‘Demon’ Convicted Of Second-Degree Murder In Friday The 13th Death

A Palm Springs man was convicted today of second-degree murder in the Friday the 13th shooting of an Apple Valley man who was lured to his death by the defendant’s girlfriend.

The prosecution had sought a first-degree murder conviction for Dale Farquhar in the Nov. 13 slaying of 57-year-old Larry Roger Fisk of Apple Valley.

The six-man, six-woman jury received the case this morning following two days of closing arguments and nearly a week of testimony.

Supervising District Attorney Otis Sterling said in his closing argument on Monday that Cara Williams-Covert, a self-professed witch, had met the victim the previous night at the Village Pub in Palm Springs.

Farquhar, who called himself a “true demon” in journal entries, and his girlfriend found special meaning in the Friday the 13th killing, the prosecutor told the panel.

Sterling read loud the lyrics of a song he said was written in Farquhar’s handwriting: “Get up and kill, kill, kill. An epidemic is in Palm Springs. An epidemic is in Palm Springs, an epidemic of mass murder. Halloween `09.”

The lyrics, which were found in the couple’s condo, contained the words “RIP Village Pub” on the handwritten sketch of a headstone, Sterling said.

“It’s not the first time two people have acted out the twisted, perverted, sick lyrics to a movie or song,” Sterling said.

Fisk, a motorcyclist who had stopped in Palm Springs on his way to Arizona, likely did not know Farquhar was waiting at the condo, Sterling said.

Deputy Public Defender Richard Verlato argued that Farquhar and his girlfriend were not into the occult.

“She is not a witch. He is not a demon, and this man had a very unlucky Friday (the) 13th,” Verlato said, pointing to pictures of Williams-Covert, Farquhar and Fisk, respectively.

Verlato alleged that Williams-Covert was the killer, not his client.

“She accuses Dale of killing this man outside of the apartment — a bald-faced lie because he was killed inside the condo,” where blood was found under the living room carpet, the defense attorney said.

A felony aiding and abetting charge was filed against Williams-Covert in late May.