in Tijuana on Tuesday.

So I guess the best way to ask this is:

9
10

Is some of

it accurate and some of it not?


A

Correct.

11

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Vague.

12

THE COURT:

Overruled.

I assume she's going to

13
14
15

clarify.
Q

(BY MS. KERSEY)

So -- but you also -- well, you

start here on Monday, April 13th, 1992, right?

16

Yes.

17

Okay.

And that is correct.

In that Elise had surgery that day?

18
19

Yes.

20

But April 14th, 1992, this section here

21

(indicating), which is generally, I guess, about a

22

paragraph, urn, that part, is that correct?

23

No, that's not.

24

Because you were trying to, urn, basically cover up

25

that you were in Tijuana?

26

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

27

THE COURT:

Sustained.

28

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Why did you write that paragraph?

125
15

To cover up that I was in Tij uana.

And the -- why did you

why did you continue --

for instance, April 15th, why did you write that that

day?

I wrote the whole -- pretty much the whole week to

present it to the officers -- to the detectives to cover

up my whereabouts that week.

All right.
And why was it so important to you -- I know this

9
10

is a basic question

11

week?

12

13

to cover up your whereabouts that

'Cause they were questioning me about my

whereabouts.

14

And you had been involved in a murder, right?

15

Correct.

16

Now, Mr. Boyce was asking you about a .357 revolver.

17

Did you ever own a .357 revolver?

18

No.

19

Who did, that you knew of, at that time in 1991,

20

'92?

21

Robert Minor.

22

Is that the only person you knew that owned a .357

23

revolver?

24

Yes.

25

Now, had you seen Robert Minor in possession of that

26

revolver?

27

Yes.

28

And is this the target shooting incident that you

126
15

were talking about?

Yes.

Now, after that target shooting that you went to --

was Scott Harrison with you on that target shooting day?

No.

So it was you and who?

It was Jose, Tony Brambila, Bob Minor, myself, and

8
9
10

my two brothers.

Do you know when that target shooting event occurred

in relation to the homicide?

11

12

almost

13

14

They went like

I just want to know what you know.

16

that.

17

Oh, it was a few months before, maybe longer than

Did you ever become aware of Robert Minor losing

that weapon, that .357?

19

Yes.

20

Do you know when that occurred?

21

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

22

THE COURT:

Sustained.

23

MS. KERSEY:

24

MR. BOYCE:

Hearsay.

25

THE COURT:

Sustained.

26

When did you go

when you saw that revolver?

15

18

Well, they went quite often.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Speculation.

I'm asking i f he knows, your Honor.

Were you - - did you ever -- let me

27

put it this way:

Did you ever participate in some search

28

for the weapon with Robert Minor?

127
16

Yes.

Where did that search occur?

In his condo.

Okay.
The condo that we were talking about on -- what

5
6

is that? -- Spring Desert?

Correct.

So it was when he lived in the condo?

Correct.

10

Was the weapon found?

11

Not to my knowledge.

12

Not when you were there?

13

No.

14

And you testified, I believe, that you carried a

15

pistol?

16

Correct.

17

What caliber?

18

9 millimeter.

19

Now, during the search warrant of your house, was

20

that 9 millimeter collected?

21

Yes.

22

Was that in the search from the search warrant in

23

1992 or 2001?

24

I believe in '92.

25

But you know it was collected by the police?

26

Yes, the police took it.

27

Did you ever use that .357 that was Robert Minor's?

28

No.

I'm not quite sure.

l28
l6

Fire it or anything like that?

No.

Now,

I want to go back to the discussion that you

had with Scott Harrison and Liz Minor prior to the

homicide, okay?

Okay.

Now, when you talked to Liz and Scott Harrison about

this contact that was going to occur with Phil Perry, you

mentioned yesterday that it was supposed to be a beating.

lO

Well

II

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

l2

THE COURT:

It's foundational, so it's overruled.

l3

l4

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

That it was supposed to be a -- I'm

using the word "beating" generically.

l5

MR. BOYCE:

Misstates the evidence.

l6

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

l7

THE WITNESS:

l8
19

aggressive.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Okay.

