FULL TESTIMONY — Sophie's friend Saavos Scergos testifies in the OUELLETTE manslaughter trial

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Good afternoon. How's it going? Good. Are you just coming back from work? Yep. Okay. Did you complete your high school degree? Yep. I'm going to ask you a slide for the board's office, okay? Yep. That microphone doesn't project your voice, it just records it, okay? Okay. And when you give an answer, it has to be a yes or a no, not a yuck, okay? Okay. When you complete your high school degree, where did you graduate from? Lewis Mills. And what year was that? [00:00:29] Christoph Sergos: 2022. And are you currently working? Yes. And what do you do for a living? Power lines, build power lines. What do you do with power lines? Like replace poles, fix broken stuff, storm fixes, whatnot. And how long have you been doing that? Three years. And did you obtain training in order to be certified to do that? Kind of. I'm still in training, but yes. And will you eventually be certified? Yes. And you plan on doing that for a full-time living? Yes. And do you currently live in Connecticut now? [00:00:58] Speaker 1: Yes. And who do you live with, sir? My parents. Okay. And do you have a twin brother? Yes. And what is his name? Christoph Sergos. Now I'm going to show you what's been marked the state's exhibit one. It'll come up on this big screen over my left shoulder or up on the screen that's in front of you, okay? Yep. Are you familiar with the name that's written on that piece of paper? Yes. And for the remainder of your testimony, I just ask if you have to refer to that person and you refer to them as Sylvie, okay? Yep. I'd say since eighth grade and we're your friends yes Cooper what and were you friends with Cooper left yes and how long had you known since middle school did you become close friends with Cooper let at some point yes and what was that sir probably junior year high school and from junior year on would you regularly hang out with yeah and would your brother Christos hang out with you guys as well yes and did your brother Christos have a relationship with Cooper or left yes and when you would hang out with that beyond a week would that be a weekly thing yes now the director attention to May 20th of 2023 okay yes in May of 2023 were you dating anyone yes and who are you dating in May of 2023 Alyssa Alexander and are you still in a relationship with Alyssa Alexander now no yeah and in 2023 when you and Alyssa Alexander hang out with Cooper or letting Sophie yes and on May 20th of 2023 did you go to a prom with Alyssa Alexander yes and where was that prompt oh Harrington and golf course okay and after the prom did you and Alyssa Alexander go to an after prom party yes and was that at someone's house yes and where was that after prom I was in Burlington and when you were at the house of Burlington did you have your cell phone with you yes and do you remember whether or not you had good cell phone service at that time I do not have good service and do you remember what your cell phone number was at that time yes now is that the same number you still have today yep were you aware of a gathering that was taking place that night at Tyler Schultz's shop called the Schultz Corporation yeah and did you know if your brother Christos was going to that gathering yes and do you know Cooper Ouellette was going as well yes and did you go to the Schultz Corporation that evening of May 20th of 2023 no did you stay at that after prom party in Burlington instead yes and while you're at that after prom party in Burlington did you receive a missed call from Cooper Ouellette yes and did you have Cooper Ouellette's cell phone number saved in your contacts yes and was that those contacts on your cell phone yes and when you didn't answer the call from Cooper Ouellette did he leave you a voicemail on your cell phone yes and do you remember the time that he left you that voicemail on May 20th of 2023 around 11 o'clock after you received that voicemail did you eventually listen to it yes and when you met with the Connecticut State Police did you give him did you provide them with a copy of the voicemail that he left you yes now prior to your testimony here today did you have the opportunity to listen to that voicemail in my office yes and when you listen to that voicemail was it on a thumb drive yes and did that thumb drive have a tag on it yes and was it was that voicemail the only file that was on that thumb drive yes and after you listen to that voicemail where you asked to put your initials on the tag attached to the thumb drive yes did you comply with that request yes I'm going to show you what's remarked to state [00:04:30] Christoph Sergos: exhibit 86 [00:04:31] Speaker 1: I'm going to ask you to take a moment to look at that thumb drive and the tag attached do you recognize that sir yes and are your initials on that tag attached yes they are and is that the voicemail that you listen to on that thumb drive in my office yes I'm going to ask you to take a moment to look at that thumb drive and the tag attached do you recognize that sir yes and are your initials on that tag attached yes they are and is that the voicemail that you listen to on that thumb drive in my office yes and before we play that voicemail i'm going to ask you a few questions okay okay did cooper let have a nickname that he called you at that time yes and what was that nickname steve-o steve-o yes and uh did you have a nickname for your brother christos yes and what was that nickname urkel urkel yes and when you listen to that voicemail um could you identify cooper let's voice yes when you listen to that voicemail could you identify your brother's voice in the background yes and with the court's permission i'm gonna ask them to publish play that sure too hey it's me and urkel say hi let's go hey uh me and erica very drunk very very very very drunk we need you to come speak up uh movie [00:06:00] Speaker 3: okay uh uh uh uh yeah she stopped she married me and uh she don't want to write home she will come pick me up Is that Cooper? Let's voice during the majority of talking on that voicemail. Yes. [00:06:28] Speaker 1: Now the next morning of May 21st of 2020, 2023. Did