Former Smoronk drug ring enforcer: Verrill got 'paranoid, delusional' in late 2016

Joshua Colwell shakes his head no when asked if her committed the murders (courttv.com screenshot)

DOVER - The man the defense has sought to portray as a potential alternative suspect in the death of two women in Farmington in 2017 took the stand on Thursday, the third day of the Timothy Verrill murder trial.
Immediately following the swearing in of Joshua Colwell Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley asked him, "Mr. Colwell, it has been suggested or implied that you murdered Jenna Pellegrini and Christine Sullivan. Did you kill then?"
"No," he flatly stated.
"Did you stab Jenna to death?" Hinkley added.
"No," replied Colwell with a scowl.
""Did you stab Christine to death?"
"No."
"Did you have any role in their deaths?"
"No," an emotional Colwell cried out.

Christine Sullivan, Timothy Verrill, Jenna Pellegrini

Verrill, 41, is charged in the Jan. 27, 2017, killing of Christine Sullivan, 48, and Jenna Pellegrini, 32, of Barrington. Both were found dead of multiple stab wounds, according to a coroner's report.

Colwell, a convicted drug felon and former addict who now works in the recovery community, testified that he has been sober for five years, but for some time had dealt drugs, including in late 2016 when he began working as a debt collector for thrice-convicted drug dealer Dean Smoronk.
Colwell said he had also been an occasional acquaintance of Verrill for many years, but became friends in the summer of 2016.
"We used to hang out at my house, do drugs, listen to music, do art," he testified.

Hinckley announced prior to Colwell taking the stand that he was testifying under an order of immunity, which means he cannot be held liable for any testimony he makes about former crimes he may have committed. His only legal liability is if he commits perjury during testimony.
Colwell said in his years of drug usage and trafficking he sold meth, generic viagra and cocaine, and in late 2016 he began selling drugs and working in debt collection enforcement as part of Smoronk's and Sullivan's drug enterprise run out of their Meaderboro Road home in Farmington.
During the nearly three hours of questioning by Hinckley Colwell said that in the latter part of 2016 Verrill had become paranoid, forgetful and was just "acting off."
"Tim was forgetting things, getting super paranoid, delusional," Colwell testified.
Colwell recalled one time when Verrill came to his house, and there was an old timey camera there.
"A couple days later he asked me if I put cameras in his house to spy on him," Colwell said.
"Was he joking?" Hinckley asked.
"He was serious," Colwell replied.
Later during testimony Hinckley asked him to describe Smoronk's relationship with Sullivan."
"It was volatile," he said. "Dean was a jerk (to her), a dick. He often used disparaging words, called her a bunch of heinous names."

Around 1 a.m. the morning of Jan. 27, 2017, about six hours before the two women were slain, Verrill arrived at Colwell's Farmington home "acting weird," Colwell testified.
"He asked me if I knew who Jenna was," he said. "I remember saying I don't
and he asked if I thought she was an informant. I said I don't know. He was worked up about it, so he called Dean."
Colwell said Verrill talked to Smoronk about his suspicions and was told by Smoronk "not to worry about it."
Colwell said when he got off the phone he was still suspicious and said he was going back to the Meaderboro Road residence to set up some cameras to try to verify if Pellegrini may be an informant.
"What was his demeanor when he was going back? Hinckley asked.
"He was acting aggressive," Colwell replied.
The next day, Jan. 28, a Saturday, he returned to Colwell's Central Street home around noon wearing pants and a T-shirt on a very cold January day.
Colwell said he asked for a pair of pants and a bottle of whiskey from which he poured several shots.
"Interesting night," he muttered aloud, Colwell testified.
"Man, if you did something stupid up there, Dean's gonna be pissed," he said he told Verrill.
"What did the defendant say?" Hinckley asked.
"He said "Really.'"
Colwell said that's when he told Verrill, "Than I'm out" and walked outside.
Soon after he said Verrill came outside, gave him a hug and said, "I have to go out and tie up some loose ends."
Colwell testified that he never talked to Verrill again.
"It was the last time I saw him," he said.
Verrill faces life in prison if convicted.
The trial continues today.