The defense in the Alan Gromus assault case brought a former tenant to the witness stand Tuesday in an effort to support the theory that someone other than Gromus beat his wife and neighbor with a metal baseball bat.

The former tenant, Dan McLaren, testified that his eviction from a Gromus property had been amicable and that Pam Gromus had assisted him. But McLaren said he was aware that one of his roommates had been hostile to the couple.

Alan Gromus, 57, is on trial in Skagit County Superior Court on two felony counts of assault in the Sept. 30 beating of his wife and a neighbor who came to her aid.

Defense Attorney Corbin Volluz has pressed the theory that someone, possibly McLaren’s ex-roommate, attacked Pam Gromus, who suffered multiple fractures of the face in the beating.

Asked by a Skagit Valley Herald reporter after court Tuesday why the defense didn’t seek out the former roommate to testify, Volluz said, “We didn’t have the time or resources to track him down.”

Besides, he said, it wasn’t his client’s responsibility to prove his innocence.

Volluz asserted that Sheriff’s Detective Terry Esskew did not do his job in the investigation and overlooked details of the case that might prove Gromus’ innocence.

On the day of the attack, Pam Gromus told sheriff’s officers and several friends and colleagues that her husband, Alan, attacked her. But her story later changed.

She testified earlier in the trial that she remembered someone in a gray sweatshirt in the area the night of the attack. McLaren said Tuesday that he may have seen his roommate in a gray sweatshirt at one time, but could not be sure.

“I think everyone pretty much kind of owns sweatshirts,” he said. “A lot of people that I’ve seen have hooded, gray sweatshirts with a pocket in the front.”

McLaren said he did not own one himself.

Pamela and Alan Gromus evicted McLaren after several run-ins with a roommate not included on the lease.

McLaren said he tried to get the roommate to leave, but could not. Neighbors complained about noise and people going to and from the apartment late at night.

McLaren eventually agreed to leave the building. Pamela Gromus helped him move, and Alan Gromus changed the locks of the building before the attack that evening.

Gromus completed his testimony Tuesday morning. He said that he initially thought his neighbor, Greg O’Connor, had attacked Pam Gromus and said he didn’t hear O’Connor ask him if he needed any help.

O’Connor testified last week that he spoke to Gromus two times that evening, once to ask if he needed help as he knelt over his wife holding a baseball bat, and once while he and Gromus wrestled over the bat. Gromus said he did not hear O’Connor either time.

Gromus also spoke during the confrontation, O’Connor’s testified. O’Connor said he bit Gromus’ thumbs during the struggle, and Gromus asked him to let go.

“I don’t recall any conversation at all,” Gromus said Tuesday.

Dr. Allan Fitz, a neuropsychologist from Bellingham hired by the defense, testified that during a meeting, Pam Gromus showed no signs of lying or attempting to obscure the truth after changing her story about her attacker.

He said she did show some difficulty with memory exercises he administered.