Mark Ball

Mark Ball testified first for the defense about his late-night arrival at Moselle and the problems he observed with access control and scene preservation. He described wet conditions and water near Paul's body, biological and ballistic material remaining after the scene was released, and firearms and shells being moved inside the house before the next day's search. He also helped investigators locate a .300 Blackout rifle.

Ball identified Alex, Maggie, and Paul as the voices on the kennel video. Under prosecution questioning, he contrasted the recording with three conversations in which Alex described dinner, a nap, and leaving for Almeda without mentioning a visit to the kennels. Ball also recalled variations in Alex's description of which body he checked first, but gave that difference little weight because of the trauma.

The examinations traced how Ball's view of his longtime friend and law partner changed after the firm discovered fake Forge transactions and stolen client funds. Ball discussed questions about missing Faris fees, Alex's admission and removal from the firm, and repayments made through insurance, firm resources, and income from Alex's cases. Although the discoveries caused Ball to question what he had believed about Alex, he maintained that his anger and loss of trust over the financial misconduct were not evidence that Alex committed the killings.

When Ball returned as a State rebuttal witness, he addressed hog hunting, the family's use of .300 Blackout rifles, Alex's eventual acknowledgment that he had been at the kennels, and subjects on which Ball believed he had received untruthful information. Defense questioning established that Ball's final conversation with Alex occurred on Labor Day 2021, limiting what he could have learned directly afterward. Ball also qualified uncertain recollections and assumptions about weapon choice, the order in which the bodies were checked, and the usual responsibilities of investigators and prosecutors.