PHOTO CAPTION: "Brent
Houdeshell, 29, of Arlington, is seen in court Wednesday as a Hancock
County jury returns a guilty verdict on all counts in the case of a
2-year-old boy’s death.Houdeshell was convicted of murder, tampering
with evidence and child endangerment, all felonies...After less than five hours of deliberation, a Hancock County jury
found Brent Houdeshell, the 29-year-old Arlington man accused of killing
a 2-year-old child, guilty on all counts Wednesday. The charges include murder, an unclassified felony; child endangerment, a
second-degree felony; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree
felony. Houdeshell was charged with killing Breydon Ferrell, the son of
Houdeshell’s former fiancee, on March 31, 2016, at a Findlay apartment. The child’s mother, Alisha Young, cried quietly as the verdict was read
in Hancock County Common Pleas Court. She declined to comment. A sentencing date has not been set. Under Ohio law, an unclassified
murder charge requires a life sentence, with at least 15 years to be
served. “We’re thinking very much of the child and the child’s mother here,”
Assistant Hancock County Prosecutor Steve Powell said after the verdict.
“We feel there is justice for that.” Houdeshell and his lawyer, Adam Nemann, appeared surprised by the verdict. Nemann said he planned to file an appeal. “My client and I were both stunned by this verdict,” Nemann said. “He maintains his innocence and he does to this day.” The jury deliberated from 11:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m. Deliberations began
after the attorneys presented their closing arguments Wednesday
morning. Assistant Hancock County Prosecutor Colleen Limerick said the state had
shown beyond a reasonable doubt that Houdeshell abused Breydon, killed
him, and deleted text messages that were important to the investigation. She said the defense’s claim that Breydon fell out of his crib, causing a
brain injury and fracturing his leg in the process, was preposterous. Limerick also pointed to Houdeshell’s changing statements to police. Prosecutors also pointed to evidence presented by three medical experts
called by the state: Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a pathologist and deputy
coroner from the Lucas County Coroner’s Office; Dr. Randall S.
Schlievert, a specialist in child abuse pediatrics at St. Vincent
Medical Center, Toledo; and Dr. Jamie Downs, a medical examiner,
forensic pathologist and medical legal consultant. All three agreed that Breydon’s death was a homicide. Schlievert and
Downs both said Breydon’s injuries were consistent with child abuse. All
three testified that the break in Breydon’s leg would have been
incredibly painful, and said that disproved the defense’s claim that
Breydon walked, talked, and ate ice cream after the boy fell from his
crib. Limerick also pointed to Houdeshell’s “calm demeanor” the night that Breydon died. Defense counsel Nemann told jurors that Houdeshell was innocent, and the
state had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Houdeshell caused
the boy’s injuries. Nemann said there was no evidence presented by the state to show why
Houdeshell would have wanted to harm Breydon. He said there was no
evidence presented by prosecutors to show a history of child abuse, nor
was there any evidence that Houdeshell was under the influence of drugs
or alcohol during the incident. Houdeshell told police he drank alcohol
earlier in the day, but officers said he did not appear drunk while they
were at the apartment. Nemann also showed text messages that showed flirtation between
Houdeshell and Young the night of the boy’s death, including a text
Houdeshell sent to Young stating that he was naked on a couch. Nemann
argued that Houdeshell would not have sent a message like that to Young
directly after killing her child. Nemann also said that Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist who
testified Tuesday for the defense, agreed with Houdeshell’s claim that
Breydon fell out of his crib and hit his head while falling down. “This was a tragic accident,” Nemann told the jury."
http://thecourier.com/breaking-news/2018/01/17/closing-arguments-presented-in-houdeshell-trial/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
