COLUMBIANA COUNTY Judge keeps man jailed in fatal Knox shooting

The defendant pleaded innocent to the charges.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A Knox Township man accused in a shooting death won't be getting out of the Columbiana County Jail any time soon.
Judge C. Ashley Pike of common pleas court has upheld a decision previously made by another judge to keep Gregory Doak, 44, in the county lockup without bail.
County Prosecutor Bob Herron successfully argued for the no-bail status at an April 24 hearing before Judge Robert Roberts of county municipal court.
Herron wants Doak held without bail because he believes he poses a risk to the community.
Sought bail
During Doak's arraignment hearing Monday, his court-appointed defense attorney, Chris Amato of Wellsville, asked that bail be set for his client.
The no-bail hearing in municipal court offered flimsy, unsupported evidence, Amato said.
But Judge Pike said he preferred upholding Judge Roberts' decision.
Judge Pike noted that Doak's attorneys may argue further for bail during an upcoming pretrial hearing set for Thursday.
The case is assigned to Judge David Tobin of common pleas court.
At the arraignment, Doak pleaded innocent to charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and violation of a protection order.
He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted of the aggravated murder and a 10-year maximum term if convicted of the attempted aggravated murder.
What's alleged
Authorities say Doak went armed April 7 to a trailer park along U.S. Route 62 in Knox Township.
He went there intending to kill his estranged wife, Angela Doak, 39, and her friend and neighbor, Teresa Stoffer, 42.
Both women lived at the park. Doak believed Stoffer had interfered with his marriage, investigators said.
Doak first encountered Stoffer outside her trailer and fatally shot her with the .223-caliber rifle he was carrying, authorities said.
He then shot his way into his wife's trailer as she escaped out another door, authorities said.
Doak hunted for her unsuccessfully in the park. He returned to her trailer and shot himself several times.
He was hospitalized for several days after the shooting.
The burglary charge stems from his entering his wife's trailer, authorities say.
Protection order
The protection order violation is based on authorities' accusation that Doak went within 100 yards of his wife. A protection order issued two days before the shooting forbade that type of contact.
He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on the burglary charge and six months on the protection order violation.
leigh@vindy.com