Columbia County

Prosecution, defense make opening statements in Ronnie Hyde trial, crime scene evidence presented

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — It has been a full day of witness testimony for the jury of 14, in the Ronnie Hyde trial.

Hyde is the man accused of murdering 16-year-old Fred Laster, and dumping his “dismembered torso” in Columbia County in June 1994.

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He’s been indicted on a first-degree murder charge.

The State was the first to present to the jury on Tuesday morning, and the prosecutor jumped right in, telling jurors this is a story of betrayal – that Ronnie Hyde betrayed the trust of the Laster Family, ultimately killing Fred Laster — and that the State’s evidence will prove that.

Assistant State Attorney Alan Mizrahi, one half of the prosecution team, explained the Laster Family was going through trouble and Hyde provided help and a safe space for them. To give more context about the closeness of the relationship between Hyde and the Laster Family, Mizrahi explained that it was a normal occurrence for the family to spend the night at Hyde’s home.

Hyde even claimed some of the Laster kids were on his tax returns.

The defense team representing Hyde, made up of Ann Finnell and Bejae Shelton, used its time to give more background on Ronnie Hyde and Fred Laster. Finnell told the jury that in order to understand the case, they would have to understand who each of them are and how their lives intersect.

Finnell said their evidence will ultimately prove nothing connects Hyde to Laster’s death.

From hearing opening statements to hearing from about half a dozen witnesses called by the state, the jurors have a lot to consider and reflect on heading into Day 3 of the trial on Wednesday.

“He might have gotten away with it, if the torso would have ended up in the dumpster and no one noticed it,” Assistant State Attorney Alan Mizrahi said during his opening statement to the jury.

But someone did notice it.

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According to retired Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brian Rix, the dismembered torso was discovered by a woman who was walking her dog in the parking lot at what used to be the BP Station US Highway 441 North and I-10 in Lake City.

And once the lead detective on the case, Calvin Fenner, arrived, he discovered a number of other pieces of evidence inside the dumpster.

“That’s the bag that came out of the… as you look at the dumpster… it would have been on the right rear side of the dumpster,” Fenner said.

The jury also got to see items that were found inside the dumpster, including a flannel shirt with blood-like stains, gloves, an egg crate mattress topper that appeared to be soaked in blood, and knives that were found wrapped inside the mattress topper.

“There was evidence of what appeared to be a mark on the side of the dumpster, of a blood-like substance. Went down the front of the dumpster. There was a trail of it that led to the back of the dumpster,” Fenner explained.

Judge Tatiana Salvador is planning for court to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and is planning to wrap up early at 4:30 p.m., for reasons unrelated to the trial.