Doctor testifies about victim's death in murder case
MANSFIELD - Parnell Webb died from a "cascade of events," a doctor said Monday.
Webb was stabbed 25 times on June 26, 2015, in the 222 E. Second St. home he shared with his fiancee, Shamille Chapman. Marcelluis Luckie and Christen Ramirez are charged with aggravated murder, among other counts, in connection with that and a second incident.
Dr. Ellwood Martin was the last of the state's seven witnesses on the fifth day of the trial. He said Webb suffered stab wounds to the head, neck and back. He added Webb did not appear to have any defensive wounds.
"I think he developed acute lung injury from a mass transfusion," Martin said. "We couldn't ventilate him."
Defense attorney Robert Whitney, representing Luckie, asked if any of the wounds were mortal.
"It was the totality of all of them," Martin replied.
Webb fought the two assailants, leaving signs of a struggle at the crime scene. One piece of evidence was a pair of sunglasses worn by the taller of the two men. Prosecutors allege the taller one was Luckie and the smaller one was Ramirez.
The state called DNA expert Kevin McElfresh to talk about the sunglasses. Dawn Fryback, a DNA analyst for the Mansfield Police Department's crime lab, asked McElfresh for his opinion.
Chapman called them "Hello Kitty" sunglasses during her Friday testimony. She said the taller assailant was wearing them.
McElfresh talked about the likelihood ratio, a mathematical expression that allows a comparison. He said it was 6,066 times more likely that the three individuals whose DNA was on the sunglasses were Andrea McDowell, who owned them, Webb and Luckie. McDowell was Luckie's girlfriend.
Prior to McElfresh's testimony, defense attorneys got their chance to cross-examine Chapman.
As she wrapped up direct examination, Chapman said she identified Luckie by his voice.
"It was absolutely Luckie, just the twang in his voice and he had a lisp," she said.
On cross-examination, Whitney asked Chapman how well she knew Luckie and how many times she has seen him.
She said she had "not many conversations" with Luckie and did not tell police her suspicions.
"I was distraught and it didn't click with me," Chapman said.
She said she "put 2 and 2 together" after hearing talk on the street.
Defense attorney Bernie Davis is representing Ramirez. Chapman testified Friday that he had a crowbar up his sleeve.
She previously identified the crowbar as the one police recovered.
"How do you identify a crowbar?" Davis asked.
"All crowbars look the same," Chapman replied.
Davis also asked Chapman about a statement to a police officer in which she said two black men broke into her home. Ramirez is Latino.
Chapman said she didn't remember making that statement.
In the afternoon session, a string of Mansfield police officers took the stand. Lt. Rob Skropits talked to Ramirez at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. Jason O'Neal, one of the victims at a 245 Greenlawn Ave. home invasion two days before the homicide, previously testified he beat Ramirez up after determining he was the culprit.
Ramirez denied being in a fight, telling Skropits he fell out of a tree. Prosecutor Bambi Couch Page projected a picture of Ramirez on an overhead screen. The suspect's face was bloodied and swollen, especially his nose.
"Were his injuries consistent with falling out of a tree?" Couch Page asked.
"No," Skropits said.
The lieutenant said Ramirez's mother took Ramirez to the hospital from her home on Glenbeck Lane. Skropits and Sgt. Ken Carroll went there to see if they could gain more information.
The officers found blood droppings on the porch, but no one answered the door. Skropits said he noticed a black Pontiac that matched the description of the car leaving the scene of the homicide. He said there was blood on the steering wheel and a crowbar on the passenger side floorboard.
Police had the car towed for evidence.
Officer Joe Gladden interviewed O'Neal about his fight with Ramirez.
"He was angry," Gladden said. "He was absolutely convinced this was the person responsible, and he wanted revenge, sort of street justice."
On cross-examination, Gladden said O'Neal told him that Ramirez denied being responsible.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
Twitter: @MNJCaudill
Case background
Marcelluis Luckie, 43, and Christen Ramirez, 36, are charged with two counts of aggravated murder, four counts of kidnapping, aggravated burglary and robbery — all with firearm and repeat violent offender specifications — and tampering with evidence in connection with a June 2015 incident at 222 E. Second St.
In a second case, Luckie and Ramirez are charged with aggravated burglary and two counts of aggravated robbery, both with gun specifications. Ramirez also is charged with a misdemeanor count of injuring animals in connection with a dog that was shot at 245 Greenlawn Ave.
Luckie is facing a complicity count on that charge.