you learn that Sophie had passed away? Yes. And that next day on May 21st of 2023, after you found out she had passed away. Did you meet up with anyone? I did. Who did you meet up with my friends and Cooper? Okay. And did you go to Cooper? Let's house that day? Yes. And when you went, I'm sorry. Yes. And when you went to Cooper, let's house that day is Cooper let inside the house. He was. And were there other people there as well? Yes. And while you're all with Cooper, let did anyone ask Cooper? Let what happened to Sophie that night? Yes. And did Cooper let's say anything when he was asked that? Yes. And what did he say? [00:07:20] Christoph Sergos: He said that, uh, she said she had to puke. Sophie had to puke. So she opened the door and he saw her open the door. He slammed on the brakes. She fell out. And he, uh, he got up or stopped, grabbed her, put her back in the truck and brought her back home. [00:07:40] Speaker 1: Now, did you sit down with the Connecticut State Police and provide them a statement? Yes. And, uh, do you recall where you spoke to the Connecticut State Police? Oh, Litchfield. And when you spoke to the state police, did you speak with the detective? Yes. And did you tell, uh, him or her what you remembered happening? I did. Yes. And did you tell that detective everything you remembered at that time? [00:08:00] Christoph Sergos: Yes. [00:08:02] Speaker 1: And the detective asked you to sign a written statement after you spoke with him? Yes. And did you review that statement before you signed it? Yes. And did you eventually sign it? [00:08:12] Speaker 4: I have nothing further. Thank you good afternoon. Uh, you just testified that you met with the detective in the state, correct? Yes, you read at a chance to read the statement before you signed it. Yes. Okay. And isn't it true that Cooper and you and your brother leave each other voicemails like that? Yes, but just because you left that voicemail, you weren't always drunk, correct? Correct. Right. It was more so a gag, correct? Correct. All right. Do you recall telling them, or, let me rephrase it. Do you recall, uh, this particular voicemail? Can you rephrase that? Do you recall what you just heard? Yeah. Is that, is that clear in your mind? Yeah. Right. And is it true that at the time, uh, you knew that Cooper was playing a prank on you? [00:09:04] Speaker 1: I would call for speculation as to what he knows Cooper knows. [00:09:09] Speaker 5: I don't see all that's a prank, but yeah, the question was, did he know, how would he know what Cooper was doing? [00:09:21] Speaker 4: I asked him if he gave a sworn statement, your honor. [00:09:24] Speaker 5: You didn't ask that. You asked if he knew what Cooper, you know, sure. That's his thing. [00:09:31] Speaker 4: Uh, isn't it true that you gave a sworn statement? Yes. Isn't it true at the time you gave a sworn statement? You thought that Cooper was playing a prank with regard to that voicemail? [00:09:42] Christoph Sergos: I wouldn't necessarily say a prank, but yeah, you knew that he wasn't drunk, correct? I don't know if he was drunk that night. [00:09:49] Speaker 4: If I were to show you a copy of your statement, is that a fresh recollection? [00:09:52] Christoph Sergos: I already read it. [00:09:53] Speaker 4: Okay. So you recall telling the police officer that you guys usually do that? Yes. Okay. And then you didn't think anything of it? Yeah. [00:10:00] Christoph Sergos: I didn't think anything of the voicemail because I didn't hear it at the time. [00:10:04] Speaker 4: It's safe to say that every time you hear a voicemail like that from Cooper or your brother, Urkel, that you don't always think that they're drunk? [00:10:13] Christoph Sergos: Yeah, we mess around with each other. [00:10:15] Speaker ?: All right. [00:10:16] Speaker 4: And as you sit here today, are you aware that Sophie separated from the vehicle onto a gate? [00:10:22] Christoph Sergos: Uh, no. Actually, yes, when I read it after the time being. [00:10:26] Speaker 4: One on Polly's end. Objection. Correct. This states the evidence. I'm sorry, is that your wishes? Your Honor, anything right? [00:10:34] Speaker 1: Well, council approach. [00:10:52] Speaker 6: Unless you want to rephrase. All right. All right. You're all right. Redirect. Please. Okay. Have a seat, sir. [00:11:20] Speaker 1: You've heard people when they're drunk before, correct? [00:11:34] Christoph Sergos: Yes. [00:11:34] Speaker 1: And when we played that voicemail for you here in court, Cooper, let's not like he was drunk. [00:11:38] Christoph Sergos: I'd say so. Nothing further. [00:11:42] Speaker 4: You recall getting this one statement, correct? [00:11:45] Christoph Sergos: Yes. [00:11:45] Speaker 4: You recall believing that he was pretending at the time he left that voicemail. [00:11:49] Christoph Sergos: I can't tell. [00:11:51] Speaker 4: But I will show you a copy of your statement. Does that refresh your recollection? [00:11:55] Christoph Sergos: I already read it. [00:11:57] Speaker 4: Can I have a moment, Your Honor? Do you remember saying that he was pretending? [00:12:10] Christoph Sergos: I didn't mean it in that voicemail. I meant in general. [00:12:13] Speaker 4: Do you remember discussing the voicemail with the detective that you gave the sworn statement to? [00:12:17] Christoph Sergos: Yes, all right, you remember saying that Cooper was pretending I was referring that in previous voicemails as in voicemails? He's left me. [00:12:26] Speaker 4: No further questions. [00:12:40] Speaker 1: In those previous voicemails that Cooper had left for you, can you describe his voice? [00:12:46] Christoph Sergos: He was just talking in a stupid way. [00:12:48] Speaker 1: Okay. Would he talk in the way that he left you that voicemail that night on May 20th of 2023? [00:12:55] Christoph Sergos: I don't really remember. [00:12:58] Speaker 1: Do you recall speaking to the detectives when you gave them a written statement? [00:13:04] Christoph Sergos: Yes. [00:13:10] Speaker 1: I have nothing further. [00:13:11] Speaker 5: Anything else? All right. Thank you, Mr. Gros. Step down. Do not discuss your testimony with anybody, nor let anybody discuss their testimony with you. Okay. Thank you. Yep.