Tuesday, July 26, 2005 | 9:45 a.m.
A jury will decide this week whether a 62-year-old man acted in self-defense or is simply a cold-blooded killer who shot his roommate and hid the body in a freezer outside his home in July 2004.
In opening arguments Monday, Deputy District Attorney Kristin Seabrook said the testimony of Lawrence Pruett's neighbors and friends and crime scene evidence would show Pruett was not acting in self-defense when his 45-year-old roommate, Bradley Millisor, was killed.
Millisor was found dead inside a freezer in front of Pruett's double-wide mobile home near Lake Mead and Nellis boulevards on July 8.
Seabrook said one of Pruett's "drinking buddies," Annette Wharton, told police that after she noticed the freezer, Pruett got "weird."
"He (Pruett) said I have to tell the truth, Brad is in that freezer, I blew his head off, and I hired someone to take care of it," Seabrook quoted Wharton.
Seabrook said although Wharton wouldn't share the whole story with authorities until later, she called 911 and offered enough information for police to investigate.
Police said when they arrived at Pruett's trailer, they "could kind of smell something" and after knocking on the window, Pruett emerged. After first asking Pruett if he had any roommates, police officers said Pruett came clear, according to Seabrook.
"He (Pruett) looked at each of them (police officers) then looked at the freezer and then looked at both of them and said 'You know where Brad (Millisor) is, he's in the freezer.' "
The freezer, which police found padlocked and plugged in via an extension cord from Pruett's trailer, was opened to reveal Millisor's body. The key to the padlock was recovered from Pruett's trailer.
Pruett told police he feared for his life and shot Millisor and then placed his body in the freezer. He paid friends to bury the body in the desert, but they dumped the freezer with the body inside in Pruett's driveway a few days later, according to the arrest report.
Seabrook said Pruett told police, "You got me. I shot him, 'but did so in self-defense.' "
The prosecutor said Pruett claimed he was sleeping and when he awoke, Millisor had a knife to his throat. He then grabbed his shotgun and Millisor ran off to his bedroom. Pruett said he followed Millisor and when he reached the bedroom door, Pruett shot him once just as Millisor was attempting to throw the knife at him.
Special Public Defender David Schieck said to understand Pruett was acting in self-defense the jury would have to accept who Millisor was -- a violent criminal.
Schieck said Pruett had previously asked Millisor to leave his trailer, but Millisor responded with threats.
"He (Millisor) went to jail, came back and refused to leave," Schieck said. "It even got to the point of Larry calling the police asking to help him get Brad out of the house only to be told he was required to give him 30-days' notice."
Schieck said although Pruett could have left his home instead of chasing after and shooting Millisor, the law doesn't require people to run from their residence if threatened.
"You should be safe in your own home and you have a right to defend it," Schieck said. "You don't have to stand there and be stabbed and you don't have to run."
Schieck said Pruett's biggest mistake was allowing Millisor to move back in with him after he got out of jail on theft charges.
"As soon as Brad moved in, he lost his residence," Schieck said.
Prosecutors were to begin their case this morning before District Judge Sally Loehrer.
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