Ellicott Murder Shooting Footage Presented to Jury | News, Sports, Vacancies

MAYVILLE — Jurors were able to hear for the first time a recording of a stepson discussing the events of the day he shot and killed his stepfather after the two of them argued.

Thursday marked the seventh day in the trial of Tucker Richard, who is charged with second-degree murder. He was arrested in connection with the death of Scott Blake, who was shot and killed on January 6, 2023 on Willard Street. Richard was 18 at the time and Blake was 57.

Sergeant Kevin Pierce of the Ellicott Police Department took the witness stand and described how he drove Richard to the police station, read him his Miranda Rights, and asked him if he was willing to be interviewed, which would be recorded.

According to Pierce, Richard said he “should probably get a lawyer” but said he would talk “if it would make your job easier.”

Pierce said during the interview that Richard told him he was sleeping when Blake burst into his room with a shotgun in his hand.

According to Pierce, Richard told him that Blake was angry that his room was dirty and that Blake began hitting him with an empty sawed-off shotgun, “trying to knock him out.”

Pierce said Tucker told him he ripped the gun out of his hands as they struggled in the hallway and it broke.

He said Richard told him Blake ran downstairs to get another gun and Richard followed him.

In the living room, Blake pulled another gun from the closet and the two of them began to fight over it.

Pierce said Richard told him that while they were struggling, Blake accidentally pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head.

According to Pierce, Richard told him that his hand was on the “pump” of the gun while they were struggling.

But Pierce said he understands Blake was shot in the back of the head and cannot understand how he could have held the gun in that position.

Because of this, Pierce asked Richard to tell his whole story again.

The second time, Pierce said Scott told the same story, that Blake kicked down the door to enter his bedroom and hit him with the shotgun.

This time, however, Pierce said Richard told him that after the gun was broken upstairs, Blake ran downstairs to get another gun and the two began fighting over it.

Pierce said Richard told him there was a third gun that he believed Blake was trying to get, and that’s when Richard shot Blake.

Pierce said Richard told him he didn’t aim the gun and didn’t know if it was loaded. He pulled the trigger “instinctively.”

Pierce asked Richard why he didn’t run out the front door, and Richard replied that he didn’t want to get shot in the back.

At one point in the interview, Pierce went to check on the recording and found that there was no sound, so he brought out his body camera and asked Tucker to share his story a third time.

Earlier Thursday, the prosecution asked Judge David Foley if they could play the original recording and provide a transcript, something Foley had previously ruled against. Foley agreed to re-watch the tape, which he did before Pierce went to trial, and again reiterated his decision against the transcript.

Late Thursday afternoon, jurors were shown body camera footage of Richard sharing his story for the third time.

In it, Richard could be heard saying he fired the gun “just to scare” Blake and that it was done on instinct.

Richard also said he thought about killing himself immediately after he shot Blake.

Earlier in the day, the defense wrapped up questioning of Vanessa Richmond, a forensic scientist at the state police investigative laboratory in Albany.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Friday.