HAMILTON, Ohio — Jurors heard directly from Gurpreet Singh in his murder trial Wednesday. The man accused of killing his wife, her parents and his wife's aunt three years ago did not take the stand, though.
Butler County prosecutors played video of the defendant talking to investigators during an interview at the West Chester Township Police Department the night of the murders.
"Help my family," Gurpreet Singh said in the video played in court.
"I'm trying," Detective Randy Farris of the West Chester Township Police Department said in the same recording.
Detective Farris testified for more than four hours about his interview with Singh that night.
"Gurpreet was covered in blood, obvious blood stains on his pants, his shirt, his socks and he didn't have any shoes on," Det. Farris said on the stand. "And he appeared to be upset, which is normal."
Video showed Singh struggled to remember details of what he told 9-1-1 operators or what he saw inside his apartment.
"Soon as I see the door, I see my mom and I go over to her," Singh said on the recording. "I was like, mom? What's wrong? And then I see my wife over there and then I see my aunt and then, like I told you sir, I just don't remember a whole lot after that."
The recording played in court showed Singh told detectives he shook each body, saw blood near the head of each, tried to give the victims water, called for help then knocked on neighbors' doors. The recording showed Singh telling investigators that his shoes came off going back and forth.
Previous witnesses told jurors that a man without shoes walked out the patio door into a breezeway.
"He appears emotional," Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Jon Marshall asked Det. Farris during Wednesday's testimony. "Is that fair to say?"
"Yes sir," Det. Farris replied.
"Did you actually see any tears coming out of his eyes at that point," Marshall asked Det. Farris.
"No sir," Det. Farris responded.
In the recorded interview played for jurors, Singh told investigators that his family got along, never fought and had no known enemies.
"Somebody killed your family," Det. Farris said to Singh on the recording.
"Yeah but why," Singh responded in the video.
"I don't know," Det. Farris replied. "That's why I need your help. Who would want to kill your family?"
"I don't think anybody," Singh answered. "I don't know why."
During testimony Tuesday, Ajaib Singh, who is the brother of Parmjit and Amarjit Kaur, told jurors Gurpreet assaulted Parmjit's husband, Hakiakat Singh Pannag, over money two months before the murders.
Along with Gurpreet Singh's wife, Shalinderjit, the killer shot Hakiakat, Parmjit, and Amarjit to death April 28th, 2019.
Amrik Tiwana, a friend of Hakiakat Singh Pannag, also testified to jurors Tuesday that Gurpreet hurt Hakiakat.
The video jurors saw Wednesday showed detectives question Gurpreet for more than an hour. When they asked to swab Singh's hands for gunshot residue, he asked to leave.
"I want to go home," Singh said in the recording.
Detectives, though, refused.
"Listen to me," Det. Farris said in the recording. "I'm a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."
The video then showed officers inform Singh of their intent to get a search warrant to take his clothes and phone as evidence. Jurors saw the items seized and tested for DNA during Det. Farris' testimony.
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