A crime scene reconstruction expert and the mother of Manuel Ellis testified Monday in the trial for Ellis' death. Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died in police custody in March 2020. Marcia Carter-Patterson, Ellis’ mother, was the first person to testify Monday. She testified that Ellis “looked good” the night he died. Carter-Patterson spoke to her son via a video call and said Ellis asked her to join him at church for a revival. “His happiness showed,” Carter-Patterson said. “He was very gregarious that night and more at peace.” Carter-Patterson testified directly after her daughter, Monet Carter-Mixon, who told jurors on Thursday about who her brother was. Former Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said one reason the state may have brought family members before the jury early in the trial was to try and humanize Ellis. David C. Wells, a crime scene reconstruction expert, shared photos of the crime scene that were created using scanner technology. Wells walked the jury through how his staff mapped out the crime scene, placing patrol cars and witness vehicles using diagramming software.