The point I want to get to is after you found out

20
2l

It was meant for Scott to be

about Phil Perry's death

22

23

okay? --

Yes.
from Liz and Scott and Robert, did anybody ever

24

talk to you about phil Perry

25

physically beaten?

gettin~

beat up or

26

No.

27

Or about anybody hitting Phil Perry?

28

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

Leading, asked and

129
16

answered.

2
3

THE COURT:

"yes 11 or IIno.

It's overruled.

THE WITNESS:

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

It's overruled.

He could answer

(BY MS. KERSEY)

I don't recall.
Hearsay.

I want to direct you to your

statement that you gave to -- and I'm going to identify

Chris Elvert.

10
11

Chris?

Yes.

MS. KERSEY:

Counsel, Page 2575 or would you

rather have the transcript number page?

14

(Inaudible discussion held)

15

MR. BOYCE:

16

MS. KERSEY:

17

That would

have been an interview in 2001.

12
13

Do you remember Chris Elvert?

This is hearsay.
It's offered as an inconsistent

statement.

18

Do you want to approach?

19

MR. BOYCE:

Yeah.

20

THE COURT:

Want to approach briefly?

21

Everybody get up and stretch for just a second so

22

I could see what's going on.

23

(Off-the-record sidebar discussion held)

24

THE COURT:

25

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Objection sustained.
Mr. Bragg, when you met with Scott

26

Harrison and Liz Minor -- and I know I'm using that

27

loosely because you did meet with them together, but

28

there was a discussion separate -- was there ever a

130
16

discussion with Scott Harrison about duct tape or using

duct tape?

No.

What about Liz Minor?

No.

Did you ever give Scott Harrison duct tape?

No.

One of the things I forgot to ask you yesterday is

you said that you got a call later on in the evening

10

about -- Liz Minor called you and said that Phil Perry

11

was dead.

12

Do you recall that conversation?

13

Yes.

14

Did you get an earlier phone call -- or do you

15

recall an earlier phone call from Liz about the

16

appointment with Mr. Perry?

17

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

18

THE COURT:

Sustained.

19
20

Did you get any other phone calls

from Liz Perry (sic) maybe a couple hours earlier?


THE COURT:

21
22

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Are you talking about Liz Perry. or

Liz Minor?

23

MS. KERSEY:

24

THE COURT:

25

THE WITNESS:

I'm sorry.

Liz Minor.

Thank you.
Earlier that day?

26

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Yes.

27

Yes.

28

What was that call about with Liz?

131
16

She said that -- something about the meeting was

delayed.

Why -- do you know why she called you?

She was just letting me know that she didn't think

5
6

she was going to meet with him that night.


Q

What did you -- how did you respond when she told

you that the meeting was delayed or it was a no-go or

whatever?

I didn't respond.

10

Isn't it true that you gave her Phil Perry's home

17
11

number and told her to call him?

12

No.

13

Did you tell her to call him and make sure the

14

She had Phil Perry's home phone number.

meeting was that day?

15

Yes.

16

Why did you do that?

17

Because I knew I wanted her and Scott to go talk to

18

him because Scott was down from Point Loma.

19

Because the plan was in place?

20

Yes.

21

How -- if you could recall, sir, how much time

22

passed between the first call from Liz and the second

23

phone call you got saying it was done or he's dead?

24

I don't recall.

It was hours between.

25

Now, when Mr. Boyce was asking you about this letter

26

that you had written to the archbishop, did you tell the

27

archbishop that your wife was pregnant from Phil Perry in

28

that letter?

132
17

Yes.

And you never got a response to that letter?

That's correct.

Now, when did you -- when did you write that letter

5
6
7
8
9

to the archbishop?
A

I think it was a few weeks after I met with John

Fahnestock.

So you had the meeting with Father John Fahnestock

and Phil Perry, correct?

10

Correct.

