Grant’s stepdaughter testifies for prosecution

By Jon Johnson
Assistant Editor
Published on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 1:24 PM MST

The high-profile murder trial against local Pima businessman Doug Grant continued in the Maricopa County Superior Court last week with defense attorney Mel McDonald’s opening remarks and testimony from Grant’s 18-year-old stepdaughter, Jenna Stradling.

Grant is accused of murdering his wife, Faylene Eaves Grant, in 2001. Faylene drowned in the bathtub of the couple’s Gilbert home after ingesting five times the recommended dosage of the prescription sleep-aid Ambien.

On Wednesday, Stradling tearfully described trying to enter the master bedroom and finding the door locked.

“I just felt guilty because I felt like if I would have knocked on the door that maybe my mom would still be alive,” she said.

Stradling later testified to a conversation she said Grant had with her after he came out of the hospital room.

“Well, we went out into the hall and he told me if my mom wakes up, she might say weird things,” she said.

Stradling was only 11 when her mother died, and McDonald said her testimony of the events changed from her original account given to investigators at the time.

McDonald portrayed Faylene as being obsessed with what she believed to be revelations from God that she would soon die.

He presented letters and journals written by Faylene that speak of her impending death and gives instructions to those around her.

One letter written to Hillary DeWitt asked her to take over for Faylene after she died. Dewitt was a 19-year-old receptionist at Grant’s company at the time and had been romantically linked with him while Faylene and Grant were previously separated.

“I want you to be the mother of my children,” Faylene wrote, citing that she had to leave this world because she had “been spiritually called to a mission elsewhere.”

Maricopa Deputy County Attorney Juan Martinez previously accused Grant of manipulating Faylene’s faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to satisfy his own agenda. During his opening remarks, he portrayed Grant as a serial womanizer and said he never broke off his relationship with Hilary after remarrying Faylene on July 27, 2001. Martinez said Grant told Hilary to wait for him because Faylene was going to die.

Grant and Hilary married less than a month after Faylene died.

The trial will continue in Downtown Phoenix on Dec. 1-4 at 10:30 a.m. each day.

Comments

30 comment(s)

    Matt Hinkle wrote on Dec 20, 2008 10:14 AM:

    " Yeah, I'll go on record to say"Doug's products are legitimate". And to those people that make various legal claims,"why don't you use your real name like Sara Saline suggested?" Get on line, blog, write something hateful and be smug, without reproach.
    It's childish.
    Hey, some man's life is on line here..Some of you people need to grow up and take responsibility for the words you say.
    It's a public forum.
    Oh dear...
    Here comes the hate mail... "

    To Sara Saline wrote on Dec 15, 2008 8:34 PM:

    " Yes, a free country it is. That's the beauty of the court system. Otherwise Doug would have been already proven guilty ! "

    Sara Saline wrote on Dec 15, 2008 3:09 PM:

    " No I don't know all of the them. I do many of them. So what? It's still a free country... I can write what I want and you can think it's ridiculous if you want.. I really don't care! At least I don't hide behind the internet like some people! "

    To Sara Saline wrote on Dec 15, 2008 9:01 AM:

    " Do you actually know the 1,000's of people that take Doug's products? Kind of a ridiculous thing to say. "

    Sara Saline wrote on Dec 10, 2008 2:16 PM:

    " I agree that Religion shouldn't determine guilt or innocence. Didn't Doug get ex-communicated from the Mormon church? And of all the 1,000's of people using Doug's products, I don't know of anyone who thinks they don't benefit from them or that the company is ripping people off. This trial has nothing to do with his company. There are plenty of LDS people in Mesa. Is that where the trial is at? or is it in Phoenix.? "

    To Wow wrote on Dec 10, 2008 1:36 PM:

    " The trial is in downtown Phoenix, not Mesa.
    You mention that I as an LDS member am lucky to not have been discriminated against. What an accusation. You have discriminated against me and all the LDS simply by your words that you have written. The LDS are discriminated in Safford just as the non LDS are . It's sad and we should all just get along. "

    Wow wrote on Dec 10, 2008 12:35 PM:

    " Well, I agree. However, living in an LDS community as a non member, I have over and over again in court and out seen the prejudice against NON members. You are lucky to have not been discriminated against. And maybe since Grant's trial is in Mesa, it will be more fair. I am not meaning to offend anyone but it is what it is... "

    To WOW wrote on Dec 10, 2008 11:14 AM:

    " Unbelievable that you thought that because Doug is LDS he would be found innocent! Are you stupid or were you just having a bad day? Religion has absolutely nothing to do with getting a conviction or an aquitall. There are plenty of LDS in the jails just as there are other religions. I would say you are a prejudice person and have the need to adjust your biased thinking. "

    WOW wrote on Dec 9, 2008 1:47 PM:

    " Okay, so I have been unbiased about this case so far and I figured that being LDS, Grant would not be convicted. I took the advice and typed in Doug Grant in Google. First, many claims stated that he and his cronies are "rip offs and crooks" concerning his vitamins. Then I spent a very long time entranced in the news articles covering this case. If I was watching Cold Case on TV, I am afraid Doug Grant would be guilty in my book. "

    Insider wrote on Dec 9, 2008 12:40 PM:

    " Exactly what do you think I am lying about? I don't understand why you think you need to be so rude. "

    Vance Bryce wrote on Dec 8, 2008 9:27 PM:

    " In the United States of America all defendants are innocent until proven guilty. We should all see Mr. Grant as innocent. If he is proven guilty, may we all look inside ourselves for forgiveness and refuse to hold judgements that we are not called to make. "

    to insider wrote on Dec 8, 2008 6:26 PM:

