Daddy's Little Girl: Murderous Plot or Deadly Escape - The Ellie Friar Patricide Case

“Daddy’s Little Girl: A Murderous Plot or a Deadly Escape?" - The Ellie Friar Patricide CaseSeason I – Case File #7 – 15 July, 2023
On Monday, October 2, 2017, in the sizable town of Medford, Oregon, Sierra and Olivia Friar, who were not yet in high school, woke up to prepare for school and went to the living room. It was chilly, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 50 degrees, and the sun had just begun to rise. To their horror, they discovered their father, Aaron Neil Friar, missing, and the couch where he had slept the previous night drenched in blood. Distressed, they called their father's girlfriend, Michelle Robinson and the police.
At approximately 6:42 am, the police arrived at the Friar residence on Benson Road for a welfare check and were shocked to find evidence of a violent disturbance in the house. Since Aaron was nowhere to be found, and his car was missing as well, the police suspected something was amiss. A further investigation showed that Aaron's older daughter, 15-year-old Ellie and her dog were also missing.
Before long, the police discovered Aaron's abandoned car and, in close proximity, three suspects emerged - Aaron's oldest daughter, Ellie Rose Friar PLAY SOUND BITE - Camera Click, her 19-year-old boyfriend Gavin Curtis MacFarlane, and his longtime friend, 22-year old Russell Pierce Jones II.  PLAY SOUND BITE - Handcuffs  Within a couple of hours, the police found Aaron's body dumped over a dirt embankment PLAY SOUND BITE - Body Dumped  on rural East Antelope Road, along with a bloody bat and some discarded bloodied clothes. Aaron, a white middle-aged man, had been bludgeoned to death, and the police labeled it as the most gruesome murder the town of 86,300 residents had ever seen. The main suspects were interrogated shortly after, and the happenings during the interrogation were quite disturbing.
Aaron Neil Friar was 50 years old in 2017.  He enjoyed shooting pool, drinking beer and had a social group of friends that hung out at the Pier 21, where his long-time friend, Utahna Stumper, worked as a bartender. Aaron was a nice guy.  He often went out of his way to help his friends.  He was the kind of guy who would help his neighbors cut the grass on occasion.  The kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back.  He was the guy you could call in a pinch, someone who would help you move, or come out and jump start your car, if you needed it. His friends would later describe him as one of the nicest guys they’d ever met.  Aaron wasn’t wealthy.  He didn’t live in a big fancy house, but he was happy with the life he had made in Medford.  His two-bedroom home was enough for him and his three kids.  On the night of October 2, 2017, as day turned to night, and temperatures dipped down into the low 50’s, Aaron was getting comfortable on the couch.  He had the girls this week, which meant that the couch would be his bed for the rest of the week.  His two youngest daughters shared a room, but he always gave his oldest daughter his own bed.  It was a small inconsequential act of love, that he did reflexively and without thought. After making sure the kids were in bed, he most likely texted his girlfriend, Melissa Robinson, goodnight and laid down to go to get some rest.  Aaron most likely had a lot on his mind, and sleep probably didn’t come easy.  A beer or two may have helped him ease his thought