Wbre Day Five

TOOK THE STAND IN HIS OWN DEFENSE TODAY. IT WAS DAY FIVE OF TESTIMONY IN THE CASE AGAINST SHAWN FREEMORE AND HIS BEST FRIEND IAN SEAGRAVES. POLICE SAY THE PAIR LURED MICHAEL GOUCHER TO THE WOODS OF PRICE TOWNSHIP TO STAB HIM TO DEATH IN 2009. OUR LAURIE MONTEFORTE SHARES THE STORY FREEMORE'S TOLD ABOUT THE INCIDENT TODAY. WHEN SHAWN FREEMORE TOOK THE STAND - HE SPOKE IN A QUIET ALMOST BOY LIKE VOICE. HIS TONE REMAINED EVEN WITH NO EMOTION. HE TOLD THE JURY ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL GOUCHER. A 21 YEAR OLD CRIME WATCH MEMBER FROM EAST STROUDSBURG.HE SAID THEY MET ONLINE. AND ATTEMPTED INTIMACY ONCE BUT IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. THEN HE SAID THEY ARRANGED VIA TEXT MESSAGE TO TRY AGAIN. FREEMORE SAID AT THE TIME HE WAS HIGH ON COUGH MEDICINE AND ABOUT A QUARTER BOTTLE OF SOUTHERN COMFORT, WHICH MICHAEL BROUGHT HIM. THEY STARTED TO FOOL AROUND IN MICHAEL'S CAR BUT THEN FREEMORE SAID HE CHANGED HIS MIND, GOT OUT AND WALKED AWAY. HE SAID MICHAEL FOLLOWED HIM AND GRABBED HIS ARM. AT WHICH POINT HE HAD A FLASH BACK TO BEING GANG *** WHEN HE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. HE SAID THE NEXT THING HE KNEW HE WAS STANDING OVER MICHAEL WITH A KNIFE IN EACH HAND. THE PROSECUTION QUESTIONED THIS STORY. POINTING OUT THAT FREEMORE NEVER SPOKE TO POLICE ABOUT CHILDHOOD ABUSE OR BLACKING OUT. THEY ALSO NOTED THAT FREEMORE HAD MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE IN WHICH HE SAID HE AND HIS FRIEND IAN SEAGRAVES PLANNED TO LURE MICHAEL INTO THE WOODS TO KILL HIM JUST TO SEE HOW IT FELT. FREEMORE SAID HE DIDN'T REMEMBER HIS PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE BECAUSE HE WAS HIGH. PROSECUTORS ALSO ASKED FREEMORE ABOUT VIOLENT, GRAPHIC RAP SONGS HE AND SEAGRAVES RECORDED ABOUT GOUCHER'S DEATH. FREEMORE SAID THE SONGS WERE SIMPLY HIS WAY OF COPING WITH THE SITUATION. TUESDAY IAN SEAGRAVES IS EXPECTED TO TAKE THE STAND TO TELL HIS VERSION OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING GOUCHER'S KILLING. IN STROUDSBURG. LAURIE MONTEFORTE. EYEWITNESS NEWS. THE TRIAL CONTINUES TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE A.M. AFTER SEAGRAVES TESTIFIES, THE JURY WILL HEAR CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND CAN BEGIN DELIBERATIONS.