    " Your lies are just getting worse as you try to cover the previous one. "

    Insider wrote on Dec 8, 2008 1:26 PM:

    " To "to insider" They only give us 100 words to make a comment so the word "other" got left out; but this isn't about My reading skills, it's about a man on Trial for murder and the outcome is going to change his life and his family's whether he's convicted or acquitted . It's about the Tragic death of a woman who was a mother, a daughter, a wife and a friend. "

    Avid news reader wrote on Dec 4, 2008 10:05 PM:

    " Actually, our hometown Courier always seems to have the best facts on the case. Other papers I've read seem to have a slant that he's either guilty or innocent. Good job to the Courier for remaining unbiased. I'm sure you guys probably get it from both sides that way, especially from the local family. Keep up the good work and keep us informed on this trial. "

    To Insider wrote on Dec 4, 2008 8:13 PM:

    " Are you lying about reading the book? or is your reading comprehension at a less than 3rd grade level? there is no other reason you would think that it is fiction. Do you have a non-fiction recomendation? "

    Insider wrote on Dec 4, 2008 9:08 AM:

    " If Doug is acquitted, he has a lawyer that knows how to do his job! It's amazing what money can buy.... look at O.J. This trial is getting National recognition (ABC, NBC,& CBS are all covering the trial. Shows are probably already being made. I think it's appalling.) The prosecution is not going to try this case in the newspaper, so the evidence that you "read" about might seem a little weak. I have read all of John Grisham's books and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but try some non-fiction murder books. "

    Pima Resident wrote on Dec 3, 2008 9:32 PM:

    " He's guilty but he's going to get off scott free, just wait and see!!! "

    THS Alumni wrote on Dec 3, 2008 5:43 PM:

    " It's common knowledge that some defense attorneys try to stretch things out as long as possible..they make more money, prosecutions' witnesses may not "remember" things "quite" the same way as they did 7 years ago, evidence might have a chance of "disappearing", etc. It's what they get paid to do... to get their client's an acquittal with whatever means possible.. "legally, of course". Even wonderful families in small towns can raise sociopaths. He is a master at word manipulation and he knows Exactly what he did. It's a Tragedy for ALL Involved. "

    tough call wrote on Dec 3, 2008 5:27 PM:

    " Guilty or not the case against him seems(from what I've read) weak. I would rather see 10 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man falsly convicted. I admit If I knew any one involved, ie if the victim were my mother I would look at it differently. Read "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham. then go ahead and insult my opinions. "

    High School Alumni wrote on Dec 3, 2008 3:46 PM:

    " I find it really interesting that these events occurred around the time TLC aired a program about attempted murders and how they were solved. He copied two of these attmepted murders exactly. The first attempted murder happened in Logan Utah. Faylene fell from a cliff in Utah too? Doug's story should be local news. He grew up here in Thatcher and belongs to a fine family. He on the other hand is not very creative about how to kill someone. I think he is guilty as sin. "

    Pima Duffer wrote on Dec 2, 2008 3:29 PM:

    " Doug Grant was arrested at his home in Pima. Sounds local to me! "

    Hoot wrote on Dec 2, 2008 11:48 AM:

    " Read the whole story.

    google doug grant and read it from another paper you will get the WHOLE story and yes the trial was delayed because of technical crap.

    And by the way IT IS about a local person who commited a crime, regardless of where the lived at the time the crime was commited, he ahd lived here before and now owns a business here and lives here in our community- "

    Real Life wrote on Dec 2, 2008 10:40 AM:

    " Why 7 years to bring this to trial? Because the attorney for Doug kept getting it delayed due to technical garbage, not due to "innonence". Go read the long history of trial dates set and then delayed because of legal crap! "

    jodis wrote on Dec 1, 2008 2:57 PM:

    " The Lord works in mysterious ways. 7 years or 7 hours, if he's guilty he will be tried and convicted. If not, he can continue to run his Pima business. My take for what it's worth? Guilty. This story is similar to the man in Mesa that killed his wife in Mexico. It was over another lover. Faylene was so beautiful and from what I hear, was a wonderful wife and mother. How sad to know that this occurred. "

    LOL wrote on Dec 1, 2008 10:48 AM:

    " If he is guilty, why has it taken 7 years for a trial? Furthermore the idictment was given on testimony that was later proven to be a lie. This is a waste of tax payer money. Even if he had a hand in it the details are sketchy at best. "

    Who Cares wrote on Nov 30, 2008 10:35 PM:

    " I think he's guilty. "

    The Lord will have the final say wrote on Nov 30, 2008 2:06 AM:

    " I pray that he will get the justice deserved. None of us know what really happened and God will be the final judge of that. "

    It is News wrote on Nov 29, 2008 4:42 PM:

    " To LOL, you must be a shut in and don't like to hear about home town news. This IS a local story, get a clue. Don't be so ignorant. "

    Youve got to be kidding me wrote on Nov 28, 2008 8:49 PM:

    " This is a national story about a man who is from the Gila Valley and has deep family roots here, of course the Courier is going to cover it. Plus, Grant ran back to Pima after Faylene died and opened his business Optimal Health Systems there. Its right on the highway if you've never driven through Pima. Doug has affected plenty of people here and lives here now. I would be apalled if the Courier did not follow it so closely. He is a hometown boy accused of murdering his wife. Yes, that is news for here. "

    LOL wrote on Nov 28, 2008 5:05 PM:

    " Why is the courier so interested in this story? It didn't happen in graham county. Mr. Grant was not living here at the time. Is he from this area? how long ago did he move away? highschool? Perhaps yiou should constantly fill us in what Sandra Day O'connor is doing she grew up near by. "

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