Police: Wlasiuk changed his story
NORWICH – The police officer who was assigned to Peter M. Wlasiuk on the night his wife Patricia died testified in court Thursday that Wlasiuk changed some of his story from the time of the incident to time of his official statement, just over two hours later.
Wlasiuk, 39, is charged with second degree murder in the death of his wife Patricia, 35, whose body was found in Guilford Lake after what appeared to be a truck accident that took place at about 12:30 a.m., April 3, 2002.
Investigators claim Wlasiuk killed his wife at their Oxford home, and staged the Guilford Lake accident to cover it up. A jury convicted Wlasiuk of murder in January 2003, but that decision was overturned on appeal in August 2006.
Chenango County Sheriff’s Sgt. Clarence T. Ellingsen said he arrived at the scene at 12:50 a.m. and was ordered to stay with Wlasiuk. Ellingsen accompanied Wlasiuk from about 1:10 to 4:45 a.m. on the morning of April 3 and explained his observations of Wlasiuk that night to the court Thursday.
The sergeant, who was a deputy at the time, said his original conversation with Wlasiuk took place in the back of the ambulance.
“When I first saw him, it was in the ambulance. He had a blanket wrapped around him. His hair was dry and neat, not in any disarray,” said Ellingsen.
Ellingsen said he did not record the conversation except by taking hand-written notes. Defense Attorney Randel Scharf pointed out that nowhere in Ellingsen’s notes nor in his supporting statement given that night did he mention Wlasiuk’s hair being dry.
“When we first talked, he said he grabbed her (Patricia) and pulled her from the truck, but that he’d lost her on his way to shore. He then said he called for her, by name several times, from the shore before going to nearby houses for help,” Ellingsen said.
About three hours later at 3:40 a.m. at The Hospital in Sidney, Wlasiuk gave his first written statement and signed it, saying he was unable to pull his wife out of the truck’s cab. Ellingsen said when he told Wlasiuk that his second story didn’t match the first, Wlasiuk said he was very upset and confused.
Ellingsen received a statement from Wlasiuk that detailed his recollection of the accident details, although later admitted on cross-examination that he had not witnessed Wlasiuk sign the document. He said he received a phone call while reviewing it with the defendant and by the time he returned, it had been signed in his absence. Ellingsen admitted he “made a mistake” when he signed the document claiming he witnessed the signature.
While at the scene, Ellingsen also said Wlasiuk demanded that his wife be blood-tested to prove that she was not drinking. Ellingsen said he accompanied Wlasiuk to Joyce Worden’s residence in the ambulance soon thereafter to retrieve dry clothes for Wlasiuk.
Wlasiuk and Ellingsen arrived at The Hospital in Sidney at 1:45 a.m. and Peter was informed of his wife’s death at 2:30. Richard Beebe from The Hospital drew blood from Patricia and Ellingsen noticed abrasions on Patricia’s forehead, chin and back as nurses turned her over to take the body’s temperature. Ellingsen then took the blood and having nowhere to secure it, placed it in his pocket. Under cross-examination, he said he couldn’t recall what he did with it, but said he did not take it home with him. Later District Attorney Joseph McBride presented an evidence form to refresh Ellingsen’s recollection and it said he had turned it into evidence.
According to testimony, Wlasiuk indicated to Ellingsen that the couple was having a disagreement and Patricia had rolled the window down to flick out a cigarette; when she turned back, a deer had come out in front of the truck. Wlasiuk also indicated that the two had left for Worden’s at 12:15 a.m. to pick up her children, and that he had been waiting for his wife at home for a long time. When she came home, the two argued about who was supposed to pick up the children and then agreed to drive over together.
Another witness testifying Thursday was Carol L. Olmstead, who detailed her April 3 encounter with Wlasiuk at The Hospital, saying his hair was not wet and that he was sitting calmly on one of the stretchers. Olmstead told the jury Wlasiuk had told her that, “‘Patty was a nurse and she always wanted to help people, so I will donate her organs. I have to have her cremated right away.’”
In the first 2002 trial, Olmstead was allowed to testify about a domestic argument that allegedly took place between the couple where Patty had phoned her for help. In Thursday’s testimony, nothing was mentioned of the event.
Tow truck driver Daniel Spencer testified he had pulled Wlasiuk’s truck from Guilford Lake. He said it took several moments for the water to rush out of the truck’s bed and cab before police could examine it. Spencer also testified he pulled the truck from the lake the same way it entered, digging up the embankment. Scharf pointed out this disturbed the crime scene evidence even further after hours of foot traffic walked over the area the night before. Spencer said he avoided the area across the road, however, because investigators had blocked off the area marking off a set of separate tire tracks allegedly left by Wlasiuk’s truck.
Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Meade was the first police officer on the scene and testified he discovered Wlasiuk “soaking wet and shivering profusely” alongside the County Route 35 next to where the accident took place.
Meade said he placed Wlasiuk into his patrol car and turned the heat on high to warm him up before heading to the shore to evaluate the situation.
After additional emergency personnel arrived, Meade said he began searching the area of the alleged accident and discovered dual tire tracks on the far shoulder, across from where the truck went into the lake that appeared to belong to Wlasiuk’s truck. Meade closed off the area for the accident reconstruction team and said he saw no vehicles drive over the tracks. Scharf questioned Meade repeatedly about the possibility that the vehicle before him may have went over the area, but Meade contended, “Sir, they (vehicles at scene before Meade arrived) didn’t come in that way and no vehicle that I saw or know of went over the area. My patrol car blocked the way.”
