Johnny S. Clarke & Lisa Straub- young Ohio couple murdered

[pspence]

Trial starts today.... Williams & Pettaway may only have DNA on a cig butt now, once they put all evidence out there I hope there is something in phone recordings to add to evidence.... I have personally heard Williams tell me he would kill someone over 20 bucks! I believe he is very involved.... I also keep thinking Starla married him Dec.12, while in prison..... why? Could it be her female DNA on tape? Was her DNA taken? I can't imagine marrying him while up on murder charge no matter how I felt about somebody till the case was over atleast. Also, letting all 3 children go because of him. Once he was in jail she had oppurtunity to keep them till she married Sam!

QB why is Starla so screwed up? Drugs? What's her story?
So glad you are not hanging with them anymore. Be safe.

[pspence]

(Quoting so pspence realizes what a weird lady she is and how most families have a healthy sense of humor.)

I don't know what is better....being told by FQ2 that I'm normal or being told by the weirdest of the wierd - crackass- that I'm weird. (I admit she is a cool-weird but still a little weird non-the-less).

...I knew mustang was just playing and I knew our buddy night owl took no offense ... ...I just wanted to make sure you did ...I'm glad you did too.

I overreacted ...it's just my ass is still stinging from my own personal scouring from you that I wanted to jump in and protect my buddy night owl. Glad no worries.

[Lady Cop]

i don't want this type of personal bullshit in here. ^

[pspence]

We need some wagering going on.

I would bet the farm that deliberations last no more than 5 hours for each thug and guilty verdicts for both. Slam dunk. My money's on the police and prosecutors.

[Lady Cop]

toledo blade

⁷⁄₂₁

A Newport cigarette butt provides "the untold story of who committed" the slayings of a Springfield Township couple, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor told jurors hearing Samuel Williams' capital murder case Friday.

That cigarette butt, Rob Miller said during opening statements in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, contained the DNA of both Mr. Williams and Cameo Pettaway, who are charged in the Jan. 31, 2011, asphyxiation deaths of Lisa Straub, 20, and Johnny Clarke, 21.

The young couple were found on a floor in her parents' home with plastic bags tied tightly around their necks with duct tape.

"The murderers in the case made a mistake -- a mistake that only time and science can tell you," Mr. Miller said. "You will hear testimony that in the corner of the doorway leading from the kitchen to the garage … police recovered a smoked Newport cigarette butt."

In the weeks and months after the slayings, Mr. Miller said, investigators collected and analyzed numerous fingerprints, handprints, palm prints, and DNA samples from the ransacked house, but none matched any persons of interest -- until last September.

Soon thereafter, Mr. Williams, 24, of 1626 Kelsey Ave., and Mr. Pettaway, 23, of 133 Essex St., were indicted on two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of aggravated burglary.

Assistant Prosecutor Rob Miller demonstrates how Johnny Clarke's hands and wrists were bound with tape the night he and Lisa Straub were attacked in Miss Straub's parents' home. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints
In addition to the genetic evidence, Mr. Miller told the jury, Mr. Williams' guilt will become apparent when jurors hear tape-recorded phone conversations involving Mr. Williams as well as phone records that didn't make sense to investigators initially, but did once Mr. Williams was identified through his DNA.

Defense attorney Jane Roman told the jury that yes, her client's DNA is on the cigarette butt. But she suggested jurors also look at where his genetic signature is missing.

"Anticipate the case will show you the length the Lucas County Sheriff's Department and the [Bureau of Criminal Investigation] went to collect and test items and evidence -- clothing, clothing fibers, plastic bags, fingernails, clippings, hair samples, fingerprints, shoe impressions," she said. "Of all of these items collected during the investigation, none of these items collected and tested can be attributed to Sam Williams other than the cigarette butt."

She urged jurors to pay close attention and use their common sense as the state presents its evidence, which includes DNA found on another cigarette butt that belongs to a known female, as well as DNA lifted from the duct tape used to bind Clarke that is from an unknown female and an unknown male. Neither of those individuals has been identified, she said.

Similar to the case laid out by defense attorneys for Mr. Pettaway on Wednesday, Ms. Roman suggested sheriff's deputies made mistakes, that there were other more likely suspects in the killings, but that detectives zeroed in on Mr. Williams after the DNA test came back to him and Mr. Pettaway.

"The evidence will reveal that nobody knows for sure who is responsible for the untimely deaths of Lisa Straub and Johnny Clarke, but the state will attempt to convince you from their story, from one cigarette butt located at the scene that Samuel Williams is responsible for these crimes," she said. "No other physical evidence can be linked to Samuel Williams, and don't discount that when you are evaluating this case."

