In an emotionally charged courtroom Friday, Jason L.
Gordon was sentenced to the maximum prison term for the
Sept. 5, 2010, beating death of his girlfriend Gina
Harper at their Dover residence and tampering with
evidence afterward.
It will be at least 20 years
before Gordon, whose 40th birthday was June 12, is
eligible to be considered for parole, and Harper’s
family vowed to oppose that.
At times crying,
Gordon said, “This was the only person I ever loved and
that showed me love, and I killed her.”
As he
spoke in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court and at
times turned toward Harper’s family members, one asked,
“How could you do that?”
He answered, “I don’t
know.”
He said he understood that “this is a debt
that no matter what you do, you can’t repay it.”
He added, “I never expect my apology to be accepted.”
Gordon pleaded guilty in May to charges of murder,
felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the
beating death of Harper, 33, at the residence at 316 E.
Third St., Dover.
Judge Edward O’Farrell
explained that, by state law, his only sentencing option
for murder was life in prison with eligibility to apply
for parole after serving 15 years.
The felonious
assault charge is considered a crime of similar
importance, so no additional sentence is allowed.
Although no term is required, O’Farrell chose to
impose the maximum five-year sentence for the tampering
charge and ordered that it be served consecutively. That
means that the earliest Gordon would be eligible to be
considered for parole would be after serving 20 years.
The state parole board does not have to grant an
inmate’s request to be released, and O’Farrell told
Gordon he will write a detailed letter about the
circumstances of the case to the board. The judge said
the descriptions of the violence “and the physical
evidence creates a situation in my mind that the closest
description for it is a horrendous netherworld of
hellish violence that makes you physically sick.”
He said that the circumstances are “horrific squared
and trebled” and that the sentence of “15 years is not
enough.”
O’Farrell said he would not be able to
live with himself if he does not send a letter to the
parole board.
“I don’t think you should ever be
granted parole in this case,” he said.
That
comment met with some applause from Harper’s supporters,
but the judge quickly stopped it.
“This is not
out of any personal animosity, but because of what
you’ve done and that you’re clearly a danger to the
community,” O’Farrell said.
Gordon also was
ordered to pay $3,796 restitution for Harper’s funeral
bill. His sentence was credited with the 299 days he has
served in jail.
Earlier, when urging O’Farrell to
impose the maximum sentences, county Prosecutor Ryan
Styer said, “Jason Gordon is a clear and present danger
to our community and any community where he would live.”
Styer also urged the maximum sentence to protect the
community from future crime, not only potentially by
Gordon but to send a message and to punish him.
The prosecutor said, “The murder was the culmination of
an abusive and violent relationship.” He described
Gordon as being 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and Gordon
6-foot-1, 195 pounds and “trained obsessively to be a
mixed martial arts fighter.” In contrast, Gina Harper
was 5-foot-2, although she claimed 5-3 “to be taller on
her driver’s license” and weighed 115 pounds.
As
Styer recounted evidence of the sheer violence on the
day Harper died, some family members sobbed and one
called him “murderer.” About 30 friends or relatives
each wore a purple ribbon with a photo of Gina as they
nearly filled the back two benches of the courtroom.
Styer earlier submitted victim’s impact statements
to O’Farrell, who said he read them all. Gina’s mother,
Cathy Harper, did not speak in court, but O’Farrell said
he was “very moved” by reading her letter.
Chris
Helbling, of Dover, a cousin of Cathy Harper, read a
three-page letter on behalf of the family stating, “Your
horrendous actions will affect this family forever.”
Helbling recalled meeting Gordon and Gina at a
grocery store and remarking they were well-dressed and
“They make a really cute couple.” He again “appeared to
be a nice guy” at Thanksgiving dinner.
She said
their final meeting at a relative’s on July 4th, “10
days before you threw Gina off the front porch of the
house, kicked her and sent her to the hospital. I can
say — you are truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing.’”
She said hearing Gordon’s 911 call “sent chills down
my spine” because of its calmness. “Your actions that
morning proved that you had no regard for Gina, only
yourself.”
Helbling said, “Cathy warned Gina ‘He
is going to kill you,’ but Gina told her ‘He wouldn’t do
that.’ She believed the best of you to the very end.”
She added she hopes that while in prison Gordon will
awake to recall “Gina’s pretty face and her little
giggle” and that before he falls asleep, he sees “her
beaten face and the last thing you hear are her screams.
You deserve that much!”
Defense attorney
Elizabeth Kelley of Cleveland urged O’Farrell to issue
the minimum sentence of 15 years, with a concurrent term
for tampering.
“No prison term can be any worse
than Jason has already imposed on himself,” she said.
That comment produced muttering and guffaws from
Harper’s supporters, and the judge cautioned them
against any outbursts.
Kelley read a letter from
Gordon’s 83-year-old grandmother Lauren G. Anscher of
Miami, Fla., that included that Jason has “the need for
his life’s work to help others by forming a support
group to educate those with bipolar and other forms of
mental disease as a loving memorial to Gina so that her
life would not have been lost in vain.”
Gordon
said he is “not a wolf in sheep’s clothing” and that he
thinks about Harper every day and night.
As
Gordon stood to exit the courtroom, he again turned
toward the family and said he was sorry. That was met by
comments of “No, you’re not” and “Go. Go, forever.”
Outside the courtroom, Cathy Harper said, “I’m just
glad this part of it’s over. I’m glad for the sentence
Judge O’Farrell imposed and for his kind remarks.”
