COLUMBIANA COUNTY Judge sets trial date for murder suspect

The judge gave permission to take the deposition of a police officer who was at the scene.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A Knox Township man charged with aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder will go on trial July 1.
Judge David Tobin of the Columbiana County Common Pleas Court set the trial date during a hearing Thursday for Gregory Doak, 44, who was indicted last week.
Judge Tobin also approved county Prosecutor Robert Herron's request to take a deposition from Patrolman Kevin Moore of the Alliance Police Department.
Herron requested the deposition because Moore is a member of the Air National Guard and is expected to be deployed out of the area before month's end.
After the hearing, Herron wouldn't elaborate on why he wants to question Moore.
He did say, however, that Moore was part of an Alliance police team that stormed the mobile home where Doak was arrested April 7.
Charges
During a preliminary hearing in county municipal court April 24, a Columbiana County sheriff's department investigator said Doak confessed to an Alliance police officer that he had shot Teresa Stoffer, 42, of Knox Township.
Doak is charged with aggravated murder in Stoffer's death. He is charged with attempted aggravated murder involving his estranged wife, Angela Doak, 39, of Knox Township.
In addition, Doak is charged with aggravated burglary and violating a protection order.
Authorities allege that Doak went armed with a rifle April 7 to a trailer park along U.S. Route 62 seeking to kill Stoffer and his wife, both of whom lived in the park.
Doak encountered Stoffer first and shot her because he believed she had interfered with his marriage, authorities said.
Stoffer and Angela Doak were friends and neighbors.
After slaying Stoffer, Doak shot his way into his wife's trailer just as she fled out another door.
Doak hunted for his wife throughout the park. When he failed to find her, he returned to her trailer and shot himself.
Police stormed the trailer and arrested him without incident.
Doak, who is recovering from his wounds, is in the county jail without bail.