Lara motion hearing Day 4: Experts, police testify

Accused murderer Edwin Lara was back in court Thursday for a fourth day of pretrial hearings, in which Lara’s defense is challenging the admissibility of Lara’s supposed confession to the murder of Kaylee Sawyer nearly a year ago.

First to the stand was Oregon State Police Sgt. Roberto Robles.

After questioning from Lara’s defense lawyer, it was determined some investigators believed Lara’s cousin, who lived with Lara’s mother and stepfather, might have been involved in moving Kaylee Sawyer’s body.

No charges were filed because of insufficient evidence to back the claim.

Emails between Robles and other investigators were brought into evidence.

One email reminded the team to make sure everything was done properly, to avoid another situation such as the January 2016 fatal shooting by OSP of LaVoy Finicum during the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Redmond Police Detective Sgt. Eric Beckwith also took the stand to discuss his lengthy interview of Lara.

“Throughout the entire five-hour interview, I believe it was his full intent to willfully give me the statements he gave me,” Beckwith said. “In fact, I would say his willingness to talk about what happened was remarkable.”

According to Beckwith, Lara did not ask for an attorney. Instead, he asked that law enforcement officers from Bend come to California.

In response, four detectives traveled for the interview.

The defense also focused on whether the search for Sawyer’s body would have turned out differently, had police not had Lara’s apparent confession.

Robles said search area priorities might have been different, but the same area where Sawyer was found eventually would have been searched, and her body found.

The defense also called Adrienne Leverette of Fat Pencil Studios, a visual presentation company that helped recreate the roadway scene near where Sawyer’s body was found.

Allison Galloway, a forensic anthropologist, testified regarding body decomposition times.

The week-long hearing is scheduled to conclude Friday, with more such sessions planned this fall and a trial not set to begin until October 2018.