‘There was no telling him what to do with his life’ Witnesses testify to provide details of Grunwald’s final moments

PALMER — On day four of the trial of Dominic Johnson, one of the four young men charged with the murder of Palmer teen David Grunwald on November 13, 2016, the prosecution called to the stand witnesses who could help provide details of Grunwald’s final moments alive.

During the course of day four of the trial, Johnson’s defense attorney Lyle Stoler quadrupled his objection total from day three, totaling 21 objections on Thursday. Stohler routinely objected to District Attorney Roman Kalytiak’s use of the word ‘gang,’ insinuations of gang affiliation and lifestyle.

Of the four witnesses called on Thursday, 21-year-old David Evans stayed the longest on the stand. Evans had been staying with Erick Almandinger, who has already been convicted in the murder of Grunwald. But Evans had been gone from the Almandinger’s house a week after moving in with them. Evans contacted Grunwald to get a ride to Almandinger’s house, and claims that he never saw David when he returned to the house. Evans confirms the report of the Almandinger’s neighbor and said that he arrived at the house and argued with Rodney Almandinger, Erick’s father, before having a second discussion with Myler Almandinger, Erick’s grandmother, who Evans says is in charge of the household. Evans ate, smoked marijuana with Erick, showered, and found a number of dark figures standing in a garage. Evans was only entering the garage to tell Erick that he was leaving, but found it odd that there would be a group gathered in silence in the dark.

Evans’ brother Christopher Pearcy also testified on Thursday. Pearcy testified that he arrived on the Almandinger’s property to pick up Evans at around 10 p.m., and nothing seemed out of place to him. He did not notice any people, he said, and it was dark so he did not notice any vehicles, and he could not accurately name major highways, but he did recall picking up his brother and dropping him off at a girls house.

Earlier in the night, Angela Dicos was communicating with David Grunwald through Instagram. The two shared friendly greetings using the term ‘gucci’, that would later be turned by Stohler to disagree to Kalytiak’s use of gang references. Dicos was talking with Grunwald on Instagram’s direct messages when he told her he was smoking marijuana, asked for her Snapchat username, and at 8:10 p.m. entered his final communication. Grunwald sent ‘okie dokie,’ to Dicos. Grunwald would be beaten and shot in the head later that night.

Almandinger’s neighbor, Christian Ward, painted a picture of youths in and out of the Almandinger house, and specifically travel trailer, to smoke marijuana and play video games. Myler makes the rules in that house, he said, and Ward specifically recollects her distaste for Devin Peterson, who Kalytiak has mentioned as the ‘advisor’ of the group.

Ward says he never joined in with Almandinger, who had a propensity to flash gang signs and wear gang affiliated colors. Ward is very familiar with Almandinger’s Ruger 40, having seen it before and being an owner of a Ruger pistol himself, though of a different caliber. Ward detailed how Erick Almandinger would hold the weapon in his waistband almost exclusively. Ward was asked if he had ever attempted to tell Almandinger to stop mimicking the gang lifestyle.

“There was no telling him what to do with his life,” Ward said.