11-27-2011, 11:48 PM
this is a little late, as the first of three defendants' trial ended last week, so bare with me, but there are still 2 defendants to be tried.
a thread with some earlier coverage on this case: Assholes in the News/Kyle Basinger-- "hired by russian mob"
For reference:
![[Image: nh4756418.jpg]](http://www.news-herald.com/content/articles/2011/11/18/news/nh4756418.jpg)
VICTIM: William Andrew Fayne Putzbach, Sept. 26, 1989-Apr. 11, 2011 (age 21) Obituary/Guestbook
![[Image: 33o5wl5.jpg]](http://i44.tinypic.com/33o5wl5.jpg)
DEFENDANTS (L-R): Kyle Basinger (21), Nathaniel Brown (22), Ronald Shirer (22)
Brown & Shirer were roommates at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartments where the murder took place and where the police subsequently found the victim's body.
After being ruled competent to stand trial (in sept.) Nathaniel Brown stood trial beginning November 15.
The News-Herald (a northeast ohio newspaper) has had the most coverage of this case since it broke, and is the source for all articles that i've included unless otherwise specified.
Trial begins for man accused of helping kill William Andrew Fayne Putzbach
By: Tracey Read Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
A Willoughby Hills man on trial in the murder of William Andrew Fayne Putzbach is arguing his two co-defendants are the sole people responsible for the 21-year-old Willowick man’s death.
Nathaniel Brown, 22, is the first of three men to be tried for Putzbach’s killing.
The victim’s body was discovered stuffed in the trunk of his car April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
The victim met Basinger, Brown and Shirer at the apartment on April 10 to buy marijuana. The trio brought duct tape, a four-foot chain and a hammer belonging to Brown to Putzbach’s car, Kowall said.
“A $20 quick marijuana deal doesn’t go down like that,” the prosecutor said.
Instead, Basinger got in the seat behind the victim. Shirer sat in the front passenger side and Brown got in the rear seat behind Shirer, Kowall said.
“Kyle Basinger produces this chain,” said the prosecutor. “He tightens it around Will Putzbach. Will’s not going very easy. There’s a struggle. He’s kicking and he’s flailing around. He kicks the windshield lever, he kicks the dome light, and he kicks Ronald Shirer’s glasses off. He’s fighting for his life.”
Kowall said Basinger then repeatedly asked Putzbach for the PIN to his ATM card. After the victim complied, the chain was loosened up, the prosecutor said.
However, at some point in the struggle, Brown struck Putzbach with a hammer on the side of the head six or seven times, Kowall said.
“What kills Will Putzbach is the lack of blood to his brain,” the prosecutor said.
After the victim died, Kowall said Basinger duct taped his wrists behind his back.
Basinger then got gas with Putzbach’s money, emptied the victim’s personal items at a Willoughby Hills park, stuffed his body in the trunk and went back to the apartment, Kowall said.
“Over the next few days, believe it or not, Kyle drives that car around,” the prosecutor said.
He also bought items — including an iPod — with the victim’s money, police said.
*FULL ARTICLE
Jury sent home early for the day in Nathaniel Brown trial
By: Tracey Read Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Jury sees Nathaniel Brown's police interview in murder trial
By: Tracey Read Published: Friday, November 18, 2011
Nathaniel Brown claimed he had no idea his co-defendant was planning on robbing and killing William Andrew Fayne Putzbach.
That's according to a taped interview played for the jury Thursday on the third day of Brown's murder trial.
Putzbach's body was found stuffed in the trunk of his Pontiac Grand Am April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
Brown — who was employed at a Mentor factory and was supposed to start service for the Army in August — is the first of three men to be tried for the homicide.
Brown is heard on the tape telling several different versions of what happened the night of April 10.
However, he never claimed direct responsibility.
At first, he told Willoughy Hills Detective Dave Broadwater he and Ronald Shirer, his temporary roommate at the Willoughby Hills Towers, weren't even in the victim's Pontiac when he was killed.
He later admitted all three were inside the car, but insisted that Kyle Basinger, a 21-year-old Euclid man Brown had met six months before, was solely to blame.
Brown told the detective that Basinger asked him and Shirer to come with him while he bought about $110 worth of marijuana from Putzbach.
Broadwater asked what happened when Brown got in the car with the three other men.