After opening arguments, the jury was taken to the Straubs' Longacre Lane home. Jurors were shown the front door Clarke's father kicked in the night of the killings when he was looking for his son and Ms. Straub.

Jurors then were led to the rear of the house and, after putting white paper slippers over their shoes, toured the inside of the home where Clarke's and Ms. Straub's bodies were found.

In his opening statements, Mr. Miller had laid out details of what he called the young couple's "slow, torturous death," saying a deputy coroner would be testifying that both died of asphyxiation caused by a lack of oxygen and of strangulation because of the tightness of the duct tape around their necks.

The Straubs' home, he said, had been ransacked.

"You can infer a ransacked house; the killers were looking for something: drawers opened, clothes thrown about, crawl space exposed," he said. "Looking for money, drugs, looking for something."

Before the jury was led into the courtroom, Judge Dean Mandros cautioned trial spectators to refrain from any inappropriate behavior.

[soothsayer]

We need some wagering going on.

I would bet the farm that deliberations last no more than 5 hours for each thug and guilty verdicts for both. Slam dunk. My money's on the police and prosecutors.

I'll go with short deliberation but acquittal on murder charges. The evidence against them seems like pretty thin soup at the moment, and that duct tape dna is a real problem.

[Duchess]

Slam dunk.

It's not a slam dunk, pspence and frankly I wouldn't want a jury who thought it was given the only thing we've heard is regarding their DNA on a cigarette butt. There is unknown DNA, doesn't that give you pause? I see no proof of their guilt at all...so far.

[justme]

Well---here I am back home from the courthouse---and very dissappointed. Didn't get in. I know someone on the defense team and they said you definately have to be on a list. Even if there are open seats it's only 5 people per each family and media.( Fox news and WTOL (channel 11) are in the Pettaway courtroom) It's because the Clarke family doesn't know how to behave---idiots.

My source also told me the crime scene photos are "horrific". Feel so badly for the Staubs.

Hopefully Mustang is able to go today. I was hoping to meet him at some point.

Ah well---I am hopeful these two will be convicted *fingers crossed*

[misshmarie23]

doesn't that give you pause? I see no proof of their guilt at all...so far.[/i][/size]

I am with you on this one, the only thing that makes them look guilty is the fact that they said they wasnt there at all. Obviously atleast one of them was there because of the DNA on the cig. butt however there DNA ISN'T on anything that was actually used to kill them...I am PRAYING they find the real killers though its scary living in this city knowing there just walking around my town, for all i know they could be a friend. turns out a lot of people i use to be friends with are involved in this one way another. Its just awful. HOPEFULLY the other evidance there holding out on makes a better case.

[misshmarie23]

Ah well---I am hopeful these two will be convicted *fingers crossed*

Thats a bummer I have been waiting for insider, Hopefully they post videos on the news websites like the last ones!

[Duchess]

Obviously atleast one of them was there because of the DNA on the cig. butt

I could have spent time with them at another location, watched them share a cigarette & then taken the butt and left it at the Straubs.

[misshmarie23]

I could have spent time with them at another location, watched them share a cigarette & then taken the butt and left it at the Straubs.[/i][/size]

Do you think the murder was the premeditated that they even planned to plant other peoples DNA at the scene to throw the case off?

[Duchess]

Do you think the murder was the premeditated that they even planned to plant other peoples DNA at the scene to throw the case off?

I was just throwing out some reasonable doubt. The jury would take something like that into consideration.

[misshmarie23]

I was just throwing out some reasonable doubt. The jury would take something like that into consideration. [/i][/size]

I just hope before this is all over with they find out the unknown DNA also.

[ramseycat]

I don't think any of those people are smart enough to premedidate this murder and plant evidence.

[Sonny223]

Very true ramseycat, with that said do you think the accused would be talking in a manner that produced evidence against them?

[Duchess]

I don't think any of those people are smart enough to premedidate this murder and plant evidence.

They got pretty lucky then because I wouldn't convict them knowing what I know right now. I wouldn't even consider sending anyone to death row on the basis of a cigarette butt.

[Sonny223]

Agreed. But that cig butt tells a story. It says the accused did share a cig. Why? I though they were all moneyed up? It was shared in the garage that night because they were figuring out a plan! A plan to fix the mess of not finding any drugs or money with 2 witnesses present. More daunting evidence is coming. Nobody planted that cig butt, theses two boobs shared one while there adrenaline was pumping full blast. I am surprised it's only 1 butt. I was thinking quite a few.

[Duchess]

It was shared in the garage that night

Prove it.

[Sonny223]

I understand your point Duchess, however prove how and why it was planted! And by whom? Retards? All the other evidence coming will seal the deal.