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CHAD SOUTH |
CHARDON — A woman, whose boyfriend was the mistaken target of an accused hitman, recounted the harrowing events of May 26, 2006, in the first day of Chad South’s aggravated murder trial.
Maryann Ricker, a beautician and lifelong Geauga County resident, recalled hearing a single gunshot as she laid cowering in an air mattress on the living room floor of the couple’s Burton Township residence, Geauga Maple Leaf reports.
She was able to overcome her fears and emerged from the bed to find her boyfriend, Dan Ott, 31, on the floor of the mudroom covered in blood.
She also watched out a window as the gunman fled out the lane in a maroon Ford Taurus sedan.
Mr. South, 46, is on trial for two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
Authorities allege he conspired with former Logan County chop shop operator Joe Rosebrook while the two were in prison together to kill convicted car theft Daniel Ott of Akron.
He allegedly lost the information on the intended target and ended up killing the wrong Dan Ott.
Joe Rosebrook, 60; his brother, Carl “Jeff” Rosebrook, 58; and Mr. South’s former girlfriend, Mindi Mock Stanifer, 37, of Westmoreland, Tenn., also have been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
Alva Jacobs, 35, of Huntsville, Ala., is charged with felony obstructing justice.
Their trials are pending.
Other witnesses slated to testify include Logan Countian Curtis Frazier and former Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith LeVan.
The bench trial is before Geauga County Common Pleas Judge Forrest W. Burt.