Adam Smith, 48, stands accused of murdering two men in St. Lawrence County in February and March 2023. (Photo courtesy)

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

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

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

Stewart’s Assistant Manager takes the stand 

Taking the stand first was Heather Dixon, who works as assistant manager at Stewart’s Shops in Gouverneur. 

Dixon said she is going on year seven with the company and currently works at the new location in Gouverneur. 

At the time of Durham’s murder, Dixon said she managed the original Route 11 location where she came to know Durham over several years. 

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

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

Dixon said Durham always paid with cash and was known to have “maybe a couple hundred dollars” on him on any given day, when cross examined by defense attorney Brian Barrett. 

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 was unable to get out of the vehicle easily. 

Dixon said she came to know Eric, later identified as Eric Fisher, as a person who helped Durham with odd jobs and chores. 

On the morning of Feb. 11, 2023, Dixon said Fisher entered the store at opening to get Durham’s coffee and cigarettes. 

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

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

Dixon said while she was responsible for “opening the store, cash counts and getting food ready” each morning, she also had access to the stores’s security footage. 

Footage from that morning was shown during her testimony, with Dixon confirming Fisher entered the store around 3:56 a.m. and left just minutes later with Durham’s goods. He then reentered the store a moment later to purchase Cool Whip, she said. 

Exterior store footage facing Route 11 showed a white Dodge Ram 2500 pickup, matching the description of Durham’s, leaving the store and driving north on Route 11. 

That occurred just after 4 a.m. based on the footage shown during Dixon’s testimony. 

About 12 minutes later the same truck could be seen driving south on Route 11 past the store. 

Dixon said Durham could have then taken an immediate left to drive to the East Side Cemetery, where his wife is buried, or he could have driven further down Route 11 “all the way to Watertown, if he wanted,” she said. 

Later on, interior video of the store showed Smith entering around 4:34 a.m. to use the bathroom. 

He left roughly 2 minutes later, which Dixon commented was “a pretty regular occurrence” when asked if customers come in to use a bathroom and just leave. 

Around two minutes later Smith reentered the store, which Dixon commented again was not out of the ordinary. 

She said she had seen him a few times before and knew a little about him from conversations with Durham. 

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

Around 4:41 a.m. Smith can be seen leaving the store and driving onto Route 11, turning left onto the highway. 

Dixon said he could either take an immediate left to drive by the cemetery or keep driving straight as well.

When asked by Barrett if she noticed anything out of the ordinary with Smith that morning, Dixon replied she did not. 

Barrett then pivoted to Freddie Wing, a friend of Durham’s who was quickly charged with Durham’s murder shortly after the events. Wing admitted to the crime when questioned by police but police later said DNA evidence proved Wing was not involved with the crime. 

“Had you ever met Freddie before?” Barrett asked. 

“I just knew him as a customer and one of Huck’s people that helped him,” Dixon replied. 

Dixon said she had not seen Wing recently and did not see him the morning of Durham’s murder. 

Barrett questioned her on the state of Smith as he entered the store as well. 

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

“Not that I recall. I don’t know him,” Dixon said. 

“Have you ever had any conversations with him?” Barrett asked. 

“I’m pretty sure we had a couple conversations. Him coming in and being a customer and all but no, I don’t know him,” she said. 

Dixon said she only knew Smith in a professional setting. 

When asked by Barrett if she had spoken to anyone in the District Attorney’s Office, Dixon replied she had “two or three weeks ago.” 

When asked if she had heard from Barrett’s private investigator regarding the case, Dixon said she never did. 

She did confirm State Police investigators went to the store and reviewed security footage of the morning, all of whom were in plain clothes. 

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

Former employer takes the stand 

Next up was Brandon Chase, a construction worker from DeKalb Junction who previously hired Smith to assist him on a handful of jobs. 

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

But at the time, he was also attempting to start his own business. 

Smith came to him through another coworker who recommended him. 

At the time of his employment with Chase, Smith was making $20 per hour under the table, Chase said. 

Chase said as of Feb. 11 Smith was responsible for getting to job sites himself with his own vehicle. 

When asked by Pasqua if he remembered seeing Smith on Feb. 10, one day before Durham’s murder, Chase confirmed he had. 

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 he was later told by Smith that his uncle was shipped to Syracuse for oxygen. 

Chase said he did not see Smith on Feb. 11, nor did he lend a vehicle to Smith. 

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

“He told me that his uncle was murdered at a cemetery down the road from where I was staying,” Chase said. 

He told Pasqua Smith said it was likely due to a recent settlement he received for $6-8,000.

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

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

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

Chase said Smith told him he had cash to purchase a vehicle. 

“I didn’t ask how much (he had). But Friday he said he was broke. Then he said he had money, he’s got whatever to buy a vehicle,” Chase said. 

When cross examined by Barrett, Chase confirmed he paid Smith under the table. 

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

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

Judge Greg Storie overruled the objection, allowing the statement to stand. 

Chase confirmed he gave a statement to police on March 3, 2023 regarding Smith but could not remember to whom he gave a statement. 

He said Smith was not always punctual at work but did note he never really seemed angry, though he did comment that Smith told him he suffered from PTSD. 

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

“No, not really.” 

“Never got angry around you?” 

“No.” 

Barrett then asked Chase if Smith seemed upset when he did not give him the $500 he asked for on Feb. 10. Chase said he did not seem upset at the time. 

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

“And you owed Adam more money for the work he had done for you at the time, right?” Barrett asked. 

“Yeah, well he didn’t have that money.” 

“Because you hadn’t received it from somebody that you were doing work for?” Barrett asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“Then you talked to Adam again on Sunday?” 

“Yes.” 

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

“Yup.” 

“And he told you he got his truck towed by police that day, right?” 

“Yes.”

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

“Chasing p----.”

Chase said he then heard further from Smith regarding the death “of an uncle” in the Eastside Cemetery and a few details of the case but had little contact with him after. 

He said he was unsure with whom he was living but did say he was told he was living with an uncle that was battling cancer. 

Chase was excused shortly afterward when Barrett ended his line of questioning. 

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