A Colorado first responder who took the stand today during Mark Redwine’s murder trial on Monday said that the suspect didn’t seem too frantic when his son disappeared in 2012.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Redwine, the divorced father of 13-year-old Dylan Redwine, is on trial in Denver for allegedly murdering his son and hiding the child’s remains in the woods. Prosecutors alleged that Redwine killed in a fit of rage over photos showing him dressed in women’s underwear while eating feces from a diaper.
During court on Monday, Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Roy Vreeland testified that Redwine seemed uninterested and nonchalant about his missing child, something that Vreeland found unusual, given the circumstances.
“From my personal experience in the same situation many times with family members, the parents, they never want to leave our side,” Vreeland testified. “They can be — I don’t want to say annoying, because I respect what they are going through, but they can get in the way… They’re constantly wanting to know what we found, if we found anything, why we’re not trying hard, why we didn’t stay all night.”
Vreeland added that Redwine stayed behind during the initial search, in his home filled with empty alcohol bottles. Vreeland also said that Redwine had nothing in the home that belonged to Dylan, resulting in a search dog using a pillowcase to trace his scent, which led around 100 yards from Redwine’s home until the scent went cold.
“It almost appeared he knew there was nothing in the house before I asked the question,” Vreeland said, referring to Redwine telling him that none of Dylan’s belongings were in the home.
According to family members, Dylan didn’t want to visit his father but was sent by plane to Redwine for the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday in Durango, due to a court-ordered mandate.
On November 18, 2012, Dyland arrived in Colorado and left the airport with Redwine. They stopped by a McDonald’s restaurant and a Walmart, confirmed by security footage. Prosecutors said the pair’s final stop was to Redwine’s residence in Durango.
At close to 10 p.m. that evening, Dylan stopped sending text messages and stopped responding on his cellphone.
Redwine was arrested in Washington in 2017 and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse, years after Dylan’s death. Since his arrest, he has maintained his innocence, but prosecutors said Dylan’s remains were hidden in a remote area near the suspect’s home.
In late 2012, volunteer search teams and authorities began scouring the area around Redwine’s home for months. The search proved to be difficult since Durango is at an elevation of 6,512 feet with steep canyons and mountains.
In June 2013, searchers found a few of Dylan’s bones, a part of his shirt, a sock, and his shoestring, in Vallecito, which is around five miles away from Durango. Searchers found his remains in an area difficult to get to, especially for a young boy or for someone who doesn’t know the area well.
Investigators also found Dylan’s blood inside Redwine’s residence, in several different locations. Cadaver dogs picked up death scents in the laundry room, living room, and kitchen.
The defense argued that the blood found was “infinitesimally small” and could have happened to anyone who lives in a house. Defense attorney John Moran added that dog-sniffing death scent techniques are “junk science.”
Redwine’s defense lawyer argued that Dylan ran away from Redwine’s home and was likely killed by a mountain lion or bear. The prosecution said Dylan was found without his backpack or wallet, two things he would have taken if he ran away.
Testimony will resume Tuesday. Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Here is a previous episode on the case.
[Feature Photo: Dylan Redwine/Handout]
