Bobby Fisk testifies in own defense

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Minutes after his lawyer told the court he wouldn't call any witnesses -- let alone the man he is defending -- Bobby Fisk was taking the oath.

Fisk testified Wednesday he never saw the killings of Robert and Norma Bean coming.

Fueled by an afternoon of beer and morphine tablets, Fisk met up with Tim Stephan on a Howard City street. The pair went to Stephan's home -- where, according to Fisk , Stephan suggested they go to his grandparents' house for money.

But it wasn't Stephan's grandparents who received a visit. Instead, the pair went to his neighbors, Robert and Norma Bean. Fisk said he realized things weren't as they seemed when he saw Stephan load a rifle.

"He basically says, 'quit being a (expletive deleted), you're in this (expletive deleted) now,' " Fisk testified.

Hours later, after several attempts to use their ATM cards, the Beans -- held at gunpoint in their own minivan -- were taken to a Kent County gravel pit.

Fisk said at the time, he suggested they drop the couple off. But he said Stephan had other ideas.

Fisk and the Beans exited the van.

Despite telling detectives in an interview on the day the bodies were found that he shot Norma Bean, Fisk testified it was Stephan who had the gun and pulled the trigger.

"Everything starts flashing," Fisk said. "He shot Norma Bean in the face.

"Robert was on his hands and knees. I don't know which way he was crawling. It looked like he was crawling toward where Norma was laying. He didn't make it but a couple of steps and that's when Tim shot him."

Fisk said he didn't do anything to stop the shooting, out of fear.

"With someone with a loaded gun, that rifle... you don't know what they're going to do," he said. "I really didn't want to get shot, either."

But why, after all this, confess to police?

Under cross examination, Fisk said it goes back to the morphine and beer. Fisk was high and the questions from police were coming hard and fast. He claims he was conned into confessing.

"My goodness, isn't that what's happening here right now?" Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Helen Brinkman asked.

Answered FisK: "Yes."

"Why don't you confess to the jury?" Brinkman asked.

Said Fisk: "l'm not going to 'cause I didn't do it."

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