The Words Of Leslie Fain

On Friday I posted the entire testimony of Leslie Fain, the woman who was secretly married to Chad Swedberg.  Here are some of the most obvious observations as we look back on her court room account of whty happened on April 13, 2007.

She begins over 100 pages of testimony by saying how nervous she is. I find that odd. If I was on the stand looking at the person who I think murdered my lover, and was getting to help put them away, I would feel a number of emotions. None of them would make me nervous, but that’s just me.

Ms. Fain says that Jesse left the house at 7:40 am, about the same time Thomas Covington ran to catch the 7:37 am school bus in his tee shirt.  Morningstar was still asleep, but she was unsure when Ann Fain left, but knew her son had to be at school at 8 am. She says that Chad was interested in a tv show about wolves, but was in a hurry to meet Al Baker at the maple cooker stand.  She says she rushes to call him back as the show is finally on, but he left anyway. Leslie says she watches the show for him as he had asked her.

Leslie said she heard Chad talking on his cell phone in the garage but does not know to who. When the show was over she went back online and then heard two shots. This is shortly after 8 am according to her testimony. She calls Chad on his cell phone but there is no answer.  Leslie talks to Ann Fain  and then calls again. She swears she is VERY worried but does nothing. Finally she takes a shower and puts on mud boots to go check on her husband. As she is doing this, the sound of a 4 wheeler is heard. Three days later she will sit with investigators   who work very hard to get her to say she did not hear a 4 wheeler, but Ken Swedberg’s honey machine.

I find this very odd. If you are seeking the truth, why go out of your way to make people who were actually there,  say a particular story to fit a certain theory. In the trial, Al Zdrazil goes on and on about several items that he does not like because he fears it might let the jury think someone else killed Chad Swedberg. This is one of those “things”. Now, I don’t know what difference it makes whether Leslie heard a 4 wheeler or a honey machine, but evidently the prosecution does and goes  on and on making sure that “4 wheeler” is now “honey machine.”  WHY?

Leslie Fain now goes in the woods to check on her husband after almost 2 hours from the time the shots were heard. This seems odd, knowing how most women would have been there right after the cell phone was not answering. Why wait for two hours? Why?

She encounters dogs and Chad laying in an odd position on the ground. Immediately she knows he is dead, but calls Ken Swedberg, not 911. Why? 

Ken Swedberg comes running with her sister. Her sister?

She calls 911.  Later she meets Al Baker in the woods.

Here is a list of the phone calls:

Chad received a call at 7:30 am.

Leslie called Chad at 8:13, 8:15, 8:27. 8:45, 8:56, and 9:55. After he does not answer 5 times, why wait an entire hour to call again? Why?

On the 911 call there are some parts that are inaudible, I will enhance this call later so you can hear all of it. She does go out of her way to scream “I don’t know what happened”, three times.

Leslie goes on the say she thinks there are demons on the reservation, along with such information as having no knowledge of any gun transactions between Chad and Ken Andersen. She adds that Ken Andersen did not supply any of the wood in their house either. Why is that a big deal?

Leslie says that Chad’s family and friends were all opposed to their marriage. Why? They thought she was a MONEY GRUBBER. This idea will rear its ugly head again when we get to the matter of Life Insurance.  She says there was a great deal animosity between Chad and his brother. She details their family land deals that greed seemed to prevail, and the honey business also was a point of contention. She admits that she argued with Chad over the missing honey jars he took.

Leslie says under oath that Chad and Ken Andersen were NOT best friends. The funny thing is that once a judge lets anyone say anything under oath in a court room, the words become like the Ten Commandments forever. When the State Supreme Court reads these words they have become holy and the only truth. Testimony becomes law like if it supports a conviction. However, if the accused says they are innocent, or if others bring testimony to the court room to refute the DA, these are  treated as lies and worthless. Only the “facts” prosecutors bring have any value. It’s a hell of a system if you are unlucky enough for them to indict you.

Now Leslie becomes hostile when confronted with earlier statements when she said they were best friends. Durkin repeatedly appeals to the judge to ask him for help to make her answer. She says “4 wheeler” twice making Zdrazil wince.

We now come to the issue of life insurance on Chad Swedberg. This is oddest or most damning part of this entire performance. In fact, I am going to devote all of Wednesday to this. Come back then.

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