OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Tucker Richard is pictured entering the Chautauqua County Courtroom.

MAYVILLE – The prosecution has rested its case in the murder trial of an Ellicott man accused of killing his stepfather nearly two years ago.

Friday marked the eighth day for People against Tucker Richard. Richard, 20, is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 57-year-old Scott Blake.

Court began Friday with Kevin Pierce of the Ellicott Police Department back in the witness stand to be questioned by the defense.

Lynn Schaffer with the Public Defender’s Office noted that Richard wasn’t given medical attention, even though he had told Pierce that he had been hit in the head by Blake with a shotgun.

Pierce said Richard did not request any medical attention. He later learned that a photograph was taken of Richard’s head that showed it had been bruised.

Schaffer asked Pierce if head injuries can lead to concussions and if concussions can lead to memory issues, to which Pierce replied, “I guess it could.”

Pierce confirmed to the defense that at no time did Richard appear angry or raise his voice while being questioned. He also agreed that Richard voluntarily agreed to be interviewed twice, because in the first interview the recording device was not operating properly.

The prosecution requested playing that recording, but County Court Judge David Foley ruled against it, saying the quality was too poor.

Pierce also confirmed that the door handle and lock of Richard’s bedroom was smashed and that there was damage to the door frame.

On Oct. 21 during opening statements, the defense had alleged that Blake broke into Richard’s bedroom because his room was messy and hit Richard in the head with a shotgun.

After the defense questioned Pierce, District Attorney Jason Schmidt asked Pierce if Richard was consistent in his testimony, which Pierce said he wasn’t.

In the first interview, Pierce said that Richard had told him he and Blake were wrestling over one of the guns and that in the process Blake shot himself.

Pierce said in a later interview that Richard told him he shot Blake after he got the gun away from him and that Blake was headed to pick up another shotgun.

After Pierce, Brian Peterson was brought to the stand. Peterson at one time he was friends with Blake. He later dated Tucker’s mother Jessica and because of that, Peterson said Blake blamed him for his relationship with Jessica ending.

It was shared during Peterson’s testimony that Jessica has since died.

Peterson said that Tucker and his mother didn’t always get along, so Tucker would either stay with Blake or with Tucker’s grandmother Judy.

Peterson had visited Blake’s house on Jan. 6, 2023, not long before when Blake was shot and killed. He said he and Jessica had stopped over to pick up a daughter that Jessica and Blake shared together.

While there, Peterson said initially Blake appeared to be in a good mood. At one point, however, he said he heard a crash upstairs and that later Blake and Richard could be heard arguing.

Peterson said he did not witness anything physical between the two, however there was a lot of yelling going on.

Peterson said he heard Blake say that Richard had “cut up his gun” and because of this, Blake wanted Richard to move out.

At one point, Peterson said Blake and Richard were standing close to one another, yelling back and forth.

Peterson said he told both of them to stop yelling and then left shortly afterward with Jessica and her daughter.

The three of them drove toward Jamestown. A traffic camera recorded Peterson traveling in Jamestown at 9:58 p.m. which Peterson said was just a few minutes after he left Blake’s house.

On the opening day of testimony, Nicholas Caldwell, a dispatcher with the Sheriff’s Office said that Richard called 911 around 10 p.m. to say that he had been awakened by Blake and that Richard told dispatch that he had shot and killed his stepfather.

After the prosecution spoke with Peterson, Public Defender Nathaniel Barone began a line of questioning.

He asked Peterson about the dispute that Blake had with him over Jessica. Peterson insisted that he and Jessica did not have a relationship until after Jessica had moved out, however he did say that Blake was upset about their relationship.

In November of 2022, Peterson was arrested after he and Blake got into a physical altercation.

Peterson said that Jessica went to Blake’s house and he was waiting for her in the driveway. While Jessica was outside, Peterson said that he saw Blake push her and Peterson got out of the vehicle.

He went over to Jessica and then he and Blake got into a fight. “I had to defend myself,” Peterson said.

It was the only time that Peterson had ever been arrested in a dispute with Blake.

Peterson had also been arrested while living in Georgia. He said in court those arrests were mainly due to a dispute with his ex-wife.

Peterson was the last member called by the prosecution.

The trial is scheduled to resume Monday.

Barone declined to say what his plans are for the defense, including if he plans on bringing any witnesses or if Richard will take the stand.