PORT ANGELES — A tearful Jared Bauer told a jury that he was cleaning floors without his father on the morning that three people were gunned down east of Port Angeles in late 2018.
His father, Dennis Marvin Bauer, 53, is on trial for the shooting deaths of Darrell and Jordan Iverson and Tiffany May.
Jared Bauer was living and working with his father when the trio was killed on Dec. 26, 2018.
He testified Wednesday that he did not see his father on the days surrounding the murders or attempt to provide an alibi for Dennis Bauer.
“Even if I were asked to be an alibi for my father, I would have refused,” said Jared Bauer of Oklahoma, one of three witnesses to testify Wednesday.
On cross examination, Jared Bauer said he “may have mentioned” to another employer that he was “worried that it’s possible that I could be looked at (as an alibi).”
“But I never said that I was going to be an alibi for my father,” Jared Bauer said.
“I don’t want to say that he was somewhere that he wasn’t,” Jared Bauer added.
“I have no idea where he was, but he wasn’t at Safeway.”
Dennis and Jared Bauer worked for an independent company cleaning floors overnight at North Olympic Peninsula Safeway stores in December 2018.
Jared Bauer would clock in using Dennis Bauer’s time card and said he “trusted” his dad to compensate him for the work.
Jared Bauer was interviewed in Oklahoma by Clallam County Sheriff’s Detective Jeff Waterhouse and Detective Sgt. Eric Munger on May 12.
He paused during his testimony Wednesday to sob, seeing his father across the courtroom.
“I haven’t been able to see his face in a long time,” Jared Bauer said.
Dennis Bauer is charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated murder, eight counts of illegally possessing firearms and six counts of possessing stolen firearms.
Investigators said Bauer and two co-defendants — Ryan Warren Ward, 40, and Kallie Ann LeTellier, 37 – shot and killed the Iversons and May at 52 Bear Meadow Road in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 2018, and robbed them of guns, drugs, jewelry and other items.
Darrell Iverson was 57. Jordan Iverson was 27. May was 26.
Port Angeles Police Detective David Arand displayed for the jury numerous weapons, a bag full of wristwatches and other personal effects that Bauer, Ward and LeTellier allegedly took from the murder scene to Bauer’s compound on Lower Elwha Road.
Jared Bauer said he was living with his father, Ward, LeTellier and several others at the ranch in December 2018.
“There was a lot of mobile homes on the property,” Jared Bauer said.
In earlier testimony Wednesday, Johan Schoeman, a forensic scientist with the State Patrol crime lab and lead investigator in the case, reviewed a bevy of evidence from the crime scene.
Schoeman displayed photographs of 18 fired bullet cartridge cases found on the Iverson property.
“Jordan was shot five times, Darrell was shot seven times and Tiffany was shot eight times,” Schoeman said.
“All that makes 20, meaning that there were two cartridge cases that we did not find.”
Ward pleaded guilty last November to three counts of first-degree aggravated murder and a host of felony weapons charges. He is serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole.
LeTellier pleaded guilty last November to second-degree murder for May’s death. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison and has testified against Bauer.
Bauer’s trial began Nov. 15 and is expected to continue through December.
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Rob Ollikainen is a freelance reporter.