By james art CANTON, N.Y. (WWNY) – Opening statements have been made in a double homicide trial in St. Lawrence County.
Both the defense and the prosecution addressed the jury for the first time in the trial of Adam Smith.
Smith is accused of murdering 72-year-old Ronald “Huck” Durham. Durham was murdered in the town of Gouverneur on February 11, 2023. His body was found in East Riverside Cemetery.
Smith is also believed to have killed 67-year-old William Freeman. Freeman was found dead on March 2, 2023, at his home at 258 County Route 10 in Rossi Township.
District Attorney Gary Pasqua explained how Smith was connected to the two deaths.
Pasqua says that after allegedly killing Durham, Smith went shopping with Durham’s money before heading to Cortland, where he was pulled over and his truck impounded.
A month later, Freeman was killed. Pascua said like Durham, Freeman’s throat had been slashed with a knife.
Pascua said Freeman struggled and was stabbed again in the back, in the liver.
He said Smith then allegedly stole two of his rifles, military gear and a truck.
Durham was later found in possession of Freeman’s truck. Defense attorney Brian Barrett says it was loaned to him by Freeman, but that led police to search the impounded truck in Cortland, where Pasqua said Durham’s wallet and other evidence, including a knife, were found.
Pascua added that blood from both victims was found on Smith’s boots.
Meanwhile, defense lawyer Brian Barrett called the police investigation “appalling” and “random”. He cited others known to Durham and Freeman as being involved, including friends and family members of Durham and friends of Freeman.
Barrett also mentioned Durham’s friend Freddie Wing, who was arrested after making a false confession to Durham’s murder. The charges were later dismissed.
Barrett said Smith was a friend of Durham and Freeman and considered them uncles. He said he often did favors for the two men, including helping out and doing other work.
He said his client was innocent and “living in a nightmare”.
Testimony began late Tuesday afternoon with Canton-Potsdam Hospital pathologist Dr. Scott F. Lapointe discussing Durham’s cause of death, which he determined was blunt force trauma.
Smith was indicted last year on 14 felony counts, including two counts of first-degree murder.
The trial continues Wednesday at 9:30 a.m
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