An investigator in the case of a man charged with fatally shooting his father and critically wounding his mother in Orcutt testified Wednesday about interviewing the defendant, who said hours after the 2012 incident he had been “put through hell.”
Detective Matt Fenske from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department took the witness stand Wednesday afternoon in the trial Brian Keith Reid, 42, in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria.
Fenske interviewed Reid for more than five hours after the man shot his father, William Forrest Reid, and wounded his mother, Pamela Reid, at Orcutt Community Park on Labor Day 2012. Pamela Reid survived the shooting.
The defendant allegedly shot his parents amid revelations that his father inappropriately touched Brian Keith Reid’s three daughters.
“He said he’s been put through hell,” Fenske said, adding the defendant claimed he had letters and recordings related to the incident.
Brian Keith Reid said he learned of the molestation in 2005 and confronted his dad about it.
Fenske testified the son claimed William Forrest Reid admitted to molesting the girls while they were sleeping.
“He told me he wanted his father to seek specific counseling regarding what he had done,” Fenske said.
William Forrest Reid also admitted some of the acts of molestation during an interview with detectives five days before he died, prosecutors said.
Instead of a first-degree murder conviction sought by prosecutors, defense attorney Robert Ikola said last week the jury should find Brian Keith Reid guilty of voluntary manslaughter.
During the post-shooting interview, the son said his mom denied the molestation occurred but then gave details, the detective said.
“That was frustrating for him,” Fenske said.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Duffy asked the detective if Brian Keith Reid said how he felt about his parents.
“I believe one of this statements was, ‘if I’m not with them, I’m against them,” Fenske said, adding the Brian Keith Reid felt “it was fight or flight.”
Although the defendant was upset at his parents and didn’t let them see his daughters for three years following the molestation revelations, he later returned to Santa Maria when his marriage fell apart. Brian Keith Reid was living with his parents at the time of the shooting.
“I believe the term was something to the effect of it was awkward,” Fenske said.
The defendant also told the detective he thought his parents were poisoning him, first complaining of carbon monoxide in his room and later claiming his mom was acting unusual and encouraging him to eat the fish.
He also contended his dad had a hatchet at the barbecue they attended at the park.
“First, he thought it was odd William would bring a hatchet to the barbecue when they were cooking with briquettes,” Fenske said.
No hatchet was found at the crime scene after the shooting.
Before Fenske began testifying, a friend of Brian Keith Reid’s discussed phone conversations and encounters with the defendant in the days before the shooting.
But Leonard Ochoa, a friend from childhood, said he didn’t remember in response to many questions from Duffy, including about phone calls with the defendant and interviews with investigators the day after the shooting.
“Like I said, I don’t recall these conversations,” Ochoa said. “How can I remember these conversations word for word?”
Several times, Ochoa noted the passage of time since 2012 and the fact he has had several cell phones since then.
“You don’t remember or you don’t want to say anything in court that will hurt Mr. Reid?” Duffy asked at one point.
With the jury selected, the trial in Judge Rogelio Flores’ courtroom began last week. Due to scheduling matters, the trial will be dark until Tuesday morning, the judge told jurors Wednesday.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.