YOUNGSTOWN Jury to begin deliberations in murder trial

All but two of the victim's ribs were fractured.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN -- A jury was to begin deliberating today whether a man is a brutal killer or the victim of a sloppy investigation.
Michael Hogan, 38, of Boardman, is accused of running over a 71-year-old man who was trying to recover his wife's purse. He's charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
John K. Ruble Sr. and his wife, Louise, of Struthers, had gone to a recycling center at the Boardman fire station on South Avenue around 1 p.m. May 31, 2002.
According to testimony, Ruble was first dragged, then crushed beneath a 1987 navy-blue Cadillac Fleetwood.
His injuries
Assistant prosecutor Jeffrey Limbian recounted Ruble's injuries to the jury: Twenty-two of his 24 ribs had fractures, 15 ribs had two fractures, and three ribs had three fractures.
"He was crushed and he died because he could not breathe," Limbian said.
Hair found on the vehicle was also tied to Ruble's DNA. The car had marks on it left by it striking a flagpole and a mailbox at the scene, Limbian argued.
A belt loop missing from the denim shorts Ruble wore was later found near the car's catalytic converter.
"There is no doubt this belt loop came from these shorts," Limbian said.
But defense attorney James T. Hartford noted that a investigative diagram of the shorts showed no loop was missing.
Hartford told the jury it had heard a "rush to judgment."
Investigators identified Hogan as the suspect within 20 minutes of the crime and decided to prove his guilt, Hartford argued.
The defense lawyer asked why evidence was found on the vehicle after Hogan supposedly cleaned it. A cleaning pad was found in the car but was never tested for DNA, said Hartford. He noted a number of other pieces of evidence were never tested.
Witnesses also gave different descriptions of the color of the vehicle and the race of the driver.
Reporter questioned
Vindicator reporter JoAnne Viviano was called to testify Thursday as a rebuttal witness for prosecutors.
She was questioned about an Aug. 4, 2002, story she wrote after interviewing Hogan at the Mahoning County Jail, where he was being held pending his trial. In the story, Hogan denied any involvement with Ruble's death and claimed to have been at home sleeping at the time. Hogan had filed a notice of alibi that he was at home at the time of the crime, and Limbian was hoping to disprove that.
Hartford, a veteran assistant prosecutor, said that it was rare for a defendant to contact a newspaper to profess his innocence.
Judge James C. Evans is presiding over the case.