Stewart’s manager and former employer testify in the Adam Smith murder case

CANTON. The assistant manager of Stewart’s Shops and Adam Smith’s former employer took the stand during the third day of Smith’s murder trial.

Smith is accused of murdering Ronald “Huck” Durham on February 11, 2023, and William Freeman on March 2, 2023.

Stewart’s assistant manager takes the stand

Heather Dixon, who works as an assistant manager at Stewart’s Shops in Gouverneur, spoke first.

Dixon said she is in her seventh year with the company and is currently working at the new location in Gouverneur.

At the time of Durham’s murder, Dixon said she was managing the original location on Route 11, where she had known Durham for several years.

In her testimony, Dixon said she got to know Durham as a regular who came in for coffee and cigarettes “almost every morning” when she was working.

She said he was almost always her first customer of the day when she opened the store at 4 a.m

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Brian Barrett, Dixon said Durham always paid in cash and was known to have “maybe a couple of hundred dollars” on him on any given day.

On any given morning, Dixon said Durham would arrive in his white Dodge Ram 250o pickup truck. But in the days before his murder, Durham couldn’t easily get out of the car.

Dixon said she met Eric, later identified as Eric Fisher, as someone who helped Durham with odd jobs and chores.

On the morning of February 11, 2023, Dixon said Fisher entered the store during opening hours to buy Durham coffee and cigarettes.

He also made sure to cash the purchase receipt, she said.

“He always said, ‘Make sure I get a receipt for Huck.’ He always wanted a receipt when he bought coffee and cigarettes,” Dixon testified.

Dixon said that while she was responsible for “opening the store, counting the cash and preparing the food” every morning, she also had access to the stores’ security records.

Footage from that morning was played during her testimony, and Dixon confirmed that Fisher entered the store around 3:56 a.m. and left a few minutes later with Durham’s merchandise. Moments later, he went back into the store to buy Cool Whip, she said.

Footage of the exterior of the store across from Highway 11 shows a white Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck matching Durham’s description leaving the store and heading north on Highway 11.

It happened just after 4 a.m., according to footage shown during Dixon’s testimony.

About 12 minutes later, the same truck could be seen heading south on Highway 11 past the store.

Dixon said Durham could have made an immediate left to drive to the East Side Cemetery, where his wife is buried, or he could have continued on Highway 11 “if he wanted to,” she said.

The store’s internal video later showed Smith entering around 4:34 a.m. to use the restroom.

He left after about 2 minutes, which Dixon commented was a “fairly regular occurrence” when asked if customers walk into the bathroom and just walk out.

About two minutes later, Smith re-entered the store, which Dixon again commented was not unusual.

She said she had seen him several times before and knew something about him from conversations with Durham.

Dixon said Durham told her that Smith had served in the U.S. Army before he was discharged and that he was “about to get $6,000 to $8,000 or so from the military.”

Around 4:41 a.m., Smith is seen leaving the store and driving onto Highway 11, making a left turn onto the highway.

Dixon said he could either make an immediate left to drive past the cemetery or continue straight.

Asked by Barrett if she had noticed anything unusual with Smith that morning, Dixon said no.

Barrett then turned to Freddie Wing, a friend of Durham’s who was quickly charged with Durham’s murder shortly after the events. Wing confessed to the crime during police questioning, but police later said DNA evidence proved Wing was not involved in the crime.

“Have you ever met Freddy before?” Barrett asked.

“I just knew him as a customer and one of Huck’s men helping him,” Dixon replied.

Dixon said she hadn’t seen Wing recently and hadn’t seen him the morning Durham was killed.

Upon entering the store, Barrett asked her about Smith’s condition.

“On the morning of February 11th, when you saw Mr. Smith enter the store, did he pay with anything stolen? Did he seem nervous or something?” Barrett asked.

“As far as I don’t remember. I don’t know him,” Dixon said.

“Did you ever have a conversation with him?” Barrett asked.