Styer added, “We’re certainly pleased for Gina and
her family that Judge O’Farrell agreed with the
prosecution that Jason’s horrific, brutal murder of Gina
warranted the maximum possible sentence in this case,
which was life without an opportunity for applying for
parole for 20 years. It’s saddening that Ohio law
doesn’t allow for a greater maximum sentence in this
case.”
|
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Domestic Violence News Alert Stories
Life In Prison For Dolin
October 7, 2011
MORGANTOWN - Todd Dolin will spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole after a jury on Thursday unanimously chose not to include a mercy stipulation with a first degree murder conviction they had reached the day before.
Dolin, 42, was found guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder and wanton endangerment after two days of testimony that spanned more than a week due to scheduling conflicts. The conviction stems from a July 18, 2008 incident in which Dolin shot to death his estranged girlfriend Lua Zervos-Wolverton at the Dallas post office, where she was postmaster.
The jury deliberated for 50 minutes Wednesday in deciding to convict Dolin of first-degree murder instead of second-degree murder. That distinction indicates the jury believed the murder was premeditated.
On Thursday, the jury reconvened to decide whether Dolin should be granted mercy, or the possibility of parole after serving 15 years of the life sentence. Dolin's attorneys William Gallagher and Keith Hart called three witnesses in requesting the mercy distinction, including Todd Dolin Jr., the son of Todd Dolin and Zervos-Wolverton.
Dolin Jr. recounted the days leading up to the incident, telling the jury he had a lunch meeting with his parents the day before the incident to discuss how the family's assets would be split after their separation.
Dolin Jr. said after his parents' separation, he and Zervos-Wolverton went to live with a relative, though he did spend time with Dolin in the days prior to the incident. He said while the pain of the incident still exists, he wanted Dolin to be able to have a chance to see his grandchild, Dolin Jr.'s daughter, grow.
"When I think about it now, it still hurts," Dolin Jr. said. "But I still love my dad."
Dolin's sister, Tracy Mellott and his father, Ray Dolin, also testified on behalf of Dolin, describing him as a caring person and "ideal son" who worked hard to provide for his family and had no prior run-ins with the law.
"The brother I grew up with was loving and caring," Mellott said. "I wasn't there the day this happened, but I don't know who that person was."
Marshall County Prosecutor Jeff Cramer and Assistant Prosecutor Eric Gordon called one witness, Zervos-Wolverton's daughter, Ashley Gregware.
Gregware had also testified on the first day of the trial, and returned Thursday to explain her relationship with her mother to the jury.
"I find it difficult to explain, because most people just have a mom," she said. "Imagine losing your mother, best friend and closest sibling. That is what this is like."
Gregware showed the jury a photo of her three children, one of which was not yet born when the incident occurred. She said Dolin took not only her mother, but the memories that could have been if Zervos-Wolverton was still alive.
"My kids will never know what a great person she was," she said. "He already gets more than my mother gets. I get to talk to a tomb, a slab of marble. He took a life and shouldn't be given freedom."
Cramer echoed Gregware, telling the jury during closing arguments that Dolin "already helped himself to mercy: he's here, he's alive." He added the possibility of parole would only cause the family more grief, as they would be required to attend future parole hearings and relive the incident.
"They will always be forced to wonder and worry about it," he said. "End this for them today."
Gallagher said his client was not asking for forgiveness from the jury, but only for the chance to seek forgiveness from the family in the future. He said a mercy distinction only made Dolin eligible for parole after 15 years and did not guarantee that he would be released.
After deliberating for less than an hour, the jury chose not to grant mercy. Marshall County Circuit Judge Mark A. Karl sentenced Dolin to life in prison on the murder charge and an additional five years for wanton endangerment.
"Our community lost a great friend, mother and sister three years ago," Cramer said after the trial. "I meet people even today that want to tell me about "Boogie," as (Lua) was called. They are always smiling by the time they're finished. I hope we've served her well."
Connie Culp and Her Daughter
By
Rachel Quigley
Last updated at 11:25 PM on 6th October 2011
He abused her and brainwashed her for years until he eventually flew into a
jealous rage and shot her in the face, almost killing her and leaving a gaping
hole where her features used to be.
But still Connie Culp - the first
U.S. face transplant recipient - could not divorce her husband and kept in
contact with him while he was in jail for her attempted murder.
Speaking
to Anderson Cooper, Connie explains that it was only when her daughter pointed
out that she would 'go back to the man who blew your head off' did she wake up
and take action.
Gordon gets life sentence for killing girlfriend
News of killing likely won't deter domestic violence
Issues regarding domestic violence are so complex that even
incidents that end in death do not help prompt many people to
escape situations of abuse, according to those who deal with the
problems in Tuscarawas County.
On Friday, Jason L.
Gordon, 40, of Dover, was sentenced to prison for the Sept. 5,
2010, beating death of his girlfriend, Gina Harper, 33.
“A tragic incident such as the death of Gina Harper,
unfortunately, is not likely to change the amount of domestic
violence that takes place in the county,” county Sheriff’s
Detective Capt. Orvis Campbell said. “We would hope that more
people would report it. However, past homicides haven’t had the
effect of reducing the incidents of domestic violence, or even
having more people come forward to report. Typically, there has
been a short-term spike in the number of reports after the first
news of someone being killed.
“But, this issue is so
complex. Domestic violence victims are often lost and don’t know
how they would be able, financially, to live if they leave the
situation they’re in. Sadly, they hold on to the hope way too
long that they’ll be the one to make their abuser stop or
change, and it rarely works out that way.”
