PORT ANGELES — Opening statements began Tuesday in the trial of Aaron Fisher, who is charged with second-degree murder or, alternatively, first-degree manslaughter, in the death of a Sequim man.
A jury of four women and 10 men was seated in Clallam County Superior Court.
Fisher, 37, is accused of punching Richard G. Madeo, 70, during a confrontation on May 6, 2025, near a Safeway gas station in Sequim, leaving Madeo unconscious.
Madeo was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and died two days later. The King County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Each charge is a Class A felony, punishable by up to life in prison and/or a $50,000 fine, plus restitution and court costs.
Fisher has pleaded not guilty to both counts.
In her opening statement Tuesday, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin told jurors they would hear from multiple eyewitnesses and see surveillance video from nearby businesses that she said showed Fisher’s aggression during the confrontation and afterward.
She said Fisher punched Madeo with such force that Madeo’s glasses flew off.
“Anger and rage led to this assault,” Devlin said, “and it is an assault that culminated in felony murder.”
Defense attorney Lane Wolfley offered a sharply different account, telling jurors the anger that day came from Madeo, not Fisher.
Wolfley said Madeo drove into the parking lot at high speed, braked hard and confronted Fisher and a companion who were walking across the parking lot.
He said the encounter escalated only after Madeo exited his truck and shoved Fisher and that Fisher responded by punching him, arguing the evidence would show Madeo was the initial aggressor.
Jurors heard from digital forensics expert Ryan Salmon of the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, who testified about reviewing and synchronizing surveillance video from a smoke shop and a state Department of Labor & Industries office that captured parts of the incident.
Jurors then viewed video that showed the initial interaction in the parking lot and some of what occurred afterward.
Jurors also heard from Sequim Police Department officers involved in the case and eyewitnesses David and Stephanie Wright.
Jury selection was briefly delayed Tuesday morning after a prospective juror disclosed, outside the presence of the other jurors, that she had received a text message from Aaron Fisher’s father, Pepper Fisher, who learned the woman was part of the jury pool.
Devlin argued the contact created a risk of tainting the jury panel because the state could not determine whether the juror had shared the message or discussed it with other prospective jurors.
Wolfley said he was prepared to proceed with trial after discussing the issue with his client and said there was no basis to halt the proceedings based on the information that was disclosed.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Basden denied the state’s mistrial request, finding no showing of actual prejudice and no evidence that the outside contact had affected other prospective jurors. He noted that the juror promptly disclosed the message to court staff rather than raising it in front of the panel, and he said that suggested the woman was attempting to handle the situation appropriately and avoid influencing others.
Also during pretrial proceedings, Devlin asked the court to issue a no-contact order involving a woman described as a witness in the case. The request followed the court’s receipt of a document outlining allegations of physical assault involving Fisher.
Wolfley acknowledged the restrictions, which prohibit Fisher’s direct or indirect contact, including communication through third parties.
The trial is set to resume at 9 a.m. today.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
