Day 3 of Fredrick Scott trial: Testimony on death of Michael Darby

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The trial of accused serial killer Fredrick Scott picked back up Tuesday with a focus on the death of Michael Darby, the fourth victim.

Scott is accused of fatally shooting six people in 2016 and 2017: Darby, John Palmer, David Lenox, Steven Gibbons, Timothy Rice and Karen Harmeyer.

Local News

Trial of accused serial killer Fredrick Scott begins Thursday

Caitlin Knute

During testimony, detectives revealed Darby's death was a turning point in the case. At that point, there had been four homicides in 10 months on or directly near the Indian Creek Trail.

The lead detective said a pattern was emerging — all victims were middle-aged white men.

“We thought there was a possibility these murders were related," he said.

He also shared that Darby's death spurred a collaborative effort between detectives from the different squads covering the murders. Police also stepped up patrols along the trail soon after.

The added attention to the trail gained media attention. The lead detective said Darby's case was on TV so frequently that police thought it was possible the individual would move from the trail to another area.

Many Darby family members were in attendance Tuesday, as well as family members of the other victims.

Family members were visibly upset when pictures were shown of Darby's body, which was discovered around 6:20 a.m. on May 18, 2017, by a bicyclist. His two black labs were still nearby.

A former coworker of Darby's testified that he was known to be an early riser, often taking his dogs for a walk on the trail before opening Coach's. There was even video from that morning that showed Darby letting a vendor into the restaurant before he went to walk the trail.

Police and detectives described canvassing the area and obtaining surveillance video from nearby businesses and city cameras. Video from one business shows a man believed to be Scott walking on the trail in the same direction as Darby around the same time he was on the trail.

A shell casing was recovered at the scene, with no obvious signs of struggle. Darby‘s phone, keys and wallet (including credit cards and cash) were all found on him. Police noted this ruled out the possibility of a robbery, but the defense countered. The defense suggested there could have been even more money on Darby.

The end of the day featured testimony surrounding the death of Karen Harmeyer, a homeless woman. Her body was discovered in a camp she had set up in a wooded area behind a church in Grandview.

A police officer who discovered the body said she had met Harmeyer before and was typically “walking or sitting somewhere, usually intoxicated, but didn’t cause us problems.“ On July 19, people who were familiar with Harmeyer asked for a wellness check because they hadn’t seen her in a while. Police soon discovered her body, which was badly decomposed. Initially, police couldn’t determine a cause of death.

The state is still presenting its case. But whenever given an opportunity, the defense tries to plant seeds of doubt, from questioning the accuracy of timestamps on surveillance video to suggesting robbery could still be a possible motive.

Scott’s mother was in court at the beginning of the day but left about halfway through.

Most of the time, Scott shows little to no reaction, looking forward or looking down, only occasionally turning around and surveying the courtroom behind him.

Previous trial coverage

Day 1: Jury hears opening statements in trial of accused serial killer Fredrick Scott

Day 2: Closer look at murders, evidence in case

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