NorthwestMarch 12, 2024

Bloomsburg lays out case involving Robert LaPlante, accused of attempted murder of Otis Dickson Jr.

Kaylee Brewster, of the Tribune
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg points at Robert LaPlante in LaPlante’s first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg points at Robert LaPlante in LaPlante’s first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg holds a Hi-Lift jack allegedly used in the assault of Loyal Otis Dickson Jr. during the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg holds a Hi-Lift jack allegedly used in the assault of Loyal Otis Dickson Jr. during the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Robert LaPlante sits in his trial for first-degree attempted murder as a close up of the Hi-Lift jack used in the assault of Loyal Otis Dickson Jr. is shown on the screen Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante sits in his trial for first-degree attempted murder as a close up of the Hi-Lift jack used in the assault of Loyal Otis Dickson Jr. is shown on the screen Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Robert LaPlante sits next to his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante sits next to his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante talks with his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante talks with his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Robert LaPlante’s attorney Brennan Wright gives his opening arguments in LaPlante’s first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante’s attorney Brennan Wright gives his opening arguments in LaPlante’s first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Chief Deputy Prosecutor April Smith gives her opening arguments in the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor April Smith gives her opening arguments in the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg holds up a blood stained carpet during the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg holds up a blood stained carpet during the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert LaPlante Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Robert LaPlante sits in his trial for first-degree attempted murder Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante sits in his trial for first-degree attempted murder Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune
Robert LaPlante sits next to his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Robert LaPlante sits next to his attorney Brennan Wright during his first-degree attempted murder trial Monday at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.August Frank/Tribune

Jurors saw photos and evidence from a bloody crime scene on the first day of the first-degree attempted murder trial for Robert J. LaPlante.

LaPlante, 58, of Clarkston, was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly attempting to kill Loyal Otis Dickson Jr. by striking, cutting and/or stabbing him July 14 in North Lewiston. The jury includes seven women and six men. About 10 to 15 people were in the courtroom before 2nd District Judge Mark Monson during the day, including friends and family of LaPlante and others from the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement.

Nez Perce County Chief Deputy April Smith and Nez Perce County Deputy Jazz Patzer outlined the case against LaPlante with testimony from Lewiston police detective Cpl. Cody Bloomsburg and evidence from the crime scene.

Bloomsburg said he arrived at the 700 block of 29th Street North for a report of an unconscious man who had been badly beaten and severely injured. Photos at the scene showed bloody carpet, an outdoor metal bench swing with bloodstains and Dickson’s cellphone underneath the bench.

Bloomsburg said there was a substantial amount of loose carpet. Underneath some of the carpet was Dickson’s missing shoe, loose change, his chain-hook wallet, a high-lift jack and a large pool of blood. Behind some plywood was a lattice that had spattered blood, which Bloomsburg said indicated the victim had been struck by the lattice.

In the courtroom, Bloomsburg showed the jury sections of carpet that had the largest amounts of blood. He was also given the high-lift jack as evidence to show the jury. Bloomsburg had to hold the 4-foot, 30-pound jack with both hands. Smith asked him if he recognized the jack.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this high-lift jack,” Bloomsburg said.

Photos were also shown of bloodstains on the jack, including where hair was stuck to it.

Bloomsburg’s theory of events was that Dickson was attacked with the high-lift jack as he was beaten on the ground and the wallet was ripped from his pants. Bloomsburg also said the perpetrators also attempted to conceal evidence as some items were covered by carpet or plywood. He also believed Dickson was rolled up in the carpet, which explained why blood was found in some areas and not in others. Dickson was left in the carpet “in the July heat, suffering” until he was able to free himself but was too far from his cellphone to call for help.

“He was left to die,” Bloomsburg said.

To create a timeline of events, Bloomsburg testified about obtaining video surveillance from nearby locations including the Stinker Station in North Lewiston, Dynamart and Diversified Truck Repair. The videos show a white Chevrolet Impala with two passengers in the area and driving to Dickson’s camp. In one video, two people can be seen getting out of the car at 9:21 a.m. Moments later, Dickson’s red Dodge pickup can be seen driving away from the area, followed a minute later by the Impala.

In one video, Bloomsburg highlighted that the driver of the Impala has a wide brim hat with a light-colored hat band. The passenger was identified by Bloomsburg as Timothy W. Allen, who was wearing a baseball hat. In another video, damage to the Impala, including a dent on the door and a crack in the rear bumper, can be seen.