11

And then you wrote a letter to the archbishop --

12

Correct.

13

-- saying your wife was pregnant by Phil Perry?

14

Correct.

15

So it sounds like you didn't believe that the affair

16
17

was over after that meeting.


A

Well, I -- I believed it a little bit, but I did --

18

I wanted to write to them to inform them that they had a

19

deacon that was in the church that was having an affair

20

with other women.


Did you ever discuss that letter you wrote with Phil

21

22

Perry?

23

I believe I mentioned it to him.

24

I'm going to show you what's been marked as Exhibit

25

68.

26

received from Phil Perry.

27

you?

28

You talked yesterday about a letter that you had

Yes.

Does that look familiar to

133
17
~'-.

Is that the letter you received about the meeting?

Yes.

And your concerns?

That's correct.

And that's dated February 9th, 1992.

Does that

accurately reflect, thereabouts, when you got the letter?

Yes.

So the meeting, then, with Father Fahnestock about

9
10

the affair and Danny Sandridge and all that involvement


would have been after February 9th?

11

Correct.

12

So it's fair to say, then, that the letter you wrote

13

to the archbishop about your wife being pregnant was

14

after February 9th?

15

Correct.

16

Did you ever discuss with your sister Liz that Lisa

17

was pregnant?

18

Yes.

19

And your concerns that the baby might be phil

20

Perry's?

21

Correct.

22

Now, yesterday Mr. Boyce was asking you about some

23

involvement you had in a crime of cars and driver's

24

licenses.

25

Yes.

26

Actually, you weren't charged with that.

27
28

You

actually pled guilty to stealing a car, correct?


A

That's correct.

134
17

1
2

And that conviction -- and you were sentenced

September 4th, 2002 --

That's correct.

-- to unlawful driving of a motor vehicle?

That's correct.

Now, another thing that Mr. Boyce was talking to you

about yesterday was about your parole.


You're serving a life sentence?

8
9

That is correct.

10

But you have the possibility of parole?

11

Yes.

12

And you're testifying in this case based on no

13

promises?

14

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

15

THE COURT:

Sustained.

16

MS. KERSEY:

17
18

I could rephrase.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Are you testifying with any

promises of anything?

19

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

20

THE COURT:

Overruled.

21

THE WITNESS:

22
23

Leading.

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

No, I'm not.


Now, you said that you have hope

that you are paroled.

24

That is correct.

25

But you have hope that you are paroled whether you

26

testify or not?

27

28

Correct.

Now, the letter that you anticipate being written by

135
17

my office is that you hope that it will be positive?

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

THE COURT:

It's foundational.

4
5

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

Do you hope that that letter will

be positive for you?

Yes.

Did I tell you that if you did not testify

truthfully or were uncooperative that I would write that

letter also?

10

That's correct.

11

MS. KERSEY:

12

THE COURT:

Nothing further, your Honor.


Recross?

13

RECROSS EXAMINATION

14
15
16

BY MR. BOYCE:
Q

So Miss Kersey told you that she's -- if you didn't

17

testify or you were uncooperative, she was also going to

18

write a letter for your parole file, correct?

19
20
21

No.

She said if I was not truthful, she would

address that.

And didn't she just ask you if you didn't testify

22

and if you weren't cooperative and also untruthful, one

23

of those three things, that she would also write a letter

24

to your parole file?

25

Right, but not positive.

26

No.

27

Correct.

28

It would be a bad letter in your parole file.

A negative letter, correct?

136

17
]

Yes.

One you wouldn't want in your parole file, would

you?

Yes.

If you didn't testify, didn't cooperate, and didn't

testify truthfully -- correct? -MS. KERSEY:

7
8

Objection, your Honor.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

-- there would be a bad letter?

MS. KERSEY:

THE COURT:

10

Misstates the evidence.


I believe that does misstate the

11

evidence.

12

if he testified untruthfully, and she did not separate

13

the adjective from -- or the adverb, so it misstates the

14

evidence.