A review of
the number of domestic violence-related calls to the 911 county
emergency dispatch center showed little change during a
comparison between Sept. 6, 2009, through June 30, 2010, and
Sept. 6, 2010, through June 30, 2011. The number of reports rose
from 758 during the first period to 850 for the second
timeframe.
There also has been a growing increase in the
number of requests for civil temporary protection orders, said
Deb Baker, victim advocate and director of victim assistance for
the county in the county prosecutor’s office.
The number
rose from 144 in 2009 to 172 in 2010. The projected year end
total for 2011 is 164.
Baker said that she personally
hasn’t had any victims mention Harper recently, but that death
was mentioned frequently during the first four months afterward.
“Victims would say their batterer told them, ‘You don’t want
to end up like Gina,’ ” Baker said. “We don’t know if they
intended to carry through, but it was mentioned. Or they would
say, ‘Remember what happened to Gina,’ or ‘You remember Gina
don’t you?’ ”
Baker said she’s not seeing any difference
in the causes than in the past. The primary change she notices
each time there is an extreme domestic violence incident or
death is the increase in referrals from law-enforcement officers
to her office; Harbor House domestic violence shelter; or
Compass. Those are the three offices involved in obtaining
protection orders.
“That doesn’t mean that criminal
charges will be filed, but that law-enforcement officers are
aware of a domestic situation that they refer the person to seek
further guidance or assistance,” Baker said.
Harbor House
serves victims and their children from Tuscarawas and Carroll
counties, with no out-of-pocket costs. It is a division of
Personal & Family Counseling Services in New Philadelphia.
Harbor House’s location is kept confidential for the safety
of those who use it. Those seeking help can call the crisis line
at (330) 364-1374, or make contact through law-enforcement
agencies.
She said she’s personally seeing more victims
seek some guidance “and more of them are definitely following
that advice at least for the short term.”
The vast
majority of cases involve women being abused by men. Baker said
the average woman leaves her abuser seven or eight times before
finally leaving for good. Most cases involve some type of
substance abuse by either or both persons involved.
County Prosecutor Ryan Styer called the Gordon and Harper case
“an extreme example of the cycle of abuse where battered women
protect their batterers and refuse to leave them. It’s also an
example that the most dangerous time for a battered woman is
when she decides she has enough and decides to get out. We
believe that she told him that she was going to leave, and
that’s when Mr. Gordon went into a violent rage determined that
she wasn’t going to leave him. His actions cost Gina her life.”
A new state law, which tightened criteria for arrests and
focused on the primary aggressor, took effect in 1996. It
resulted in more domestic violence arrests, taking some of the
previous discretion away from officers responding to incidents,
Campbell said.
Police say Canton man punched girlfriend, puppy
CANTON -- A pregnant woman told police her boyfriend held a knife to her,
punched her repeatedly and then attacked her puppy, seriously injuring
it.
John N. Norris Jr., 29, of 1641 Arthur Court NW, was arrested
at 7:36 p.m. Friday at his home on charges of felony domestic violence
and cruelty to animals, and an unrelated open container warrant, Stark
County Jail records said.
Police reports said his girlfriend, 23,
went to Aultman Hospital with bruises and swelling after he punched her
several times in the head, face and body, and held a knife to her
stomach.
Norris also yanked the puppy’s leg, breaking it, and
punched it several times in the head, the reports said.
He
remained jailed early Saturday, held in lieu of $25,000 bond.
Stark County court records show he went to prison last year for felony
vandalism.
Breaking cycle of abuse not easy for most victims of domestic violence
For the last 11 years, Deb
Baker has been the victim’s advocate and director of
victim assistance for Tuscarawas County, working
from the county prosecutor’s office at New
Philadelphia. She also is a survivor of domestic
violence from 1975 to 1979.
“I don’t usually
say that, but I will if I feel that it will make a
bit of a difference when talking to a victim by
honestly saying ‘I know what you’re talking about,’”
Baker said.
She went through a cycle of
staying and leaving more than a dozen times,
believing that he would change.
She said most
women reach a final point that prompts them to
leave.
“I always told myself that if he ever
hit me in front of my daughter, I would leave,” she
said. “He beat me in front of her when she was 2
years old. That was my breaking point.
“Everyone has one. One woman I know of suffered
severe beatings all the time. He even stabbed her.
She survived and wanted to dismiss the charges –
until the prosecutor showed her the pictures of what
she looked like. That did it. She’d never looked at
herself after the beatings. She followed through
with the charges and left him. Everyone can reach a
breaking point, I would hope.”
There are many
reasons why a woman endures an abusive relationship,
Baker said.
“Women stay for the same reasons
they do in good relationships – they love him or for
financial security,” she said. “But it also can be
because they’re afraid to leave, that he’ll carry
out threats, or a feeling that they can’t find a
job. Maybe they have no job skills, or there are
children and they believe they have to stay because
they can’t make it without his income.
“In my
case, he very seldom worked, so his financial
security relied on me working. When I finally left,
I was able to make it on my own financially, but
some women can’t.”
She said other factors are
constant put-downs, such as “No one else would want
you,” or threats that “If I can’t have you, no one
will.”
“After a while, she believes what he’s
telling her,” Baker said. “She becomes helpless,
feeling that she can’t leave because he has her so
brainwashed that her life is only with him. There
are a lot of reasons why women recant. I lied many
times to cover for my bruises.”
She said that
the majority of cases involve a man abusing a woman,
although there are reports of men who are the ones
being abused, or abuse in couples of the same sex.