"He starts talking to the dude for a couple minutes," Brown said. "He pulls out this chain and starts strangling him. It was kind of like, shock. You're not really believing what you're seeing. You can't move.
"He was talking about the Russian mob or whatever. He took the dude's wallet."
Broadwater then asks, "Any other instrument used to kill him?"
Brown paused before saying, "Yeah. A hammer. He choked the dude. He picks up the hammer. Hits him in the head. Shirer was kinda the way I was — in a state of shock."
Brown said Basinger then went to get gas with the victim's money and went to Squire's Castle in Willoughby Hills to throw out personal items of Putzbach's that had been in the trunk.
*FULL ARTICLE
Nathaniel Brown guilty on all counts
By: Tracey Read Published: Monday, November 21, 2011
![[Image: doc4ecab7d483475333465507.jpg]](http://news-herald.com/content/articles/2011/11/21/news/doc4ecab7d483475333465507.jpg)
Nathaniel Brown slumped his body over and hung his head after a jury convicted him Monday of murdering William Andrew Fayne Putzbach.
After learning Brown was guilty on all counts, the victim’s mother, Cathy Fayne of Cleveland, shouted out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Brown, 22, of Willoughby Hills, was the first of three men to be tried for the murder.
The body of the 21-year-old Willowick man was discovered stuffed in the trunk of his car April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
“I’m just ecstatic that justice has been served,” Fayne said. “The evidence was overwhelming, but you never know.”
Throughout the trial, Putzbach’s family members packed the audience.
“It was just a very tragic incident to all the parties involved,” Chief Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Karen Kowall said. “It’s a crime that shocks the sensibilities. It’s frightening. The biggest question in this case was, why?”
Defense attorney John Luskin said he respects the jury’s verdict.
“They deliberated a good eight hours,” he said.
Brown was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, six counts of murder, aggravated robbery, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault and gross abuse of a corpse.
Co-defendant Ron Shirer, 22, of Willoughby Hills, is scheduled to be tried Jan. 24 on the same charges.
The alleged ringleader, 21-year-old Euclid resident Kyle Basinger, is set for trial Feb. 6.
Basinger is accused of strangling Putzbach with a chain around his neck to get him to reveal his debit card PIN on April 10.
Brown told police Basinger also repeatedly hit the victim in the head with a hammer, but prosecutors said Brown himself used the hammer.
Brown — whose bond has been revoked — could be sentenced to life in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 19 by Judge Richard L. Collins Jr.
*FULL ARTICLE
a thread with some earlier coverage on this case: Assholes in the News/Kyle Basinger-- "hired by russian mob"
For reference:
VICTIM: William Andrew Fayne Putzbach, Sept. 26, 1989-Apr. 11, 2011 (age 21) Obituary/Guestbook
DEFENDANTS (L-R): Kyle Basinger (21), Nathaniel Brown (22), Ronald Shirer (22)
Brown & Shirer were roommates at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartments where the murder took place and where the police subsequently found the victim's body.
After being ruled competent to stand trial (in sept.) Nathaniel Brown stood trial beginning November 15.
The News-Herald (a northeast ohio newspaper) has had the most coverage of this case since it broke, and is the source for all articles that i've included unless otherwise specified.
Trial begins for man accused of helping kill William Andrew Fayne Putzbach
By: Tracey Read Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
A Willoughby Hills man on trial in the murder of William Andrew Fayne Putzbach is arguing his two co-defendants are the sole people responsible for the 21-year-old Willowick man’s death.
Nathaniel Brown, 22, is the first of three men to be tried for Putzbach’s killing.
The victim’s body was discovered stuffed in the trunk of his car April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
The victim met Basinger, Brown and Shirer at the apartment on April 10 to buy marijuana. The trio brought duct tape, a four-foot chain and a hammer belonging to Brown to Putzbach’s car, Kowall said.
“A $20 quick marijuana deal doesn’t go down like that,” the prosecutor said.
Instead, Basinger got in the seat behind the victim. Shirer sat in the front passenger side and Brown got in the rear seat behind Shirer, Kowall said.
“Kyle Basinger produces this chain,” said the prosecutor. “He tightens it around Will Putzbach. Will’s not going very easy. There’s a struggle. He’s kicking and he’s flailing around. He kicks the windshield lever, he kicks the dome light, and he kicks Ronald Shirer’s glasses off. He’s fighting for his life.”