15
16

Sustained.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

If you don't testify, though, she

told you she was going to write a letter?


MS. KERSEY:

17
18

I heard that she would write a negative letter

Objection, your Honor.

Misstates

the testimony.

19

MR. BOYCE:

I'm just asking

20

THE COURT:

Overruled.

21

And you don't have to get testy.

22

MR. BOYCE:

I'm sorry.

23

THE COURT:

Okay.

24

THE WITNESS:

It's overruled.

I apologize.

The only thing that was offered to

25

me was a letter stating that I was cooperative and I told

26

the truth.

27
28

(BY MR. BOYCE)

is going to --

And you're hoping that that letter

137
18

1
2

MS. KERSEY:

5
6

Asked and answered, your

Honor.
THE COURT:

3
4

Objection.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

It's overruled.
And you're hoping that letter is

going to get you out on parole, correct?


A

Well, I know that letter's not going to get me out

on parole, but I'm hoping that it's going to be one of

the positive things, along with other things that I'm

taking in state prison.

10

You're hoping it's going to help you, right?

11

Yes.

12

And you've talked to your lawyer about this, right?

13

Yes.
MS. KERSEY:

14
15

18

Asked and answered, your

,Honor.
THE COURT:

16

17

Objection.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Sustained.
You asked your lawyer when Bobby

Dean loaned you his phone yesterday, correct?

19

I don't know whose phone that was.

20

Well, Bobby Dean loaned it to you, correct?

21
22

He

handed it to you?
MS. KERSEY:

I'd stipulate that I handed him a

23

phone so that he could -- I handed him my phone so that

24

he could talk to his attorney.

25

THE COURT:

Thank you, Miss Kersey.

26

Do you join in that stipulation, Mr. Boyce?

27

MR. BOYCE:

That's fine, yes.

28

THE COURT:

That stipulation is so received.

138

18

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Now, yesterday you told us that this

letter regarding the Jeep -- you know what letter we're

talking about?

Uh-huh.

THE COURT:

THE WITNESS:

Is that "yes"?
Yes.

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Yes.

-- that he had the Jeep on the specific date of

10

The letter signed by Robert --

April 14th in 1992, correct?

11

Correct.

12

You told us yesterday that Robert had the letter

13

written by your mother.


Do you remember that?

14

15

That's what you told us

yesterday, correct?

16

Correct.

17

And Robert had the letter written for insurance

18

purposes, correct?

19

Well, that's one of the reasons.

20

Okay.
That's what you told us yesterday, though,

21
22

correct?

23

Yes.

24

And did you talk to your lawyer between your

25

testimony yesterday and today?

26

No.

27

Did you talk to the detectives between your

28

testimony yesterday and today?

139
18

No.

What about Miss Kersey?

Did you talk to her between

your testimony yesterday and today?

No.

Well, then, how did you know -- why did you answer

today that the reason you -- in response to your -- to

the question by Miss Kersey, when she asked you, "Didn't

you have your mother write the letter

_ _ II

The letter was written for two reasons.

One was for

10

the insurance purposes, and the other one was to cover up

11

the Jeep being in Mexico.

12
13

But yesterday you told us Robert had the letter

written

14

MS. KERSEY:

15

THE COURT:

16
17

(BY MR. BOYCE)

20
21
22

Asked and answered.

It's overruled.
-- and today you've told us that you

had the letter written by your mother.


Why the change?

18
19

Objection.

Well, I needed the letter for the insurance

purposes.
Q

But why did you change your testimony from yesterday

till today?

23

24

night.

25

dates and things I'm not so fresh on.

26

It's just that I was -- I thought about it last


This is also a 10-year-old trial, so a lot of the

I understand.

27

And how did Miss Kersey know to ask you --

28

MS. KERSEY:

Objection, your Honor.

Speculative.

140
18

THE COURT:

(BY MR. BOYCE)

Sustained.
I believe you said that before the

deacon disappeared on April 13th, it was either that day

or the day before that you had a meeting with Liz in your

office -- correct? -- at B&B Enterprises?