“We do have that in this county – it’s not just
cases of a man abusing a woman,” Baker said. “But,
that’s not a high percentage. Very seldom do men
want to admit being the victim, it’s not macho for
the male ego. Usually it would involve mental and
emotional abuse. There has been physical abuse, but
it’s a low percentage that is actually reported.”
The worst advice someone can give a victim is
telling them to stand up to the abuser, according to
Baker.
“If she’s never done that and it’s not
part of the relationship, that would be disastrous
for that woman,” Baker said. You can’t suddenly
start setting boundaries and being assertive. I know
of an incident when a counselor said ‘Tell him not
to do this,’ and he threw her down steps and that
broke her bones.”
Baker said her own family
“didn’t interfere because they knew that my beatings
would be worse. But when I left, they were
supportive. I recommend that family or friends never
abandon the battered woman. Stay away if you need to
because of the abuse that could result from your
interfering, but make sure the person knows that if
they need help, then you’re there for them. A lack
of support is one of the reasons why they stay,
because they have no place to go.”
She said
that most of the cases that resulted in death
occurred when the victim was ready to leave.
“That is the most volatile and dangerous time
because the batterer knows it’s over,” she said.
September 19, 2010
Section: editorials
Edition: Web Edition
Our opinion: A lifeline from abuse
The Times-Reporter
Gina Harper
died in her Dover home two weeks ago today in what appears to have been a tragic
example of domestic violence. Her boyfriend, Jason L. Gordon, 39, is jailed and
has been charged with murder.
It was not the first time Gordon was
accused of beating Harper, who was 33 at the time of her death. Gordon had also
been charged with domestic violence and assault for an incident the evening of
July 14, also at the home they shared just two blocks north of the city police
station.
Harper's mother told police that her daughter was beaten
regularly. Sadly, such stories are repeated all too often in the Tuscarawas
Valley.
In the two weeks since Harper's death, three more reports of
domestic violence in Dover or New Philadelphia appeared on the pages of The
Times-Reporter. Domestic violence unfortunately occurs all around us, and more
often than people might realize.
Last year in Tuscarawas County, 911
dispatchers alone fielded 887 calls requesting assistance for domestic
conflicts. That's an average of 73.9 per month. Through mid-September this year,
another 703 calls for help in domestic matters were placed, an average of 82.7
per month - almost three calls per day. About one in five calls ends in an
arrest, with the suspect booked into jail.
Despite the physical and
psychological scars, counselors acknowledge that the cycle of domestic violence
is a difficult one for victims - women for the most part - to break.
Most victims know that repeated beatings are not deserved, but they often return
to their violent relationships because they lack income and other viable housing
options. The current economic situation has made things even worse. Fighting to
find confidence to take the first step to independence and a healthier
environment, a domestic-violence victim on the average will leave an abuser
seven times before escaping for good.
When they do, there is help. And
there is hope.
The Tuscarawas Valley is fortunate to have shelters such
as Harbor House available to serve as a safe haven for female victims of
domestic violence. There, the healing can begin - and victims can learn how to
start a new chapter in their life, free of violence. Recently relocated, Harbor
House now has 13 beds available to women in need for up to 13 weeks. Most stay
about seven.
Harbor House serves victims and their children from Tuscarawas
and Carroll counties, with no out-of-pocket costs. Operational monies come from
grants, agencies and private and public donations, such as one for $9,179
received just Friday from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio.
That donation will provide new beds for children, as well as other needed
furnishings and equipment.
With the start of Domestic Violence Awareness
Month - observed annually in October - just two weeks away, there will be
heightened awareness about educational opportunities for victims of domestic
violence trying to flee oppressive and dangerous situations. That, of course, is
a good thing.
The numbers tell us that domestic violence is a serious
problem here in the Tuscarawas Valley, as it is almost everywhere. Ending the
cycle of violence requires that everyone -- not just victims -- learns the
warning signs that a friend or family member may be in trouble. The insight you
take time to develop may one day save a life.
Dover homicide: timeline of events
Sunday
- 6:21 a.m. – Unidentified caller (later determined to
be Jason L. Gordon) to Tuscarawas County 911 center reports woman
injured at 316 E. 3rd St., Dover.
- 6:22 a.m. – Dover Fire
Department’s emergency squad dispatched to residence. Gina Harper’s body
is found in upstairs bedroom.
- 7 to 7:30 a.m. – County
Prosecutor Ryan Styer notified; Dr. James Hubert, county coroner,
arrives at scene.
- 8:30 to 9 a.m. – Probate Court Judge Linda
Kate called to her courtroom to issue search warrant for the residence.
- 10 a.m. – Search warrant issued to Dover Police Ptl. Chad Mowrer.
- 11:32 a.m. – Smith Ambulance Service paramedics dispatched to
residence.
- 12:12 p.m. – Smith Ambulance personnel remove
Harper’s body.
- 12:45 p.m. – Body delivered to Stark County
morgue in Canton.
- 2 to 2:30 p.m. – New Philadelphia Municipal
Court Judge Mary Wade Space contacted by telephone as she traveled
through Akron on her way to Dover.
- 4:15 p.m. – Judge Space convenes Municipal Court session attended by Styer and Police Chief Ronald Johnson. Murder warrant is issued for Gordon’s arrest.
- 4:30 p.m. – Johnson leaves Municipal Court with warrant in hand,
heading for Cleveland.
Monday
- 5 p.m. – Gordon arrives at
Tuscarawas County jail.
