Joseph Duncan’s former girlfriend, roommate and parole officer from Seattle testified this morning, leading to some odd exchanges. Joseph Ruan, an auto mechanic and former tow truck driver who rented his back bedroom out to Duncan in 1996, recalled Duncan making disparaging comments about the two missing girls in Seattle, Carmen Cubias and Sammiejo White, as reports about them came on TV. Imitating Duncan’s voice, Ruan recounted Duncan’s comments, including, “They’re dressed like gang-bangers” and theorizing that the children were off with some guy. “What are you worried about them for?” Ruan quoted Duncan as saying. Hearing the impression of himself, Duncan smiled and smothered a laugh, leaning over the defense table. When it was his turn to cross-examine Ruan, Duncan said, “How ya doin’, Joe?” Then he quizzed Ruan about saying that Duncan moved into his back bedroom on April 1, 1996. “You said the comments I made were made while we were watching TV, while I was living with you. … so if I wasn’t living with you, I couldn’t have made those comments, correct?” Ruan agreed.

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