It could have been the 13th when she had her tonsils

out.

It couldn't have been the 13th; isn't that right?

Isn't the 13th the day she had her tonsils out?

10

That's right.

11

Liz was at the hospital with us.

12

The entire day?

13

In the morning.

14

Okay.
So -- well, was she with you in the afternoon?

15
16

No.

17

So it was the day before that you met with Liz in

19
18

your office at B&B Enterprises?


MS. KERSEY:

19
20

Objection.

That misstates the

testimony, your Honor.

21

MR. BOYCE:

He

22

THE COURT:

It's just a question, so it's

23

overruled.

He could answer "yes" or "no."

24

Was it the day before or not?

25

THE WITNESS:

26
27
28

(BY MR. BOYCE)

I believe so.
And you met with Liz and Scott

Harrison in your office; is that correct?


A

I met -- yes, I met with Scott and Liz prior to them

141
19

1
2
3
4
5

meeting with Phil.

The day before in your office?

13th in your office?


A

I don't recall if it was the day before or a couple

days before.

6
7

The day before April

MR. BOYCE:

I don't have anything further, your

THE COURT:

Redirect or re-redirect?

Honor.

8
9

FURTHER REDIRECT EXAMINATION

10
11
12
13

BY MS. KERSEY:

Mr. Ditommaso, do you know exactly when you met with

Liz and Scott to plan the murder of Phil Perry?

14

I know it was before Elise's surgery.

15

So when you say "before," is it a day before?

16
17

days before?
A

Or do you even remember?

It was

18

MR. BOYCE:

Objection.

19

THE COURT:

Overruled.

20

THE WITNESS:

21
22

Two

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Leading.

It was a couple days.


And the day of the surgery you said

that Liz was at the hospital?

23

Correct.

24

Did you talk to her and was that the day you sent

25

her to Union Station to pick up Scott Harrison?

26

Yes.

27

Did Scott Harrison make his own arrangements to get

28

into town?

142
19

Objection.

THE COURT:

Sustained.

Calls for speculation and

leading.

3
4

MR. BOYCE:

(BY MS. KERSEY)

Did you buy the ticket for Scott

Harrison to ride the train?

No.

Did you ask Scott to come into town?

Scott was coming into town.

Mr. Ditommaso, were you present when Deacon Perry

10

was killed?

11

No, I was not.

12

So you can't really tell us anything about the

13

14

actual homicide?
A

No.

15

MS. KERSEY:

16

I don't have anything further.

17

THE COURT:

Recross?

18

MR. BOYCE:

Nothing, your Honor.

19

THE COURT:

May this witness be excused, or do

20

Thank you.

you want him subject to recall?

21

MR. BOYCE:

Subject to recall.

22

THE COURT:

So you are subject to recall.

That

23

means we will keep you in custody here for a little bit

24

longer period until the case is completed, then if you

25

aren't subject to recall and the case is completed, we'll

26

go ahead and release you back to state prison.

27

be with us a little longer.

28

THE WITNESS:

Okay.

So you'll

143
19

THE COURT:

Make sure you don't discuss your testimony with

3
4

Thank you, Mr. Ditommaso.

any other witness.


Thank you, sir.

5
6

(End of Karl Joseph Ditommaso's testimony)

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(End of partial transcript)

REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE

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4

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

)
)

COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO

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ss.

I, DEBRA A. GODINEZ, C.S.R., Official Reporter of the


above-entitled court, do hereby certify;
That I am a Certified Shorthand Reporter of the
State of California, duly licensed to practice; that I did

10

report in shorthand (Stenotypy) oral proceedings had upon

11

hearing of the aforementioned cause at the time and place

12

hereinbefore set forth; that the foregoing pages numbered

13

1 through 143, inclusive, constitute to the best of my

14

knowledge and belief a full, true, and correct transcription

15

of my said shorthand notes so taken on July 13th and 14th, 2005.

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DATED this 24th day of March, 2015, at Rancho Cucamonga


California.

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