Prosecution lacks physical evidence in Higham case

Prosecution lacks physical evidence in Higham case

YOUNGSTOWN — The live-in girlfriend of David Sharpe will be the key prosecution witness against him in a 2001 murder, but her testimony will be corroborated by other witnesses, a top prosecutor said.

David Sharpe is charged with murder in the 2001 drowning and dismemberment death of 15-year-old James P. Higham.

Jennifer Lynn Snyder will provide the main testimony against Sharpe, said Robert E. Bush Jr., chief of the criminal division in the Mahoning County prosecutor’s office.

He said today he has made no plea-deal offers to Snyder in exchange for her testimony.

He said physical or scientific evidence, if any, will be minimal, and the prosecution’s case will rely on witnesses’ recall of events. Bush said he expects eight to 12 witnesses to testify for the prosecution.

“It’s a circumstantial case. ... You just have to build it block by block,” he said. “You have to tell the story as to what happened with Jimmy,” he said.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.