State v. Lewis

2019 Ohio 4081
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided September 30, 2019·No. 18 MA 0059·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Lewis, 2019-Ohio-4081.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT MAHONING COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.

WALLACE LEWIS,

Defendant-Appellant.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Case No. 18 MA 0059

Criminal Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas of Mahoning County, Ohio Case No. 2016 CR 1024A

BEFORE: David A. D’Apolito, Cheryl L. Waite, Carol Ann Robb, Judges.

JUDGMENT: Affirmed.

Atty. Paul J. Gains, Mahoning County Prosecutor, and Atty. Ralph M. Rivera, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, 21 West Boardman Street, 6th Floor, Youngstown, Ohio 44503, for Plaintiff-Appellee and

Atty. Rhys Cartwright-Jones, 42 North Phelps Street, Youngstown, Ohio 44503, for Defendant-Appellant. –2–

Dated: September 30, 2019

D’Apolito, J.

{¶1} Appellant, Wallace Lewis, appeals from the March 26, 2018 judgment of the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas sentencing him for murder with a repeat violent offender specification and tampering with evidence following a jury trial. On appeal, Appellant asserts that there was insufficient evidence that he was the perpetrator, that the jury manifestly lost its way in rendering a guilty verdict, that his speedy trial rights were violated, and that the trial court’s imposition of a repeat violent offender specification was made without adequate findings. For the reasons stated, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} On October 27, 2016, the Mahoning County Grand Jury filed a 13-count indictment against Appellant and two co-defendants, Felicia Ward and Calvin Shelton, involving the death of Howard Ramey (“the victim”). Appellant was indicted on four counts: count six, murder, a felony including 15 years to life in prison, in violation of R.C. 2903.02(A) and (D); count seven, murder, a felony including 15 years to life in prison, in violation of R.C. 2903.02(B) and (D); count eight, felonious assault, a felony of the second degree, in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2) and (D); and count nine, tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree, in violation of R.C. 2921.12(A)(1) and (B). Counts six, seven, and eight included repeat violent offender specifications pursuant to R.C. 2941.149. Appellant was appointed counsel and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. On May 8, 2017, Appellant filed a waiver of his right to a speedy trial. {¶3} A jury trial commenced on December 5, 2017. {¶4} Appellee, the State of Ohio, presented 82 exhibits and 13 witnesses: Latise Mahinparvar, the victim’s daughter; Officers David Wilson, Kenneth Garling, Brad Ditullio, Gregg Miller, and Ronald Barber, with the Youngstown Police Department; Devita Richard, a friend of the victim’s; Felicia Ward and Calvin Shelton, Appellant’s co- defendants; Traci Mitchell, a friend of Ward’s; Andrew Sawin, a forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation; Chris Mackey, a rental store manager; and Joseph

Case No. 18 MA 0059 –3–

Felo, M.D., forensic pathologist and chief medical deputy examiner for the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office. {¶5} Appellant, Ward, and Shelton stayed at the victim’s home prior to his murder. In exchange for living there, they were supposed to help the victim with the bills. Ward testified that Appellant also gave the victim crack cocaine. Ward indicated that Appellant and Shelton sold crack cocaine from the victim’s residence. {¶6} Sometime prior to the murder, Mahinparvar testified that Appellant called her and told her that her father, the victim, owed him money. Mahinparvar stated that Appellant “told [her] he was going to do something to [her father] if * * * [her father] didn’t pay him[.]” (12/5/17 Jury Trial T.p. 180). Mahinparvar testified that she was at her father’s home on August 4, 2016, and witnessed an argument between Appellant and her father. Appellant tried to give the victim crack cocaine but the victim wanted money instead. {¶7} On August 9, 2016, Officer Wilson responded to the victim’s residence. The nature of the call regarded “[u]nwanted subjects at a house and a homeowner [the victim] wanted them removed.” (T.p. 202). Officer Wilson “observed a male black and a female black in the back of the house.” (Id.) The black male was identified as Appellant. Officer Wilson told the subjects that the homeowner did not want them there and they left the residence. {¶8} At some point thereafter, Ward testified that she, Appellant, Shelton, and the victim were inside the victim’s home. Ward observed Appellant and Shelton “beating” the victim in one of the bedrooms. (T.p. 257). At first, Appellant and Shelton were beating the victim with their fists and kicking him. Ward indicated that Appellant and Shelton then moved the victim into the living room and began beating him with a hose from the vacuum. The victim could no longer defend himself and was barely moving. Ward told Appellant to stop and he replied, “shut the f**k up * * * [and that] [h]e’d kill me too.” (T.p. 311). Shelton tied the victim’s hands and feet with a cord from the stereo system. Ward saw Appellant and Shelton take the victim out to the patio. Ward “assumed” that Appellant and Shelton then took the victim in the basement while she remained in the living room. (T.p. 262). Before leaving the victim’s house that day, Ward indicated that she wiped down several surfaces that she had touched.

Case No. 18 MA 0059 –4–

{¶9} Ward subsequently found out that the victim was dead and asked Appellant about it. Ward testified that Appellant replied, “He said he had to; [the victim] was going to tell on him.” (T.p. 272). About one week after the incident, Ward overheard Appellant tell Shelton “that he cut [the victim] and there was a lot of blood.” (T.p. 273). {¶10} According to Shelton, after the police left the victim’s residence on the night at issue, he, Appellant, and Ward returned. Arguments ensued between Ward and the victim and between Appellant and the victim. Shelton testified that Appellant and the victim started fighting. Appellant was punching and kicking the victim but the victim was unable to fight back. The victim ended up falling to the ground and Appellant continued kicking him. {¶11} Shelton admitted to tying the victim’s hands and legs together with some speaker wire. Shelton testified that Appellant then carried the victim into the basement. Appellant later came up from the basement with a knife. (Defendant’s Exhibit 2). Shelton observed Appellant standing at the kitchen sink pouring bleach over the knife. Id. During a birthday party for Appellant, Shelton indicated that Appellant told him that “[h]e had to get rid of [the victim].” (T.p. 426). {¶12} Mahinparvar had grown concerned after not speaking with her father for several days. Devita Richard lived on the same street as the victim. Richard called Mahinparvar to check on Mahinparvar’s father because Richard believed something had happened to him. On August 12, 2016, Mahinparvar called the police. {¶13} Officer Garling responded to the call and found the victim dead in his basement fruit cellar. Officer Miller also arrived, took photographs of the victim’s residence, the large amount of blood spots, the knife, etc., and filled out a crime lab sheet. (State’s Exhibits 3-32, 43-53). Appellant’s cell phone revealed a post from his Facebook page which said, “Lord, have mercy on my soul.” (T.p. 177, 353; State’s Exhibit 33-34). Officer Ditullio photographed Appellant, namely the injuries to his hands. (State’s Exhibits 35, 36, 37). Officer Barber also responded, was the lead detective on this case, and compiled a 19-page report. (State’s Exhibit 82). {¶14} DNA standards were taken for the victim, Appellant, Ward, and Shelton. (State’s Exhibits 54, 59-61). Forensic scientist Sawin testified that the data collected is “not sufficient for comparison.” (T.p. 490).

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