A friend of slain man Edward “Bud” Fisher on Thursday revealed some of the tension between the victim and his son, Troy Fisher, on Aug. 6, 2011, the day before Troy is alleged to have killed Bud inside their Brush Prairie home.
Jason Cook took the stand on the fourth day of Troy Fisher’s trial in Clark County Superior Court. Troy Fisher is accused of shooting his 67-year-old dad to death and then withdrawing money from Bud’s bank accounts.
Cook was ushered into the courtroom Thursday in a blue jail uniform, handcuffs and shackles. He is in custody for violating terms of his probation, related to possession of a controlled substance conviction.
Cook said he went on Aug. 6, 2011, to Bud Fisher’s house at 20808 N.E. 172nd St. to help him and Troy Fisher with a siding job. Bud picked Cook up at his home in Longview and took him to Home Depot, where they bought items for the siding project. Then, Bud Fisher took Cook out for burgers before going to Bud’s house.
Cook said after arriving at the house, Troy asked him, ” ‘How did you enjoy the trip up with the (expletive)?’ “
Bud and Troy Fisher lived together at the father’s home, and Troy also worked in Bud’s forklift repair business.
Troy Fisher continued to complain about his father and call him derogatory names until, Cook said, he was too uncomfortable to remain at the property. The next morning, after sleeping in the family’s recliner, Cook asked Bud to take him home.
Cook said Bud and Troy also clashed about how to do the siding. Bud, who was still recovering from an April leg injury, wanted the old siding to be removed and replaced with new siding, but he left the project management to Troy, the witness said. Troy, however, decided to leave the old siding on and cover it with new siding, Cook said.
Bud expressed anger that Troy had gone against his wishes, Cook said.
Cook also shed light on the kinder side of a victim whom some other witnesses have described as “grouchy” and prone to yelling.
At one point, Cook broke down on the stand over Bud Fisher’s death.
Cook said Bud had helped him out “tremendously” during times of hardship.
“He was more like a father, a grandfather, one I wish I had,” Cook said. “He was a good guy.”
Troy Fisher, 43, told investigators in a taped interview Sept. 19, 2011, that he shot his dad after Bud Fisher confronted him with a black 22-caliber semiautomatic pistol. He said in the recording that his dad was shot accidentally in the head during a struggle with the defendant. He said he shot his dad again in the back, according to the recording played Wednesday in court.
Lindsey Salvestin of Columbia Credit Union testified Thursday that a total of $300 was withdrawn from Bud Fisher’s account at an ATM in Battle Ground just before 9:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 2011, the night Bud is believed to have been killed. Another $300, the daily limit of the credit union, was withdrawn the next morning just before noon from an Orchards ATM, Salvestin said. Surveillance video from the ATM shows what appears to be the image of Troy Fisher.
Surveillance video from the Vancouver Walmart store on Southeast 192nd Avenue shows Troy Fisher purchasing 12 fire logs and five bags of charcoal, among other items. He used cash.
Troy Fisher told investigators in the Sept. 19, 2011, interview that after he shot his father, he cremated his body in a trash pile in Bud Fisher’s yard. However, forensic anthropologist Katherine Taylor testified Wednesday it would have been impossible to reduce the body to ashes in an open-air fire because it isn’t hot enough.
Investigators found an 11-foot-diameter fire scar, which had recently been planted with grass seed, said Clark County sheriff’s Detective Joe Swenson.
But so far, investigators have found no evidence of Bud Fisher’s remains, other than blood-soaked carpet, that Troy is alleged to have disposed of in Amboy.
Troy Fisher has chosen to represent himself in the trial, instead of having an attorney, and opted for Judge Barbara Johnson to excuse a pool of jurors and to decide the verdict herself in what’s known as a bench trial.
Troy Fisher’s defense begins Friday.
