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Barrus Trial: Defense questions tire track evidence at shooting scene

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BUTTE — The attorney for Lloyd Barrus, who is accused of aiding his son in the May 2017 shooting death of a Broadwater County sheriff’s deputy, ramped up his defense on Wednesday by questioning tire track evidence collected at the crime scene.

Lloyd’s son Marshall is accused of firing the fatal shots that killed Deputy Mason Moore the morning of May 16, 2017 during a traffic stop on Hwy. 287 near Three Forks. The prosecution claims Lloyd drove Marshall back to the scene four minutes later and Marshall fired 19 more shots into the car with a .308 semiautomatic rifle.

The defense questioned FBI Agent Jeremy Ewan who took tire track evidence at the scene pointing out that it was not possible to match them with the Suburban Lloyd Barrus was driving the evening of the shooting.

“The suspect vehicle returned to Deputy Moore’s vehicle and fired additional shots, you said that in a letter, didn’t you?” asked Defense Attorney Craig Shannon.

“Yes, I did,” Ewan replied.

“And you said it as if it were true, didn’t you?” said Shannon.

“Yes, that was my understand of what happened,” said Ewan.

“Do you know that to be true?” said Shannon.

“Yes, based on the evidence I saw at the scene, I believed what happened when I wrote this report,” said Ewan.

“Just a guess, just a theory, right? You don’t know for sure,” pressed Shannon.

Ewan answered, “No.”

Lloyd Barrus faces felony counts of deliberate homicide by accountability, attempted deliberate homicide, and possession of a firearm by a felon.