Tuesday
- Noon – Gordon makes
initial appearance by video arraignment in Municipal Court. No bail set.
Thursday
- 9 a.m. – Preliminary hearing waived. Gordon agrees
to no bond being set.
- 2:42 p.m. – Dover police and Tuscarawas
County Sheriff’s deputies execute search warrant for cell phone records.
Court security tight; Gordon agrees to no bail in murder case
By Jon Baker and Joe Mizer
The Times-Reporter
Posted
Sep 09, 2010 @ 10:49 AM
Jason L.
Gordon, accused in Sunday’s beating death of Gina M. Harper of Dover, waived his
right to a preliminary hearing during a brief appearance Thursday morning in New
Philadelphia Municipal Court.
Gordon, 39, of 316 E. 3rd St., Dover,
appeared before Judge Mary Wade Space along with his attorney, public defender
Gary Greig.
Security in the court room was tight, with 11 officers on
hand, in addition to about a half-dozen onlookers.
Gordon, through his
attorney, also agreed to a motion by county Prosecutor Ryan Styer to be held
without bail. Space ruled that there was sufficient evidence to accepted the
motion.
As Space questioned Gordon whether he understood that he was
waiving his rights, the suspect said he did, then began to cry.
Harper,
33, was found dead at the couple’s home after Dover police received a 911 call
Sunday morning later attributed to Gordon, according to Styer.
Dr. James
Hubert, Tuscarawas County coroner, said that although an official ruling is
pending, he will rule Harper’s death a homicide due to extreme blunt-force
trauma.
Meanwhile, Municipal Court Judge Mary Wade Space clarified
Gordon’s status in a domestic violence case filed by Dover police in July.
Space said Gordon was not released on a personal recognizance bond by her
court after he pleaded not guilty to domestic violence and assault charges on
July 22 as indicated in a story in Wednesday’s Times-Reporter.
Instead,
Space said Thursday that police had released Gordon with a summons to appear in
court – and had not arrested and jailed him for the incident the night of July
14.
Therefore, when Gordon appeared during a mass arraignment session,
and because he pleaded not guilty, he was sent into the hallway to sign a paper
agreeing to return. The paper he signed, she added, was not a term of release
because he never was incarcerated.
A police report states that Gordon was
released on a summons issued July 15 because he was in Union Hospital the night
of July 14 to have surgery for a fractured thumb.
In another development,
Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s deputies assisted Dover police in executing a search
warrant Thursday afternoon.
The warrant, issued by Tuscarawas County
Common Pleas Court Judge Edward O’Farrell, sought comprehensive cell phone
records for Gordon and a witness’ cell phone numbers, as well as their actual
cell phones.
A source close to the investigation said Verizon Wireless
aided in Gordon’s arrest in Cleveland Sunday by keeping track of his whereabouts
as he waited for a bus.
Murder in Dover
By Joe MizerFriends and neighbors of Gina Marie Harper are calling her death
early Sunday a tragedy, a “tragic deal” and totally unexpected.
Her live-in boyfriend, Jason Lee Gordon, 39, of 316 E. 3rd St.,
Dover, was arrested Sunday afternoon in Cleveland on a warrant charging
him with her murder.
In an emergency session of New Philadelphia
Municipal Court called Sunday to obtain the warrant, Dover Police Chief
Ronald Johnson testified that Harper, 33, was found dead in her
residence after police officers responded to a 911 call to the residence
at 6:21 a.m.
Johnson told Judge Mary Wade Space that his officers
found Harper’s body in an upstairs room. He noted that Harper had
suffered massive head injuries and that paramedics were unable to revive
her.
Dr. James Hubert, Tuscarawas County coroner, said that
although an official ruling is pending, he will rule Harper’s death a
homicide due to extreme blunt force trauma. He said the trauma was to
“multiple locations” of her body.
Hubert, who was at the scene
Sunday morning, said Harper was found in an upstairs bedroom. He added
that an autopsy was performed Sunday afternoon in Stark County, and he
expects to have toxicology results in 14 to 21 days.
The final
official autopsy report, however, isn’t expected for eight to 16 weeks.
Johnson’s Municipal Court testimony identified Gordon as the suspect
being sought, as he said a man had gone to the police station at 7 a.m.
and told officers that Gordon had awakened him and said he needed a ride
to Cleveland. He noted that someone had taken him there, and that
Cleveland police took Gordon into custody after being contacted by Dover
officers.
“There was a lot of blood in the house,” Johnson said.
He added that police found evidence of a struggle, and that blood
spatters were in the downstairs as well as upstairs of the residence.
Judge Space, based upon Johnson’s testimony, said she found probable
cause to issue the warrant for Gordon’s arrest. Also present at the
court session was Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Ryan Styer, who asked
several questions of the chief.
After the 15-minute session,
which convened about 4:15 p.m., Johnson left the court to serve the
warrant in Cleveland. He said he didn’t know at that time whether Gordon
would be returned immediately to Tuscarawas County.
Harper was a
1995 graduate of Dover High.
“This is a tragedy,” said Brian
Hanner of Dover, a classmate. He noted the class held its 15th class
reunion Saturday night, and that the class remembered four former
classmates who died the week of Labor Day over the past 15 years.
Harper’s death, he added, is the fifth for a 1995 classmate during a
Labor Day week.
“I never, never expected this,” said Ron
Fondriest, a neighbor of Gordon and Harper. He said the couple had lived
in the house next to his for the past four to six months “and they
seemed to be real nice.”
