More details emerge in pre-trial hearing of Grindley case

A motion to suppress Kristen Grindley case evidence, the final minutes of a police interview at the sheriff’s sub-station in Albion last Nov. 11, was granted Friday after a two-plus hour Miranda rights hearing in superior court. Judge David Frazier ruled the final part of the interview should be suppressed because Richard Pasma, Grindley’s former boyfriend who has been charged with failing to report an accident, expressed a desire for an attorney at the end of the Albion session.

The early morning interview at Albion ended at 5:12 a.m. after Pasma declined to continue.

Judge Frazier’s ruling Friday came after Sheriff Brett Myers testified for more than 90 minutes on how Pasma was initially questioned after deputies became aware of his relationship to Grindley. The WSU graduate was found seriously injured on the Pullman/Albion Road in the early morning hours of Nov. 11.

The judge ruled Pasma was not under arrest and had agreed to talk to Sheriff Myers and Deputy Dan Brown. They went to a room at the Albion Community Center which is used by the sheriff.

Sheriff Myers said toward the end of the interview he told Pasma his account seemed to have some contradictions and he would like to conduct a formal police interview.

At that point, Pasma said “maybe I need an attorney.”

Judge Frazier ruled any record of what Pasma said after that time should be suppressed.

Sheriff Myers testified Friday he considered the Albion session information gathering as they attempted to determine how Grindley was left injured on the Albion-Pullman Road three hours earlier.

He was questioned by Prosecutor Denis Tracy and Defense Attorney Timothy Esser. Myers said Pasma several times during the interview denied Grindley was riding in his truck when he went for a drive on the Albion and Banner Roads after midnight. He told officers that night he last saw Grindley standing in the doorway of the residence where they lived on Illinois Street in Pullman.

He also said he had locked the doors of his truck to prevent Grindley from climbing in.

The sheriff testified one of the inconsistencies in Pasma’s account was his version of departing for the Albion drive from a friend’s house and a later version in which he admitted making a stop at the Illinois house where he was allegedly confronted by Grindley.

The two were reportedly having an argument about plans to host guests at the residence.

The other inconsistency involved timing. The sheriff said Pasma’s account of seeing the lights at the scene where Grindley was discovered didn’t jibe with his version of when he departed on the drive. Pasma would have gone past the scene before Grindley was found on the Albion-Pullman road, the sheriff alleged.

Pasma did not testify at Friday’s hearing.

Trial date is Nov. 15.