"I entered the room. I saw a disheveled person lying on the floor under blankets. I didn't recognize Fr. Eric as being that person."

Deacon Frank Weber, has been a permanent deacon at St. Bernard's Church since 2000, when he was ordained. He was the second witness to take the stand this afternoon.

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Isaac asked Deacon Weber to identify a photo of Fr. Freed. Deacon Weber said this was taken at the Newman Center in Arcata. It shows a smiling photo of Fr. Freed sitting on a chair.

Deacon Weber said that he saw Fr. Freed "on a regular basis, weekly for masses, sometimes for meetings." He described Fr. Freed as "a co-worker and a friend."

Something that even regular parishioners did not know was mentioned in court this afternoon by Deacon Weber. Fr. Freed wrote his sermon notes in Japanese. In past coverage, it has been mentioned that Fr. Freed was a priest and lived in Japan for many years. He was so fluent in Japanese that on the phone, he was considered a native and when people met him in person, they were pleasantly surprised.

"Last time I was with Fr. Freed was at midnight mass on Christmas," said Deacon Weber.

New Year's Day 2014, "I was to assist Fr. Eric with the celebration of 9 a.m. mass. He was usually on time, with the rectory being next to the church. He was always there at least 10 minutes before mass."

"At 5 minutes to 9, I began to wonder where he was. At 9 a.m., I figured maybe he overslept. I had keys and so I went to check on him. When I first entered the rectory, there was no feeling that anyone had been up. I called Fr. Eric's name." Receiving no answer, Deacon Weber said he " then proceeded upstairs. I smelled an odd odor but that was not unusual with Fr. Eric's house. He cooked interesting things, like octopus so I had no immediate sense that anything was strange."

Deacon Weber said the door he used to enter was the side back door of the rectory under the covered porchway which led into a hallway. He called Fr. Freed's level from the lower level and then proceeded to the upper level and went to Fr. Freed's suite. "There was a Japanese curtain hanging there, the door was not closed. I entered the room."

" I saw a disheveled person lying on the floor under blankets. I didn't recognize Fr. Eric as being that person. Quickly, I realized something was terribly wrong."

"I called out to him. I knelt down and gently touched his wrist. At that time I realized it was him."

Deacon Weber said this was the only contact he had with Fr. Freed prior to the police arriving.

"I stood up, glanced around the room, took out my cell phone to generate a 911 call." Then he decided to use the landline so the police would know the location. "I followed the 911 operator's instructions. When she asked me to go back upstairs, I said no, I think I need law enforcement response and possibly an ambulance."

"I had a pretty good, strong sense that going back upstairs to check on him wasn't the proper thing to do. I knew the person I was looking at, most likely, was deceased."

The 911 operator wanted him to stay at the house until law enforcement arrived. "I told the operator that I had a church full of people next door. She said to go but to come back back to open the house for police."

"When I came back, someone was behind me. As we entered, he asked me, where is he?

Deacon weber said he responded,  "upstairs in his room." Deacon Weber went to the front of the rectory and opened the door. Later, he learned that the man who had followed him was an ER doctor at St. Joseph's, Dr. George Zibilich. "The police were there when I opened the door."

Deacon Weber and Fr. Eric Freed at St. Bernard's Church