Shortly after his arrest, an Odessa man who now says he killed another man two years ago in self-defense told the lead detective on the case he wasn’t anywhere near the scene nine times and suggested someone was setting him up.
Thursday was the third day in the murder trial of Joseph Richard Grondahl Jr., 33. He’s accused of stabbing and slashing Austin Pasillas, 25, to death in December 2020.
Grondahl was the lone witness called to the stand by defense attorney Luis Chavez before he rested their case.
Grondahl testified he drove over to the Carriage House Apartments on North Dixie Boulevard shortly after midnight on Dec. 13, 2020 to hang out with his former girlfriend, Natalee Lassiter. He had just gotten done pouring drinks for Grondahl, himself and another man, Christopher Penn, when Pasillas, whom he had heard of, but never met, showed up.
Pasillas was hollering negative things as he approached the stairway to Lassiter’s apartment and Grondahl said he told him to “go down the street with all of that negative B.S.”
Although Grondahl said he remained wary of him because he could tell he was on drugs, by the time Pasillas got to the top of the stairs, Pasillas had “collected” himself.
Grondahl knew Pasillas and Lassiter had also dated so he said he tried to give them some privacy while they had a conversation. However, there were times when Pasillas would alternate between being soft-spoken and being aggressive, Grondahl said.
At one point, Grondahl stood up to intercede, but Lassiter waved him down, he testified.
Eventually, Pasillas grabbed Lassiter’s face and neck to force her to kiss him and then announced he was going to kill her and her family. He then stood up with a knife in his hand, Grondahl said.
When he stood up to defend Lassiter, Pasillas announced he was going to kill everyone on the porch, starting with him, Grondahl said.
“Pull yours, Wood. Pull yours Wood,” Grondahl quoted Pasillas as yelling, explaining he thinks Pasillas thought he was once affiliated with a prison gang.
Grondahl said he was scared for everyone and told Pasillas, “No, bro. Chill out. We don’t need none of that.”
At that point, Grondahl said Lassiter made to go into her apartment and he took the opportunity to slip past Pasillas to go down the stairs. Thinking twice about leaving Lassiter and Penn unprotected and remembering his keys, cellphone and wallet were upstairs, Grondahl said he turned around to go back up the stairs from midway down.
However, Pasillas “reminded me he was going to kill me,” so he turned around again to go back down, Grondahl said.
He was at the bottom of the stairs when Pasillas shoved him into another apartment’s door and thinking he’d been stabbed, Grondahl said he pulled his own knife.
As he backpedaled, Grondahl said he struck out repeatedly until he heard Pasillas say he’d been stabbed.
He went upstairs, grabbed his stuff, told Lassiter to call 911 and fled in a panic, the defendant testified.
It wasn’t until hours later when he was on his way to El Paso that he had time to reflect on everything that happened and came back to town, Grondahl said.
“I can see where it didn’t look good at all,” Grondahl said in hindsight of his fleeing the scene.
Grondahl said if he’d actually been able to speak in person with his best friend and brother that night they probably could’ve calmed him down and convinced him to stay.
Assistant Ector County District Attorneys Elizabeth Howard and Kevin Schulz had admitted into evidence earlier Thursday dozens of Facebook messages Grondahl had sent to his brother and friend after the stabbing pleading to speak with them about “some real serious (expletive)” that had “gone down.”
They also admitted into evidence a Facebook message to Lassiter from Grondahl saying “delete our phone conversation please on top of that throw away all the alcohol stuff, wipe down my prince (sic).”
Grondahl explained he wrote that while frightened, fueled by adrenaline and ashamed because he’d been in recovery until that night.
Grondahl confessed under direct examination that he’s had run-ins with police a “a time or two,” but during Howard’s cross examination it was revealed Grondahl has an extensive criminal history, with convictions in Ector County, California, Nevada and Utah.
The defendant insisted that at the time of the incident he was trying to straighten up his life, having kicked his methamphetamine and heroin addictions. He denied being a marijuana dealer, despite offering to sell “11 zips” in a Facebook message for “150 apiece.” Grondahl pointed out there were no dollar signs in the message and said “I’m not really for money. I would’ve taken a trade.”
Grondahl repeatedly insisted under Howard’s questioning that he was afraid for his life and the lives of the others that night. Despite the fact there was no blood found on the murder weapon found in his car the day of his arrest, Grondahl said he didn’t clean the knife.
When Grondahl insisted he never lied to Odessa Police Department Detective Kara Thompson, Howard played Thompson’s interview with him for the jury.
When Thompson informed Grondahl he was being detained because he was a suspect in a homicide, he said all he’d done that night was beat up a guy at a bar.
After being told witnesses placed him at the scene, he repeatedly demanded to know who they were and he wanted to see some evidence. He said the allegation didn’t make sense and perhaps someone was trying to set him up. When told people he didn’t even know picked him out of a photo lineup, he continued to insist he wasn’t at the apartment that night.
When told it would look better for a jury if he told his side of the story, Grondahl told Thompson he didn’t care about jurors.
Thompson eventually told Grondahl she was tired of going in circles after his repeated denials, informed him he was being booked for murder and left the room.
Left alone, Grondahl mutters to himself “This (expletive’s) wild,” and “This has got to be a (fucking) dream.”
Under further questioning from Howard, Grondahl acknowledged he owns four to six dozen knives, saying he’s a knife enthusiast who also repairs and sharpens them for clients. He denied being “particularly” skilled with them.
Since the incident, Grondahl admitted he’s had the letters H,A,T,E tattooed across his left knuckles, but insists he plans to have L,O,V,E tattooed across his right knuckles. He also acknowledged he’s been using makeup in court to hide his tattooes, but said he also shaved his facial hair and removed his earrings “to look more appropriate in court.”
When Howard asked him if he was saying the three witnesses who testified Pasillas went down the stairs first were lying, Grondahl replied, “I’m not saying that. That’s their recollection.”
At least one of those witnesses also testified Pasillas was unarmed and fleeing from Grondahl when he was stabbed.
The state rested their case without calling Lassiter to the stand. Lassiter, who is facing a hindering apprehension or prosecution charge in the case, had earlier indicated to Judge James Rush she intended to testify for the state against the advice of counsel.
Closing arguments in the trial in the 244th District Court are scheduled for Friday morning.