Kowall said Basinger then repeatedly asked Putzbach for the PIN to his ATM card. After the victim complied, the chain was loosened up, the prosecutor said.
However, at some point in the struggle, Brown struck Putzbach with a hammer on the side of the head six or seven times, Kowall said.
“What kills Will Putzbach is the lack of blood to his brain,” the prosecutor said.
After the victim died, Kowall said Basinger duct taped his wrists behind his back.
Basinger then got gas with Putzbach’s money, emptied the victim’s personal items at a Willoughby Hills park, stuffed his body in the trunk and went back to the apartment, Kowall said.
“Over the next few days, believe it or not, Kyle drives that car around,” the prosecutor said.
He also bought items — including an iPod — with the victim’s money, police said.
*FULL ARTICLE
Jury sent home early for the day in Nathaniel Brown trial
By: Tracey Read Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Jury sees Nathaniel Brown's police interview in murder trial
By: Tracey Read Published: Friday, November 18, 2011
Nathaniel Brown claimed he had no idea his co-defendant was planning on robbing and killing William Andrew Fayne Putzbach.
That's according to a taped interview played for the jury Thursday on the third day of Brown's murder trial.
Putzbach's body was found stuffed in the trunk of his Pontiac Grand Am April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
Brown — who was employed at a Mentor factory and was supposed to start service for the Army in August — is the first of three men to be tried for the homicide.
Brown is heard on the tape telling several different versions of what happened the night of April 10.
However, he never claimed direct responsibility.
At first, he told Willoughy Hills Detective Dave Broadwater he and Ronald Shirer, his temporary roommate at the Willoughby Hills Towers, weren't even in the victim's Pontiac when he was killed.
He later admitted all three were inside the car, but insisted that Kyle Basinger, a 21-year-old Euclid man Brown had met six months before, was solely to blame.
Brown told the detective that Basinger asked him and Shirer to come with him while he bought about $110 worth of marijuana from Putzbach.
Broadwater asked what happened when Brown got in the car with the three other men.
"He starts talking to the dude for a couple minutes," Brown said. "He pulls out this chain and starts strangling him. It was kind of like, shock. You're not really believing what you're seeing. You can't move.
"He was talking about the Russian mob or whatever. He took the dude's wallet."
Broadwater then asks, "Any other instrument used to kill him?"
Brown paused before saying, "Yeah. A hammer. He choked the dude. He picks up the hammer. Hits him in the head. Shirer was kinda the way I was — in a state of shock."
Brown said Basinger then went to get gas with the victim's money and went to Squire's Castle in Willoughby Hills to throw out personal items of Putzbach's that had been in the trunk.
*FULL ARTICLE
Nathaniel Brown guilty on all counts
By: Tracey Read Published: Monday, November 21, 2011
Nathaniel Brown slumped his body over and hung his head after a jury convicted him Monday of murdering William Andrew Fayne Putzbach.
After learning Brown was guilty on all counts, the victim’s mother, Cathy Fayne of Cleveland, shouted out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Brown, 22, of Willoughby Hills, was the first of three men to be tried for the murder.
The body of the 21-year-old Willowick man was discovered stuffed in the trunk of his car April 17 at the Willoughby Hills Towers apartment complex.
“I’m just ecstatic that justice has been served,” Fayne said. “The evidence was overwhelming, but you never know.”
Throughout the trial, Putzbach’s family members packed the audience.
“It was just a very tragic incident to all the parties involved,” Chief Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Karen Kowall said. “It’s a crime that shocks the sensibilities. It’s frightening. The biggest question in this case was, why?”
Defense attorney John Luskin said he respects the jury’s verdict.
“They deliberated a good eight hours,” he said.
Brown was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, six counts of murder, aggravated robbery, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault and gross abuse of a corpse.
Co-defendant Ron Shirer, 22, of Willoughby Hills, is scheduled to be tried Jan. 24 on the same charges.
The alleged ringleader, 21-year-old Euclid resident Kyle Basinger, is set for trial Feb. 6.
Basinger is accused of strangling Putzbach with a chain around his neck to get him to reveal his debit card PIN on April 10.
Brown told police Basinger also repeatedly hit the victim in the head with a hammer, but prosecutors said Brown himself used the hammer.
Brown — whose bond has been revoked — could be sentenced to life in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 19 by Judge Richard L. Collins Jr.
*FULL ARTICLE