Opinion ID: 690774
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: John Becktold's Relationship with His Parents

Text: 41 John Becktold testified that he had no room at his parents' house after 1983, and that he always slept on the couch upstairs when he stayed overnight. RT 198. John Becktold's father stated that I never had no certain place for anybody except my mother-in-law. RT 429. In contrast, John Becktold's brother Ralph testified that John had a bedroom in the basement, different from Jim Littleton's room. RT 114. Jim Littleton also spoke of John's room in the basement and said that he (Jim Littleton) had slept in that room for about six years until 1987. Although John rarely slept at his parents' house, Littleton testified that when he did, he always slept in that bedroom. RT 361. Laurel Parsons spoke of leaving John's clothes on John's bed in his room in 1989-90. RT 132-33. 42 John Becktold testified that he kept his clothes at Scott Banderob's home when he stayed with Banderob. RT 201-02. He also testified that he took all his possessions to the ranch when he went there in March 1989, including an inoperable truck. RT 200, 202. His father confirmed this. RT 402. A coworker at the ranch described the possessions he had there as follows: Well, he had numerous cooking supplies, he had a stereo. He was a real model buff. He had a lot of models and stuff around. He didn't have a whole lot. Odds and ends, he did have some, you know. RT 310. Jim Littleton agreed that even before moving to the ranch, John Becktold kept few or no clothes at his parents' home. RT 361. In contrast, Laurel Parsons spoke of having done laundry for John in 1989-90 at his parents' house. RT 132. She testified that he left some clothes and toys at that house when he went to the ranch. RT 144-45. Becktold himself said that his sister never did his laundry. RT 225. 43 Again, in light of these contradictions in testimony, we cannot conclude the district court's findings of fact on John Becktold's room and on the location of his possessions were clearly erroneous. 44