Day 8 of Fredrick Scott trial: 11-hour video of 2017 police interrogation played in court

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Tuesday was Day 8 in the trial of Fredrick Scott, the accused Indian Creek Trail serial killer.

Scott is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the deaths of six people in 2016 and 2017. Four of them were on or very near the Indian Creek Trail.

Although Scott has pleaded not guilty, during a 2017 police interrogation he admitted to two of the fatal shootings.

Tuesday, the video of the interview was played in court for jurors.

As we previously reported, Scott was arrested shortly after the sixth murder in August 2017.

All day Tuesday, the prosecution has been playing that interview, and it’s a long one, around 11 hours. While they’re speeding through portions where he’s sleeping or left alone in the room, they are playing it in its entirety, so we’re only about halfway through.

At the beginning of the interrogation, the detective asks Scott to walk through his whereabouts the day of Steve Gibbons' murder, noting that they know he was in the area and they want to know if he knew anything or saw or heard anything.

But after his story changes several times, the detective eventually shows him pictures and tells him they have surveillance of him getting on and off the bus with the victim, following the victim, and then running away from the scene where the victim was shot.

It’s at that point, about four and a half hours into the interview, that Scott admits to the killing.

After the detective repeatedly told him they knew he did it and that he was lying, he finally said, “It was an accident.”

The detective then asked, “Can you tell me what happened when the gun went off? Were you messing with it?”

Scott responded, “I was messing with it. The gun went off.”

The detective asked another question, “Do you still have the gun?”

Scott replied, “I threw it over the bridge… the Troost Bridge.“

Earlier in the interview, the detective had shown Scott a picture of the victim, and he denied ever seeing him and denied realizing they were on the same bus.

But, after admitting to accidentally shooting Gibbons, the detective asked again, “Now that you’ve told me the truth, did you see him getting on the bus with you?”

Scott shook his head, "Yes."

The detective followed up by asking, “Did you see him getting off before you?”

Again, Scott shook his head. "Yes."

Yesterday, a forensic expert testified that a gun was recovered from Scott’s home, and a test fire from that gun matched some of the shell casings and fragments found in not only Gibbons’ death, but also the death of Karen Harmeyer, the homeless woman who was shot and killed in Grandview.

That is the only gun police have said they’ve recovered, at least at this point in testimony. The state said Scott fraudulently reported guns stolen shortly before many of the murders.

But the defense said in opening statements that without knowing where those firearms are, there’s no way the prosecution can conclusively link the crimes to Scott.

Again, the state is still presenting its evidence, and more than 70 witnesses have already been called. Then the defense will have its turn.

KSHB 41's 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
Day 3: Testimony on death of Michael Darby
Day 4: Video and iced tea bottle led to alleged Indian Creek Trail serial killer's arrest
Day 5: Judge denies defense's motion for mistrial
Day 6: Pawnshop owner says Scott bought multiple 9mm guns from store

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