PORT ANGELES — A ruling Tuesday cleared the way for testimony about drug transactions in the second day of testimony in the triple-homicide trial of Dennis Marvin Bauer, a man prosecutors say is an alleged enforcer for drug dealers.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Lauren Erickson ruled in favor of the prosecution’s motion. Later Tuesday afternoon, she denied a motion for mistrial made by Bauer attorney Karen Unger of Port Angeles.
Erickson decided prosecution witness Kallie Ann LeTellier, 36, — who was present during the Dec. 26, 2018, shotgun slayings east of Port Angeles — can testify about the methamphetamine dealing in which she, Bauer and convicted triple-murderer Ryan Warren Ward were allegedly involved.
Bauer is charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated murder, eight counts of illegally possessing a firearm and six counts of possessing a stolen firearm in the deaths of Darrell Iverson, 57; his son, Jordan Iverson, 27; and Tiffany May, 26. LeTellier is serving 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering May.
The bullet-riddled bodies of the Iversons and May — Jordan Iverson’s girlfriend — were found by Darrell Iverson’s sister and husband outside Iverson’s 52 Bear Meadow Road home at about 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve 2018.
Ward, who pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and 16 counts related to the theft, sale or illegal possession of firearms related to the murders, is serving life without possibility of parole. He has been subpoenaed to testify in Bauer’s trial but is unlikely to do so, his former lawyer has said.
Several of Iverson’s guns were found at Bauer’s residence, according to a probable cause statement.
Erickson rejected Bauer attorney Unger’s argument that LeTellier lacked direct knowledge of Bauer’s alleged drug activities and that there was no indication of that degree of familiarity in nearly 10,000 pages of discovery.
Letellier testified Tuesday that she and Ward, Bauer’s nephew, lived on Bauer’s property. They also had stayed at Iverson’s property, according to a probable cause statement. Iverson was a commercial floor cleaner. He worked at a Safeway and took her in when she was homeless, she said.
Others also lived on Bauer’s property she said. Bauer had built berms around it to prevent people from gaining access and had placed surveillance cameras in his house and on the property that he could monitor from his bedroom, she said.
LeTellier testified Darrell Iverson provided money up front for large quantities of methamphetamine to a dealer in Port Angeles, with Bauer and Ward “their muscle” to ensure the drugs were not stolen and buyers paid up.
She said they obtained drugs from a dealer in Poulsbo who was paid up to $5,000 per transaction via Walmart MoneyGrams and that she helped sell the drugs to users in Port Angeles.
When LeTellier said the Port Angeles dealer was unable to send the money in mid-September 2018 when the dealer went to Walmart, Unger moved that the LeTellier’s testimony be stricken.
“This is essentially trying to convict my client with prior bad acts,” Unger said.
“There’s no basis to connect this to the murders.”
Erickson denied the motion after Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin listed more than 30 pages of evidence she said justified LeTellier testifying about the drug transactions.
“It’s clear to me that methamphetamine is a central theme in this case,” Erickson said in her ruling.
“Both parties mention it in their opening statement. It’s in the initial statement for probable cause.”
She said the allegation of Iverson fronting money for drugs is contained in the probable cause statement and a supplemental probable cause statement noted that LeTellier was cooperating was law enforcement.
LeTellier testified Tuesday that she was living at Bauer’s rented residence on Lower Elwha Road on the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation on what has been referred in the trial as “the compound” and “the ranch,” where others lived as well.
It is about a tenth of a mile from the Lower Elwha Klallam tribal center.
Erickson said Unger had interviewed LeTellier in preparing for trial.
“It just seems to me … that Ms. LeTellier was living at the ranch prior to this and that she would have had ongoing contact with Dennis and Ryan and that these are the allegations that would seem to be a question the defense would ask during their interviews.
Erickson said the central theme in the case is drug dealing and that LeTellier has been cooperating with law enforcement on the case.
“If there are statements Ms. LeTellier made that contradict her testimony at trial, Ms. Unger is gong to have a chance to cross-examine her on that,” Erickson said.
Devlin argued Monday, without the jury present, that the homicides did not occur in a vacuum, and that the testimony about drug dealings was essential to the case.
“Completion of the story is the drug hierarchy that was going on, how Darrell was the financier of the business that Ryan Ward, Kallie LeTellier and the defendant had,” she said.
“All these things are relevant to establish motive, not only in the drug trade. They were trading for anything of value, whether that was firearms, sex, jewelry, anything of that nature was traded.
“Part of the story also is the failed MoneyGram to a supplier.
“We will hear from Ms. LeTellier how upset the defendant was. After that, he was not able to pay the supplier.
They were in debt to Dar [Darrell]. The rape of Kallie LeTellier is part of it as well,” Devlin said.
“All this goes to intent.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.