A Texas couple who were at Myre-Big Island State Park during the fatal shooting of a rural Freeborn County man last summer testified Thursday during the trial of a Brownsdale man charged in his death.

Don and Linda Branscum of Texas said they were in the state park that night on their way to visit family members in Minneapolis the next day.

They both recalled hearing two shots at about 9:15 p.m.

“We listened for a while and didn’t think it was wise to go outside, so we stayed in the RV,” Linda Branscum said.

“We both were startled. It seemed pretty close.”

Don Branscum said he advised they look at the clock when they heard the shots.

“(I turned to my wife) and said, ‘You know, let’s look at the clock and get the time. There shouldn’t be any gunshots in this park.’”

Testimony came during the trial of David Michael Easter, 27, who is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Spencer Daniel Brown.

Brown, 23, was found dead in a locked 2001 Audi station wagon in the parking lot near the pavilion the night of Aug. 23, 2016. Authorities have said Easter shot Brown in the side of the head two times through the window of the car.

Kent and Juliana Jasperson testified separately that they were at Myre-Big Island the night of the incident watching deer. They remembered seeing a black truck near the Big Island pavilion. Juliana Jasperson remembered seeing a lighter-colored car in the area. The couple stated they did not see the vehicles enter or leave the park, and Kent Jasperson testified that the couple was at the park from about 8:15 to 9 p.m.

Michael and Tamara Vanryswyk separately testified that they drove past the site earlier on the evening of Aug. 23. The couple were reportedly at the park to let their dog swim.

“We saw a black pickup back into a parking space there,” Michael Vanryswyk said.

He said he was “90 percent sure” he saw a smaller, light-colored car at the scene. Tamara Vanryswyk said she saw Easter at about 6:25 p.m. in the area.

“I didn’t see him doing anything,” she said. “He was just standing there.”

Others testified about communicating with Brown shortly before his death.

Rachel Dunkley, who met Brown through a phone application, testified Thursday that the two exchanged text messages the evening of his death.

Freeborn County Attorney David Walker showed text messages sent between them on Aug. 23. One message Brown sent stated: “I’m (probably) going to Omaha for good this weekend (followed by a sad face emoticon)” and other messages that summarized from his perspective his living situation with Neal and Lisa Gjersvik.

Colstrup Sod Farm owner Timothy Colstrup testified that Brown began working for him the week before he was killed.

“He was a good worker … always willing to work,” Timothy Colstrup said. “He took interest in his job.”

He remembered Brown working from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day of his death.

Walker showed the jury a picture of the text message Timothy Colstrup sent Brown at 8:39 p.m. that stated they would not be working the following day because of heavy rain.

Timothy Colstrup’s son, Soren Colstrup, remembered working with Brown the afternoon of Aug. 23.

Cameron Wilson, a friend of Brown’s, testified that they worked together for two years with the Omaha Storm Chasers, a minor-league baseball club. According to Wilson, they sometimes exchanged friendly text messages, including on the night of Brown’s death.

“He just generally was curious,” Wilson said.

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