Fondriest said his daughter, who was
home on vacation, had heard the couple’s dogs barking in their residence
Sunday at about 4:30 a.m., but he had no idea what had taken place until
he saw the police caution tape being put around the residence.
“It’s a tragic deal,” said Bob Wright of 310 E. Front St., who described
Gordon and Harper as his and his wife, Kathy’s, best friends.
Funeral arrangements for Harper are pending at Toland-Herzig Funeral
Home and Crematory in Dover.
'Fresh Start' Turned Tragic
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
By Lee Morrison -
The Times-Reporter
- Dover-New Philadephia, Ohio
Standing at the door of her new home, Jessica Morales told her
former boyfriend that she was starting a new life without him. That was when the
New Philadelphia man went inside and shot her twice, killing her, according to
investigators.
Julio Angel Gonzales-Pagan, 38, of 1009 12th St. NW, Apt.
3, New Philadelphia, is being held without bail in York County Prison in
Pennsylvania on a charge of criminal homicide, said Detective Jeremy Mayer of
the York Police Department. No court date has been set.
The suspect was
found kneeling by the body of his former longtime girlfriend, with whom he had a
child, according to court documents.
Morales, 33, had been shot in the
head and chest when police responded to her York home Sunday at 2:17 p.m. The
woman was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was conducted Monday, but
results were not available Tuesday.
Investigators said Morales had moved
to York from New Philadelphia within the past few months after the couple lived
together for eight years.
Gonzales-Pagan, who was cited by New
Philadelphia police March 23 for no operator’s license after a traffic stop, had
another man drive him to York.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
By Benjamin Duer
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
- Canton, Ohio
THE VERDICTS:
Count 1: Aggravated murder (Davis)
Count 2: Aggravated murder (unborn child)
Count 3: Aggravated murder (unborn child)
Count 4: Aggravated Burglary
Count 5 and 6: Gross abuse of a corpse
Count 7: Child endangering
Cutts faces at least 25 years, death penalty
is a possibility.
Cutts admission denied
Saturday, December 22, 2007
By Shane Hoover
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
- Canton, Ohio
CANTON. Lawyers for Bobby L. Cutts Jr. said they wanted to set the record straight Friday on reports that Cutts has admitted to killing Jessie M.
Davis and her unborn daughter.
"Obviously, our concern is that when it gets reported that our client makes confessions when it's not accurate, we have a big problem with that, and that was the reason for asking for the emergency hearing," defense attorney Carolyn Ranke said following a hearing at the Stark County Jail.
While the defense was able to address media reports, Stark County Common Pleas Judge Charles E. Brown Jr. again denied requests to drop the death-penalty elements of the case and to make prosecutors turn over more information.
Cutts, a 30-year-old former Canton police officer, is charged with three counts of aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, gross abuse of a corpse and endangering children. He and Davis had a son together.
Cutts denies guilt. His trial is set to start in late January. If convicted of aggravated murder, Cutts could face a death sentence.
The defense repeated its argument from Tuesday's hearing that the evidence, as provided by county prosecutors, doesn't support the death penalty.
"Right now we don't even have a cause of death," defense attorney Fernando Mack told the judge.
Brown said Cutts' attorneys will be able to question at trial what the evidence does or doesn't prove, and that he expects the lawyers to disagree.
The defense also says potential jurors may have been tainted by Stark County prosecutors saying that Cutts admitted to co-defendant Myisha L. Ferrell that he killed Davis and her unborn daughter in June, and led police to Davis' badly decomposed body.
Ferrell, who pleaded guilty in November to obstructing justice and complicity to gross abuse of a corpse, has agreed to testify at Cutts' trial.
During the hearing, Mack challenged prosecutors to point to the page in Ferrell's statement, called a "proffer," that contains Cutts' alleged admission.
"Bobby Cutts has never admitted to killing Jessie Davis, not in that proffer," Mack said.
The defense declined to comment on the claim that Cutts led police to Davis'
body in a Summit County park, saying the issue is reserved for trial.
Stark County Prosecutor John D. Ferrero said his office isn't trying to influence public opinion by releasing details on the case, and all information concerning Ferrell's statement has been provided to the defense.
"We want to make sure a fair trial is given to Mr. Cutts and that this case is heard in Stark County," Ferrero said.
Ferrell to Testify Against Cutts
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
By Shane Hoover
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
- Canton, Ohio
CANTON. Myisha L. Ferrell's
attorney drove to the Stark County Jail on Sunday and laid out the deal one more
time. For two days, he and county prosecutors had been looking for a way to
avoid a trial if they could.
The math was simple enough: Ferrell could plead guilty and spend no more than
two years in prison, or go to trial and risk not seeing her 9-year-old daughter
until she's nearly old enough to drive.
The emotions were another matter. Ferrell would spend at least a year behind
bars and have to testify at the trial of the other suspect, Bobby L. Cutts Jr.
On Monday morning, with a jury waiting to hear her case, Ferrell took the deal.
In a soft voice, the 30-year-old Canton woman pleaded guilty to obstructing
justice and complicity to gross abuse of a corpse in connection with the
disappearance and death of Jessie M. Davis.
Defense attorney John Alexander called it a "business decision."
"Objectively, it was a decision that was right," he said. "Emotionally, it was
extremely difficult."
Early release possible
With the plea, the details of what authorities believe happened to Davis, a
26-year-old woman from Lake Township, remain unclear. Cutts is accused of
killing Davis and her unborn daughter. Cutts, the suspended city police officer,
faces a possible death sentence if convicted.
