Bond is delayed for jailed suspects
Both suspects remained quiet during the hearing.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The county prosecutor says the two suspects accused of killing a 57-year-old Howland Township man could face the death penalty.
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said Donna Roberts, 57, of Fonderlac Drive, Howland, and Nathaniel Jackson, 29, of Wirt Street, Youngstown, face aggravated murder and aggravated burglary charges. Court officials said the case will be presented to the grand jury, who will decide if there is sufficient evidence to indict the pair on capital charges.
They are accused of killing Roberts' husband, Robert S. Fingerhut.
Since the two could face the death penalty, Watkins asked Judge John Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court not to set bond.
The judge agreed and said he would discuss the bond issue at a later date. They are in Trumbull County Jail.
No plea: Roberts and Jackson appeared Friday before Judge Stuard. Since it was an initial appearance, neither had to enter a plea, court officials said.
The complaint filed by the prosecutor's office accuses Roberts and Jackson of killing Fingerhut on Dec. 11.
Both Jackson and Roberts remained silent during the brief hearing.
Photograph: Atty. Anthony Consoldane of the Ohio Public Defender's Commission, who represents Jackson, told the judge that police photographed an injury that Jackson had on his finger. Consoldane said police did not have permission to do so.
Consoldane declined to say what type of injury his client has or how he was injured.
Police also declined to say why they photographed the injury.
Police said Jackson and Roberts were friends. Jackson recently had been released from prison. Officials would not say how the two knew each other.
Howland Police Chief Steve Lamantia and Sheriff Thomas Altiere declined to give specifics about the arrests.
Affidavit: Atty. J. Gerald Ingram, who represents Roberts, objected to the release of an affidavit filed by the prosecutor's office, saying information in it may make it difficult to seat an impartial jury in the county.
Watkins objected, saying the affidavit is public record.
The judge said he will have a hearing on the matter Dec. 31.
What happened: Roberts called 911 at 12:25 a.m. Dec. 12 to report that she found her husband's body when she returned home.
Police said that it did not appear that anyone broke into the home but that a car belonging to Fingerhut had been stolen. The car was found at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 on Pershing Street in Youngstown.
Police think Fingerhut was shot with a handgun. The weapon has not been recovered, officials said. Police spent several hours Friday searching for the weapon. They were looking in an area off state Route 82 in Howland.
Township police obtained a copy of a report filed Nov. 26 by Roberts with Warren police. The report says Roberts said her handgun was stolen while she was at a convenience store in Warren.
Lamantia said he was pleased that arrests were able to be made so quickly.
"Our two detectives, Paul Monroe and Frank Dillon, and Gary Bacon and the other detectives from the sheriff's department, Jeff Hoolihan of Warren City and the Ohio State Highway Patrol did a terrific job," Lamantia said. "We also had members of the Violent Crimes Task Force assisting us. This was a great effort by everyone involved."
Fonderlac Drive runs behind the Howland branch of the Butler Institute of American Art in an upscale neighborhood. Neighbors say Fingerhut and Roberts lived there about 2 1/2 years and did not have any children.
Fingerhut managed the Greyhound bus stations in Warren and Youngstown, police said. Roberts also worked at the bus stations, officials said.
sinkovich@vindy.com