“I’m pretty sure we had a few conversations. He came and was a client and that’s all, but no, I don’t know him,” she said.

Dixon said she only knew Smith professionally.

When Barrett asked if she had spoken to anyone in the district attorney’s office, Dixon said “two or three weeks ago.”

When asked if she had heard of Private Investigator Barrett’s case, Dixon said she had never.

She confirmed that state police investigators went into the store and reviewed security footage from the morning, which showed everyone in plainclothes.

Dixon later confirmed to Barrett that the truck in the video was the one she saw Durham driving every day, however, when asked about the color of the plow, Dixon said it was yellow. The plow on the truck in the video and crime scene photos had a red plow.

Former employer takes a stand

Next up was Brandon Chase, a construction worker from DeKalb Junction who had previously hired Smith to help him with several jobs.

Chase said he was working on a farm in Hermon at the time of Durham’s murder, working as a CDL driver.

But at that time he was also trying to start his own business.

Smith came to him through another colleague who recommended him.

According to Chase, Smith earned $20 an hour while working at Chase.

Chase said that as of Feb. 11, Smith was driving to work sites independently in his own vehicle.

Asked by Pascua if he remembered seeing Smith on February 10, the day before Durham’s murder, Chase confirmed that he did.

According to Chase, Smith asked him for $500 for his uncle’s oxygen. But Chase only had $270, which he later gave to Smith.

He said Smith later said his uncle was sent to Syracuse for oxygen.

Chase said he did not see Smith on Feb. 11 and did not lend Smith a car.

Just a day later, Chase said he got a call from Smith.

“He told me his uncle was killed in a cemetery down the road from where I lived,” Chase said.

He told Pasqua Smith that it was probably related to a recent settlement he received for $6,000 to $8,000.

“Did he tell you anything about what the scene looked like?” asked Pascua.

“Yeah, he said there was blood everywhere,” Chase replied.

After being told Durham was dead, Chase said Smith asked him if he had any vehicles to sell because he needed one.

Chase said Smith told him he had cash to buy the car.

“I didn’t ask how much (he has). But on Friday, he said he was broke. Then he said he had the money, he had everything to buy the car,” Chase said.

Under Barrett’s cross-examination, Chase confirmed that he paid Smith under the table.

“Yeah, for a couple of weeks because I was just starting the business,” Chase said.

Chase then commented that Smith had stolen $3,000 from him, to which Barrett objected.

Judge Greg Storey overruled the objection, allowing the application to stand.

Chase confirmed that he had given a statement to police on March 3, 2023, about Smith, but could not recall to whom he gave the statement.

He said Smith was not always punctual at work, but noted that he never seemed angry, although he noted that Smith told him he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Did he ever seem mean to you?” Barrett asked.

“No, not really.”

“Never been mad at you?”

“No”.

Barrett then asked Chase if Smith seemed upset when he didn’t give him the $500 he asked for on February 10. Chase said he didn’t seem upset at the time.

Chase also later confirmed that Smith always had his own truck to get to work.

“And you owe Adam more money for the work he did for you back then, don’t you?” Barrett asked.

“Yes, he didn’t have that money.”

“Because you didn’t get it from whoever you worked for?” Barrett asked.

“Yes”.

“Then you spoke to Adam again on Sunday?”

“Yes”.

“And Adam said he was in Cortland, New York?”

“Yes”.

“And he told you his truck was towed by the police that day, correct?”

“Yes”.

“Did Adam tell you why he was in Cortland?”

“Chasing the n—-“.

Chase said he later learned from Smith about the death of the “uncle” at the Eastside cemetery and some of the details of the case, but had little contact with him after that.

He said he wasn’t sure who he was living with, but said he was told he was living with an uncle who was battling cancer.

Shortly thereafter, Chase was released as Barrett finished his line of questioning.

The trial is scheduled to continue Monday, Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m. in St. Lawrence County Court.