Stark County Common Pleas Judge Charles E. Brown Jr. sentenced Ferrell to two
years in prison, and said he would consider releasing her to probation after one
year. Ferrell also gets credit for the time she's spent in jail since her
arrest, but that time doesn't count toward early release.
The sentence can be thrown out if Ferrell doesn't testify truthfully at Cutts'
trial.
Authorities have said Ferrell lied during their investigation and helped Cutts
dispose of Davis' body.
The plea resulted from hours of weekend negotiation between the prosecution and
defense.
Family members of Ferrell and Davis attended the hearing and left the courthouse
without speaking to reporters.
Stark County Prosecutor John D. Ferrero said Davis' parents were consulted
before the deal was finalized.
"They looked at the whole picture, and they were satisfied with the outcome," he
said.
Ferrero wouldn't comment on Ferrell's role in the case, how her testimony might
impact the prosecution of Cutts or whether convicting Cutts is his office's
priority.
Neither side would say how the final negotiations got started or what deals had
been on the table earlier.
"I would say it was pretty contentious," Alexander said. "I mean, both sides
were dug in, and both sides believed in their case. So, I mean, it was very
difficult."
Alexander said Ferrell is upset by the whole situation, but he couldn't go into
her side of the story.
Case drew national attention
Davis was reported missing from her Lake Township home June 15 after her mother,
Patty Porter, found the duplex in disarray and Davis' 2-year-old son, Blake,
home alone.
Over the next nine days, authorities and hundreds of volunteers searched for
Davis.
Investigators soon turned to Cutts - Blake's father and the suspected father of
Davis' unborn daughter, Chloe. Sheriff's deputies and FBI agents searched his
Plain Township home, as well as Ferrell's apartment.
On June 23, authorities recovered Davis' badly decomposed body from Hampton
Hills Metro Park in Summit County and arrested Cutts. Ferrell was charged the
following day.
Cutts is scheduled for trial in February.
Myron Watson, one of Cutts' attorneys, said Ferrell likely will give prosecutors
a new statement and the defense will have to wait and see what that is.
An all-white jury of six women and six men, drawn from voter-registration rolls,
was seated to hear Ferrell's case. Of 116 prospective jurors in the final pool,
only three were black.
Cutts' defense team unsuccessfully sought to widen the pool by including
licensed drivers and still could ask the court to move the trial to a different
county. Information gleaned from selection of the Ferrell jury would be a factor
in any change of venue request, Watson said.
Canton man pleads guilty to murder
Saturday, July 28, 2007
By Shane Hoover
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
- Canton, Ohio
CANTON. John Ghezzi came to court looking for an
answer.
Why did his granddaughter, Tomi, have to die?
Peyton J. Sumpter, the man with the answer, was silent. Sumpter pleaded guilty
to murder and other charges Friday, but he didn't explain why his girlfriend was
dead, even after hearing her grandfather's question.
"It just bothers me that we'll never know," Ghezzi said after the hearing in
Stark County Common Pleas Court. "We'll never know her side of the story."
Judge John G. Haas sentenced Sumpter to 18 years to life in prison. A probation
violation on another case adds nine more months to the term, meaning Sumpter
can't be considered for parole for nearly 19 years.
Police found 20-year-old Tomi Ghezzi of Canton in the bushes behind a Dumpster
in the 2700 block of Harrison Avenue NW on April 6. She had been killed by a
single gunshot wound.
Sumpter, 20, of 2706 Rowland Ave. NE, No. 8, and Ghezzi were in a car, fighting,
when Sumpter shot his girlfriend in the head with a .32-caliber revolver, said
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Joseph Vance. After leaving Ghezzi's body,
Sumpter went home to tell his parents. He returned to the site with his
stepfather, who called police.
Sumpter claimed the shooting was accidental. He and Ghezzi were returning from a
night out when they got into an argument. Sumpter said Ghezzi grabbed the gun
first, they struggled and it went off, according to his attorney, Derek Lowry.
Sumpter gave three statements to police and initially denied owning the gun.
There were other discrepancies.
"He really was not sure as to what occurred and how the gun fired," Lowry said,
noting that Sumpter had consumed 12 to 14 alcoholic drinks that night.
Ghezzi's family has described her as a smart, pretty, girl who had a lot of
friends. She and Sumpter had an on-and-off relationship for two years. At times
it was violent.
"She was trying to get out of the relationship but it was too late,"
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Jennifer Dave said.
Had the case gone to trial Monday as scheduled, prosecutors could have called
Ghezzi's sister, who heard Sumpter tell the victim, "I'll kill you,"
a week earlier, Lowry said.
In addition to murder with a firearm specification, Sumpter pleaded guilty to
being a felon with a gun, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and
cocaine possession. He faced up to 26 years to life in prison.
"He certainly didn't seem to show remorse today," Vance said.
"The unfortunate thing in the criminal justice system is we never get all the
answers," Dave added.
Sumpter didn't give a reason for not wanting to speak, but he didn't mean to
hurt or punish Ghezzi's family, Lowry said. He probably was still processing the
reality of his sentence and Ghezzi's death.
"He did care about Tomi, deeply," Lowry said.
