Opinion ID: 1809451
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Testimony of Robert Decker

Text: Robert and Donna Decker married in 1972 and lived in the home in which the criminal episode occurred for approximately two years prior to November 4, 1988. Clyde Decker moved in with Robert and Donna in October 1988, shortly after Clyde's wife died. Clyde then began assisting Robert in his construction business. Panoyan also worked for Robert in 1988. Robert and Panoyan met each other in the early 1970s and had grown to know each other well. Panoyan had helped Robert extensively in the construction of Robert's home. On November 4, 1988, Panoyan was working on a construction site with Robert and Clyde. It was payday, and Robert had given Panoyan $500 in cash. Later that evening Robert, Clyde, and Carl, the Decker's two-year-old son, went to a restaurant for dinner. Donna did not accompany them because she worked that evening. The Decker men and Carl arrived home from dinner at approximately 8:50 p.m. and found Panoyan waiting in his truck in the driveway. Robert estimated the time of arrival based upon the fact that he had arrived home in time to watch the television program Dallas, which began at 9 p.m. Robert asked Panoyan why he was there and then proceeded into the house. Panoyan and the Decker men sat down in front of the television. Robert, who was aware of Panoyan's tendency to talk, told Panoyan he would have to be quiet during Dallas or leave. Before the show began, Panoyan stood up from his chair and said something to Clyde which Robert could not hear. Clyde testified that Panoyan said he was going to his truck to get some venison. According to Clyde, Panoyan had indicated earlier in the day that he intended to deliver some venison to the Decker residence that evening. Robert saw Panoyan bring a package of venison into the house. As soon as Panoyan returned to his chair in front of the television, another man entered the house and placed a gun to Clyde's head. Robert described the man as white and within two inches of five feet, ten inches tall. He said the gunman was wearing new work boots, blue-jean pants, a blue-jean jacket, a yellow plaid shirt, brown work gloves, a stocking mask on his face, and a yellowish-white, straw cowboy hat. The gunman said, You all go over there, and I will put handcuffs on you. Lay on the floor in the living room. Robert asked Panoyan if he knew the gunman, but Panoyan was silent. Robert said he could tell by the look on Panoyan's face that Panoyan knew the gunman. Panoyan, Clyde, and Robert followed the gunman's instructions. The gunman handcuffed all three men and had Robert show him the location of a floor safe in a walk-in closet in the master bedroom. After determining the safe might be hooked up to a burglar alarm, the gunman ordered Robert and Carl, who had followed his father into the bedroom, to lie on the floor. The gunman thereafter retrieved Clyde from the living room and pushed him onto the bed in the master bedroom. The gunman tied Robert's feet before returning to the living room. Robert managed to loosen the rope around his feet and move to the bedroom doorway. From this position, he could see the gunman talking to Panoyan in the living room. Panoyan was seated in a reclining chair. While the gunman and Panoyan were whispering to each other, the gunman noticed Robert standing at the bedroom door. The gunman stormed back into the bedroom and tied up Robert again. After retying Robert, the gunman began rummaging through drawers and cupboards in various parts of the house. While the gunman was going through the house, Robert managed to get loose again. The gunman, upon discovering that Robert had again freed himself, hog-tied Robert. After securing Robert, the gunman asked him where he kept his money and drugs. Although there was $2,000 in cash in the house which Clyde had brought with him when he moved in, Robert responded he had none. The cash, along with a number of other items, was missing after the episode. The gunman continued to rummage through the house. While he was in the master bedroom, Donna arrived home. Robert estimated that the time was approximately 9:15 p.m. Donna asked Panoyan what he was doing at the house and then went to the master bedroom. The gunman grabbed her, tied her hands, and dragged her into the hallway. Donna lost a shoe and cried during the struggle. Robert could hear the gunman and Donna talking in another room. A short time later, Donna came back into the master bedroom and asked if the gunman was gone. The gunman suddenly appeared and pulled Donna from the bedroom. Robert did not see his wife alive again. Robert continued to hear the gunman rummaging through the house. Robert surmised he was going through the kitchen or the office at this time. At approximately 9:50 p.m., the gunman returned to the bedroom with a legal-sized sheet of white paper, which had four straight lines drawn on it. Donna's signature was on one of these lines. The gunman asked Robert to sign the paper, but he did not like Robert's signature as compared to his driver's license signature and ordered him to sign a second time. At approximately 10 p.m., the gunman shot Robert, Clyde, and Carl.