State v. Blackwell

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 1451

Syllabus

Joinder; Crim.R. 14; identity; Evid.R. 404(B); manifest weight of the evidence. Defendant appealed convictions including two aggravated murders that were tried together despite occurring on different days at different locations. Appellant argued court erred in denying motion to sever trials and convictions were against manifest weight of the evidence. Evidence of the first murder was admissible under Evid.R. 404(B) to prove identity in the second murder, meaning joinder of trials was not prejudicial to defendant's right to a fair trial. Defendant's convictions were not against the manifest weight of the evidence where he admitted lying to investigators, none of the first victim's DNA was found on defendant in support of a self-defense claim, and the same firearm he used to kill the first victim was used to kill the second.