Defendant Admits to Intentionally Striking Victim with Vehicle After Shots Were Fired
Jeffrey Scott Serio took the stand on Monday afternoon and told the jury he feared for his life when he drove over 67-year-old Raymond Maurice Grigg, who fired gunshots at him after he repeatedly trespassed on his property on Aug. 19, 2025
By Maggie Dresser
After the state rested its case on Monday morning, a Flathead County jury heard witness testimony from 49-year-old defendant Jeffrey Scott Serio, who said he intentionally struck 67-year-old Raymond Maurice “Mory” Grigg with his vehicle because he was in fear of his life when the victim began firing gunshots at him.
Serio, who is standing trial in Flathead County District Court for a felony count of deliberate homicide in Grigg’s death, told jurors under direct examination from defense attorney Alisha Rapkoch that he trespassed on Grigg’s property on foot multiple times on Aug. 19, 2025.
During the first trespassing incident, he said Grigg helped escort him over a barbed wire fence to exit the property but shortly returned, at which point Flathead County Sheriff’s Office John Van Gundy approached him. During their interaction, the law enforcement officer asked if he needed medical care, scanned him for weapons and told him to leave.
At this point, Serio told the jury he returned to his vehicle, which was parked nearby, drove through a cornfield and crashed into a fence when he heard gunshots. He then revved the engine and saw an individual, who he could not identify, with a gun.
“I immediately put it in drive and pulled it forward towards the person with the gun,” Serio said.
After more shots were fired, Serio confirmed that he floored the vehicle as he bolted forward and ducked down before hitting “something really hard” and his airbag deployed, leaving him “dazed.”
Serio confirmed to Rapkoch that he was trying to hit the man later identified as Grigg.
During cross examination from prosecutor Ashley Frechette, Serio told the jury he had consumed 3 milligrams of Subutex that morning and later in the evening around dinner time he had two shots of Pendleton. Other accounts described Serio telling law enforcement he had smoked marijuana 10 minutes prior to his arrival on the scene, but the defendant could not recall.
After striking Grigg, the defendant told the jury during cross examination that he returned and had an interaction with Sara Born, a resident of the property.
While Born had previously testified that Serio had told her that he tried to miss Grigg, the defendant did not recall that conversation.
“I didn’t know if I hit him,” Serio said. “I remember that after I exited the vehicle, I didn’t know and I was still scared that he might be shooting me.”
Serio admitted to trespassing, driving through multiple fences and into the cell tower before running Grigg over.
Prior to Serio’s testimony, the jury also heard witness testimony from the victim’s father, Melvin Grigg, who described having a strange relationship with his son that sometimes involved violence.
Melvin Grigg said on one occasion the victim pointed a gun at him. In a separate incident Melvin was cited for trespassing on his property, which was at one point the center of a civil property dispute.