Rosebrook trial to start Sept. 12

Prosecutors claim Rosebrook, while serving a 10-year prison sentence at London Correctional Institution after being convicted in 2005 in another murder-for-hire scheme in Logan County, hired Chad South to kill a Daniel C. Ott, who had turned state’s evidence against him in the case.

South was an inmate at the same state prison until March 2006 and had also spent time with Rosebrook in the Logan County Jail.

But instead of killing Daniel C. Ott, who would have been nearly 70 years old in 2006, South invaded the Claridon Troy Road home that 31-year-old Daniel E. Ott shared with his girlfriend, Maryann Ricker, and murdered him.

CHAD SOUTH

In June, South was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and killing of Daniel E. Ott and the kidnapping of Ricker. After serving a minimum of 28 years in prison, South will have a chance for parole.

Wednesday, a trial management conference took place in Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge David Fuhry’s courtroom. Rosebrook was in attendance accompanied by his attorney, Henry Hilow.

“We’re set to go to trial Sept. 12 and the court is ready,” Fuhry told the parties. “I do want to remind counsel that I don’t have a large enough facility here to bring in a great big pool of jurors. The most I can accommodate — and even that’s a stretch — is to bring in 30 to 31 prospective jurors.”

If a jury is unable to be selected Sept. 12, Fuhry said he had additional prospective jurors he could bring in the next day.

Fuhry also said he had provided the lawyers with a proposed questionnaire that jurors would be given when they reported for duty. The questionnaire would determine whether prospective jurors had seen, read or heard anything about the case so they could be quizzed.

Ohio Assistant Attorney General Paul Scarsella informed the court prosecutors recently had provided the defense with additional computer discs containing conversations between Rosebrook and another individual that provided some background to the case.

Scarsella estimated the state’s case would take four days. Hilow estimated potentially one day for the defense’s case.

“It’s also contingent on who the state calls,” added Hilow.

A status conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 7.

Asked if either side had anything else it wanted on the record, Hilow told Fuhry the parties have maintained communication throughout the case.

“We very well may be meeting with the government and the prosecutors before that date (Sept. 7) also,” he said. “I just want the record to reflect that this isn’t a situation where either side is waiting for the 7th of September to consummate some business, but it’s been an ongoing process and relationship, and I just wanted the record to be clear on behalf of both sides that that’s being done.”

“The state would whole-heartedly agree there’s been a lot of cooperation on both sides throughout the pendency of this case,” Scarsella added.

CARL ROSEBROOK

MINDY MOCK STANIFER

ALVA JACOBS

Rosebrook’s brother, Carl Jeffrey Rosebrook, was the alleged moneyman in the scheme and was responsible for paying South the money. His case is set for trial Oct. 11 in Fuhry’s courtroom.

Mindie Mock Stanifer, the woman who drove with South to Burton Township to murder Daniel C. Ott, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for her role in the crime. Prosecutors had argued Stanifer helped aid in the murder for drugs and money. She had pleaded guilty in May to one count of involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping, and two counts of obstruction of justice.

The third person in the car, Alva Jacobs, 35, of Huntsville, Ala., was sentenced to 30 days in the Geauga County Safety Center after pleading guilty to first-degree misdemeanor obstruction of justice.

“I’m very sorry to the Ott family for this incident. I regret the day that I ever met Chad South,” Jacobs told Fuhry at his sentencing.