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Jury deliberations begin in Dillard murder trial
The defendant faces 15 years to life if he’s convicted.
LISBON — A prosecutor gave a lesson in Scripture and Ohio law during the closing arguments in the murder trial of Eric Dillard.
Defense lawyer James Hartford had quoted from Proverbs about biblical standards for relations among mankind.
But John Gamble, the chief assistant in the Columbiana County prosecutor’s office, quoted from Exodus Chapter 20, which contains the Ten Commandments, one of which says, “Thou shall not kill.”
Dillard, 31, of 906 Commerce St., Wellsville, is on trial in common pleas court, charged with murder in the shooting of his business partner, Jamie Farley, 35, of East Liverpool, about 10 p.m. April 22, 2008.
That murder charge carries a gun specification, and Dillard also is charged with illegal possession of a weapon because of a previous drug conviction. He could receive 15 years to life imprisonment if convicted of the murder charge, plus additional time for the gun specification and charge of illegal gun possession.
Atty. Doug King also has assisted in Dillard’s defense.
The jury received the case early Thursday afternoon and began deliberations that ended about 5 p.m. Jurors resume deliberations today.
Hartford reprised for the jury how Dillard testified that Farley kept inching toward him outside Dillard’s home.
Dillard contended that Farley had his right arm behind him as he said, “I’m going to kill you, dog.” Dillard has maintained he shot Farley in self-defense.
Farley had paid Dillard $20,000 to buy and resell clothing but was dismayed at the lack of a promised financial return.
The only gun found at the scene was the one Dillard fired, however. “This is not the Wild West,” Gamble said. “We do not dispense frontier justice.”
Gamble added that Dillard “took matters into his own hands.”
The prosecutor said that the specifics of the charge against Dillard contend he purposefully shot Farley.
Three shots were fired by Dillard. Gamble said the first two hit Farley and the third probably went astray when the gun recoiled.
Gamble told the jury there are laws on the use of deadly force. Dillard, he said, did nothing to withdraw from the area.
“Words alone do not justify deadly force. That’s the law,” Gamble said. “No matter how provocative, threats or abusive language do not give a man the right to shoot me through the chest.”
When alerted that Farley was coming to his home, Dillard did not contact police but put his girlfriend and their child in a vehicle, who drove away.
“Why didn’t he call the police?” Gamble asked the jury. “The Eddie Dillard you don’t see is the real Eddie Dillard who shines when the lights go out.”
Hartford dismissed much of the case against his client.
Dillard’s cell phone was seized after the shooting.
Hartford questioned why there were phone calls made on Dillard’s phone after his arrest. Gamble said authorities were probably trying to see who had been calling Dillard.
wilkinson@vindy.com