Other agencies were contacted to locate the vehicle. Bloomsburg testified that later that night he responded to a white Impala in Clarkston at the NomNom gas station on Bridge Street. Bloomsburg testified he saw LaPlante wearing the same hat, in the car depicted in the video. He testified that LaPlante said he saw Dickson at his camper that day.

Smith asked if Bloomsburg could identify the person in court and he pointed to LaPlante, who was wearing a gray Henley shirt and black pants.

Bloomsburg gathered evidence from Dickson on Sept. 8 and Oct. 25. He said in the first meeting, Dickson was slow to speak and wasn’t engaged in conversation. He took photos of Dickson’s scars, including one on his left cheek, the left side of his head and his right cheek. Bloomsburg said at his second meeting Dickson had more energy but was still not engaged in conversation, and Bloomsburg took a DNA sample.

Bloomsburg said that the investigation has continued from the day of the incident to LaPlante’s arrest Oct. 2, and even to last week, when Bloomsburg was still reviewing evidence. During that time investigators gathered information from 36 witnesses, 107 police reports, 118 items (with 64 sent to the lab), 2,500 photos and nine search warrants.

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“Without a doubt, it was the most violent crime scene I investigated that a person survived,” Bloomsburg said.

Other witnesses testified about the day of the attack. April Simpson testified that at the time she was working for Eagle Transfer in North Lewiston. Dickson lived in a camper in the back corner of the Eagle Transfer property. Simpson said that she had visited Dickson that morning because she was considering buying his truck, the red Dodge. Dickson told her he would pick her up at noon to get her car. She said the last time she saw Dickson that morning was around 8:30 a.m.

At noon, Simpson left the office of Eagle Transfer, saw the truck was gone, left Dickson a message on his phone and walked to her home where her car was. Later, around 2:40 p.m., a coworker told her she had found Dickson unconscious, and Simpson later called 911.

“First I thought he was dead, but his stomach was moving and I could hear gurgling,” she said.

In cross-examination, Wright asked Simpson about the timeline she had given police the day of the incident. She later watched a video, with the jury absent, and she told officers that she last saw Dickson at 10:30 a.m. When the jury returned, she clarified that the 10:30 a.m. time was when she left Eagle Transfer for her delivery. Video evidence shown at the trial also corroborated Simpson’s timeline — that she’d brought Dickson’s truck to him at around 8:30 a.m., Bloomsburg said in his testimony.

Under Smith’s questioning, Simpson said that the conversation with officers took place right after the 911 call. Smith asked what her emotional state was and Simpson said she was agitated because “the man who I was considering somewhat of a friend was sitting on the ground bloody.”

Lewiston police officer Josh Rigney was one of the first law enforcement officers on scene. He testified about photos he took when he arrived to Dickson’s camp. One of the photos shows Dickson with his face covered in blood, which could also be seen on his hands and arm. His pants are ripped and his white tank top is also bloody. He is lying on his side with his upper body on a carpet and his lower body in the gravel with a shoe missing.

Rigney also said Dickson had a knife sheathed on his right hip. Wright asked several questions about the knife, but Rigney said he didn’t get a good look at it because his focus was on photographing the scene.

Kyle Greene, a paramedic with the Lewiston Fire Department, testified about responding to the scene, which he initially thought was a homicide scene because of the way officers were taking photos. Dickson was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center as a “Priority 1” because of head, neck and spinal injuries.

In opening statements, Smith presented the timeline of events and shared the prosecution’s case that LaPlante and Allen attempted to kill Dickson with a high-lift jack and was rolled in carpet. She described that Dickson had been “savagely” attacked in a “brutal” beating where he was unable to defend himself. She highlighted how his life was different before the attack and now, suffering from skull fractures, a traumatic brain injury and memory issues.

Smith told the jury that at the end of the trial the prosecutors would prove that LaPlante attempted to kill Dickson and asked the jury to find him guilty of attempted murder.

Wright also gave the opening statement for the defense and said the jury would find reasonable doubt that would lead to a verdict of not guilty. Wright asked the jury to listen to the evidence and to give “the same time and careful attention to Mr. LaPlante’s case as you would like someone to do for you.”

Wright noted that the prosecutors had already alleged that two people were involved in the case. He suggested to the jury that Allen, who might testify, could be making up a story to “take the heat off himself” and Wright asked the jury to compare Allen’s testimony to the evidence.

The trial will start again at 9 a.m. today with the defense getting a chance to cross-examine Bloomsburg. The trial is expected to last five days.

Two other co-defendants have been charged: Allen, indicted for attempted first-degree murder, and Kelley A. Wilson, indicted for being an accessory to attempted murder, for withholding information from law enforcement. Both of those cases are pending and neither have made it to trial.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.

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