Family testifies David Drommond’s behavior was scary
David Edward Drommond Jr.
FIlE - David Edward Drommond Jr. in court in 2010. (Standard-Examiner file photo)/
FARMINGTON — The two-day hearing to learn more about the mental state of a man who shot his ex-wife 10 years ago began Monday with family members testifying that David Drommond had changed just months before.
David Drommond, Jr., 39, of Bountiful is serving a life sentence without parole at the Utah State Prison for aggravated murder in the 2005 death of his ex-wife, Janeil Bradley.
The two-day hearing was scheduled following a 2012 ruling from the Utah Supreme Court that said a judge needs to decide if the medication Drommond was taking at the time for his mental health issues contributed to the homicide.
Drommond shot Bradley when she dropped off their two children, ages 2 and 3 at the time, for a court-ordered visitation Aug. 28, 2005. Her father, Reid Bradley, also was shot.
Reid Bradley and other Bradley family members were in court Monday listening to the testimony. Also present were family members of Drommond.
Drommond pleaded guilty to aggravated murder Dec. 17, 2007, after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. In 2008, a 12-member jury said Drommond should serve life without parole.
The Utah Supreme Court remanded the 10-year-old case back to the district court in July 2012 asking the judge to make a ruling on two issues, according to court documents. The first is whether Drommond suffered any adverse effects from Effexor, a prescription medication he was taking for a bipolar disorder. The second issue is to determine if his trial attorney provided ineffective counsel when he did not “investigate and present expert testimony regarding the possible effects of Effexor” on Drommond’s bipolar disorder.
Cameron Drommond, the younger brother of Drommond, was called as the first witness Monday.
He said there is six years between him and his brother. He said David Drommond came to live with family members at different times.
Cameron Drommond testified that he began seeing changes in his older brother’s personality in April.
Cameron Drommond said he came home from school and David Drommond was sitting on a couch just staring at the wall.
Cameron Drommond asked David Drommond what was wrong. “He started breaking down.
He said, ‘There’s a screw loose in my head. There’s something wrong in my head.'”
His testimony was followed by Marjorie Drommond, their mother.
She testified it was her oldest daughter who did research on the medication David Drommond had been prescribed and took the information they found to the defense attorney, Craig Peterson, who had been appointed to the represent her son.
Marjorie Drommond testified from what she read in the research her daughter did, that Effexor should not be prescribed to anyone with her son’s diagnosis of bipolar because it can cause suicidal or homicidal thoughts.
She testified that she was aware her son tried to commit suicide at least twice when he was living at their home. The last time, he checked himself into Lakeview Hospital for treatment.
Maele Shakespear, one of David Drommond’s sisters, testified she noticed a big change in her brother’s personality when he came to Hawaii for her graduation at the end of May in 2005. She also testified that when she returned to Utah the first part of August of 2005, she called him and left a message on his voice mail.
David Drommond returned her call and left a message on her voice mail, saying he was glad she was safe, “but he was not seeing family anymore. Like ‘have a good life.'”
She did meet with him for dinner a short time later, but said she made sure it was in a public place because “his behavior was erratic.”
David Drommond’s behavior seemed normal at first, but then he became agitated and angry over “little things,” Shakespear said.
After he was arrested, Shakespear said she learned he was had been prescribed Effexor and did some research on it. She gave her research to her parents who gave it to Peterson, she said.
Peterson is expected to be called to the witness stand following the lunch break.
Contact reporter Loretta Park at 801-625-4252 or lpark@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @LorettaParkSE. Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SELorettaPark.