Couple had history of domestic strife - Saturday, March 31, 2007
By Lori Monsewicz REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER - Canton, Ohio
NIMISHILLEN TWP. Nancy Weaver filed for divorce from the same man three times. Each time, she dropped it. Thursday night, not long after she stopped at a local video store to rent a movie to watch with him, that man took her life and then his own. Nancy Weaver was 53; her husband was 57. Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said investigators believe Michael W. Weaver fired a single gunshot to her head before shooting himself. Their 23-year-old daughter, Erin Weaver, had left their single-story brick home at 9644 Sommerville St. NE about 5 p.m. Thursday to go out with friends. She found their bodies when she returned at 10:15 p.m. Swanson said Erin Weaver found her mother slumped on the floor between the couch and recliner in the family room, and her father lying up against the fireplace. "It looks as though he killed her and then shot himself," the sheriff said. Deputies found the gun lying next to Michael Weaver. "He'd been mean to her the whole 36 years they were married," said Nancy Weaver's mother, Joyce Carver. "She was never allowed to go anywhere; he'd take the phone off so she couldn't talk to her friends or us. She was a good girl. She never went anywhere or done anything - she wasn't allowed. She was beautiful. She didn't deserve this." Nancy Weaver's brother, Rodney Newlin, described Michael Weaver as "an idiot. He used to beat her half to death." Though she had left Michael Weaver several times, she always went back, Newlin said. The couple shared the same birthday, attended the same Lake Local schools and married when Nancy was just 17, Newlin said. They had two daughters, Erin and Stacy. BIG SIGNS OF TROUBLE They enjoyed camping and had a house on Seneca Lake, Newlin said. Nancy Weaver worked the night shift at a Louisville area nursing home. Michael Weaver worked as a maintenance manager at Gregory Industries, where Chief Executive Officer Steve Gregory said he was a "loyal, hardworking, dedicated and committed employee." "From a work standpoint, we couldn't ask for a better employee," Gregory said. But there was trouble at home. Nancy Weaver filed for divorce Jan. 6, 1989; she withdrew her complaint two weeks later, Stark County court records show. She filed again on March 3, 2003, and her husband filed a counterclaim two weeks later. Both withdrew their complaints, canceling the divorce proceedings that August. Court records show she filed again Nov. 14, 2006. Newlin and Carver said she moved in with them in Hartville, where she lived until Jan. 28, when she returned to her husband. The divorce was dropped a week later. Carver said her daughter only called her once since then. "She wasn't allowed to call me," Carver said; her son-in-law didn't want them to communicate. Newlin said he and his sister spent nearly the entire day Thursday cleaning out their father's home, which has been sold. Their father had been hospitalized after suffering a massive heart attack. Newlin was taking Weaver home when she asked to stop at a video store in Louisville. He said he waited in the car as she went inside to rent a movie to watch with her husband. Then he took his sister to her home. Sheriff's deputies had been to that home several times before. Swanson said they were called to the home Nov. 24 for a domestic dispute between the couple. With no threats of violence, "just verbal confrontation," no one was arrested, he said. Deputies had been there three days earlier after Newlin had called them to report his sister may have tried to overdose on medication. Newlin also told them that his sister was in the midst of a divorce. Stark County Coroner P.S. Murthy conducted autopsies on the Weavers Friday afternoon.
Becky's comments:
A woman of domestic violence and abuse goes back to her abuser on the average of 7 times.
What a sad and horrific tragedy. Did he tell her over and over, "I'll change, and do better. But you need to too?" Did he tell her over and over he was sorry? Did he give her a "honeymoon phase" when she took him back, or when she went back? Or, possibly not, because it was up to him to give her this, and he may have told her she wasn't worth it. So many lies, so much deception, so much coercion that had to have gone on and on. Was she constantly walking in eggshells to please him? Was her life full of so much turmoil she didn't know who she was? Was she isolated from friends and family? Or, on few occasions, did he allow her to the see them when it was only for his gain. After all, she probably had to "pay him back" for the privileges he gave her. The bottom line: "Power and Control."
His power over her. That is what abusers seek the most. They must control someone-they must have power over someone, and they call it "love?" Not even close.
We will never know these answers because she is dead. But, ask yourself this...could this be me?
I know of many women who never thought that their abuser will get violent because they tell me, "He's only been verbally abusive, never physical."
Okay. Well, when an abuser sees that he is losing control of his victim, they do change tactics, and believe me, those tactics can and sometimes do include violence and rage. When they see that their victim is set on not returning, or getting a divorce, she has left for good, they can and do go into a violent rage and that rage can mean death.
Protect yourself. Have a "Safety Plan!". Do not give out your whereabouts.
Put your phone number in someone else's name if you can. I will be putting together a "safety plan" for survivors very soon. In the meantime, stay safe, protect yourself and your loved ones. Get a TPO, (Temporary Protection Order), or a CPO, (Civil Protection Order), or a No Contact, and stick with it.
Here are a few tips for a "Safety Plan" to get you started.
Have extra keys to your vehicle and your home or apartment.
Pack a bag of essentials that you can grab at a moments notice.
If you have neighbors, alert them about the situation. If you can escape, while getting away, hit your alarm on your vehicle key! This could be an alarm to your neighbors to call the police for you. If you can, go directly to a police station and report everything.
If you take medication, have a back-up supply in your bag, plus toiletries, extra cell phone, cash, copies of identification, such as drivers license, birth certificate, (and your children's), names and phone numbers of friends and relatives, and possibly a "safe-house or shelter" if there is one near you, go to it immediately.
I know of a woman who was driving away from a physical attack of her abuser in their home. He shot out the back of her SUV. If she would have not ducked when she saw him pointing the gun at her, she would be dead now too, or severely injured. She drove to the police station. He was arrested, and went to prison. (He never was physically abusive until that night when he went berserk!)
