Hargrave’s relatives testify in murder trial
Kenny Hargrave is torn.
“My dad’s a good man. My brother is the villain in this story,” said Hargrave said Wednesday on the witness stand, a witness in his father James Hargrave’s defense
“I understand you love your father,” said Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty.
“I love my brother too — I miss the hell out of him,” said Hargrave.
Last December Jim Hargrave shot and killed Kenny’s 28-year-old brother Steven inside their Tumalo home.
Testifying in the murder trial, Hargrave recalled the good and the bad about his younger brother.
“We told each other we loved each other — that was the last thing we said to each other,” said Hargrave. “When he was drunk, Steven knew how to get at everybody’s weaknesses.”
Prosecutors say Hargrave murdered his son, while his lawyers say it was a killing committed in self-defense.
Defense attorney Carla Nash didn’t get much more out of Kenny Hargrave. Many of her questions were interrupted by Flaherty objecting to her questions.
Not letting anything slide, Flaherty pointed out Kenny’s statements were much different when he testified in front of a grand jury months ago.
“In fact, you told a grand jury you’d never seen your brother assault your father, isn’t that correct?” asked Flaherty.
“I don’t remember that,” said Hargrave.
“You don’t remember that?” Flaherty confirmed.
“No, sir,” said Hargrave.
Other relatives spoke up about Steven’s bad behavior.
“When he was drinking, he was very menacing,” said Lynette Hargrave, Steven’s aunt.
“He said to me that he was going to burn my house down with me in it, and kill my dogs, slash my tires — then he put his arms up like he was going to fight,” said Steven’s uncle, John Hargrave.
That fight never happened, but Steven was involved in a deadly fight with his father last December, and a jury will have the final say as to what happened then.
The defense continued calling relatives of the Hargrave family to testify throughout Wednesday afternoon. The trial picks back up Thursday morning.