Court continues this morning at 8:30 and will go until 11 a.m. today. Court will be held five days a week Monday through Friday; an earlier miscommunication between the press and the court stated the trial would only be three days a week.
Wlasiuk, 39, is charged with second degree murder in the death of his wife Patricia, 35, whose body was found in Guilford Lake after what appeared to be a truck accident that took place at about 12:30 a.m., April 3, 2002.
Investigators claim Wlasiuk killed his wife at their Oxford home, and staged the Guilford Lake accident to cover it up. A jury convicted Wlasiuk of murder in January 2003, but that decision was overturned on appeal in August 2006.
Chenango County Sheriff’s Sgt. Clarence T. Ellingsen said he arrived at the scene at 12:50 a.m. and was ordered to stay with Wlasiuk. Ellingsen accompanied Wlasiuk from about 1:10 to 4:45 a.m. on the morning of April 3 and explained his observations of Wlasiuk that night to the court Thursday.
The sergeant, who was a deputy at the time, said his original conversation with Wlasiuk took place in the back of the ambulance.
“When I first saw him, it was in the ambulance. He had a blanket wrapped around him. His hair was dry and neat, not in any disarray,” said Ellingsen.
Ellingsen said he did not record the conversation except by taking hand-written notes. Defense Attorney Randel Scharf pointed out that nowhere in Ellingsen’s notes nor in his supporting statement given that night did he mention Wlasiuk’s hair being dry.
“When we first talked, he said he grabbed her (Patricia) and pulled her from the truck, but that he’d lost her on his way to shore. He then said he called for her, by name several times, from the shore before going to nearby houses for help,” Ellingsen said.
About three hours later at 3:40 a.m. at The Hospital in Sidney, Wlasiuk gave his first written statement and signed it, saying he was unable to pull his wife out of the truck’s cab. Ellingsen said when he told Wlasiuk that his second story didn’t match the first, Wlasiuk said he was very upset and confused.
Ellingsen received a statement from Wlasiuk that detailed his recollection of the accident details, although later admitted on cross-examination that he had not witnessed Wlasiuk sign the document. He said he received a phone call while reviewing it with the defendant and by the time he returned, it had been signed in his absence. Ellingsen admitted he “made a mistake” when he signed the document claiming he witnessed the signature.
While at the scene, Ellingsen also said Wlasiuk demanded that his wife be blood-tested to prove that she was not drinking. Ellingsen said he accompanied Wlasiuk to Joyce Worden’s residence in the ambulance soon thereafter to retrieve dry clothes for Wlasiuk.
Wlasiuk and Ellingsen arrived at The Hospital in Sidney at 1:45 a.m. and Peter was informed of his wife’s death at 2:30. Richard Beebe from The Hospital drew blood from Patricia and Ellingsen noticed abrasions on Patricia’s forehead, chin and back as nurses turned her over to take the body’s temperature. Ellingsen then took the blood and having nowhere to secure it, placed it in his pocket. Under cross-examination, he said he couldn’t recall what he did with it, but said he did not take it home with him. Later District Attorney Joseph McBride presented an evidence form to refresh Ellingsen’s recollection and it said he had turned it into evidence.
According to testimony, Wlasiuk indicated to Ellingsen that the couple was having a disagreement and Patricia had rolled the window down to flick out a cigarette; when she turned back, a deer had come out in front of the truck. Wlasiuk also indicated that the two had left for Worden’s at 12:15 a.m. to pick up her children, and that he had been waiting for his wife at home for a long time. When she came home, the two argued about who was supposed to pick up the children and then agreed to drive over together.
Another witness testifying Thursday was Carol L. Olmstead, who detailed her April 3 encounter with Wlasiuk at The Hospital, saying his hair was not wet and that he was sitting calmly on one of the stretchers. Olmstead told the jury Wlasiuk had told her that, “‘Patty was a nurse and she always wanted to help people, so I will donate her organs. I have to have her cremated right away.’”
In the first 2002 trial, Olmstead was allowed to testify about a domestic argument that allegedly took place between the couple where Patty had phoned her for help. In Thursday’s testimony, nothing was mentioned of the event.
Tow truck driver Daniel Spencer testified he had pulled Wlasiuk’s truck from Guilford Lake. He said it took several moments for the water to rush out of the truck’s bed and cab before police could examine it. Spencer also testified he pulled the truck from the lake the same way it entered, digging up the embankment. Scharf pointed out this disturbed the crime scene evidence even further after hours of foot traffic walked over the area the night before. Spencer said he avoided the area across the road, however, because investigators had blocked off the area marking off a set of separate tire tracks allegedly left by Wlasiuk’s truck.
Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Meade was the first police officer on the scene and testified he discovered Wlasiuk “soaking wet and shivering profusely” alongside the County Route 35 next to where the accident took place.
Meade said he placed Wlasiuk into his patrol car and turned the heat on high to warm him up before heading to the shore to evaluate the situation.
After additional emergency personnel arrived, Meade said he began searching the area of the alleged accident and discovered dual tire tracks on the far shoulder, across from where the truck went into the lake that appeared to belong to Wlasiuk’s truck. Meade closed off the area for the accident reconstruction team and said he saw no vehicles drive over the tracks. Scharf questioned Meade repeatedly about the possibility that the vehicle before him may have went over the area, but Meade contended, “Sir, they (vehicles at scene before Meade arrived) didn’t come in that way and no vehicle that I saw or know of went over the area. My patrol car blocked the way.”
Court continues this morning at 8:30 and will go until 11 a.m. today. Court will be held five days a week Monday through Friday; an earlier miscommunication between the press and the court stated the trial would only be three days a week.
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