Task force marks anniversary with confession videos

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Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins handed out awards to police investigators who successfully brought criminals to justice in three Warren homicides in the past year and remembered the work of several other investigators over the past 25 years.

Richard Cordray, Ohio’s attorney general, was keynote speaker.

The awards were handed out Tuesday at the 25th anniversary banquet of the Trumbull County Homicide Investigation and Prosecution Task Force at Cafe 422.

Detectives Wayne Mackey, Mike Stabile and Sgt. Michael Merritt were recognized for their work in the prosecution of Ardeed Mitchell for murdering Fred DeVengencie at Freddie’s Diner on North Park Avenue in August 2008.

Lt. Gary Vingle and U.S. Marshals Task Force members Bill Boldin and Brian Holmes were honored for their work in finding Ronald Stahlman in Arizona nearly 30 years after he fled the area after a fight on Main Avenue Southwest that killed 18-year-old Bernard Williamson.

And Warren police officer Mike Krafcik was honored for his work in the prosecution of Beau Palmer in the killing of a man on Logan Avenue Northeast in Warren.

Detective Mike Currington was awarded for his work on a murder case in which a man walked into police headquarters and admitted that he had killed two people in Warren.

Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper William Bancroft and Warren Patrolman Ben Harrell were honored for solving fatal traffic accidents. Bancroft’s case involved a fatality in Brookfield Township.

Because the dinner marked the 25th year of the task force, Watkins showed portions of several videotaped confessions that were used over the years to secure convictions in murder cases.

Watkins recognized former Warren police detectives Thomas Stewart, Morris Hill and Dennis Steinbeck for their work in the Danny Lee Hill murder case in 1985. It was the first Trumbull County case that utilized a videotaped confession, Watkins said.

Bill Seese was recognized for his videotaped interrogation of Charles Lorraine, who was later sent to Death Row for killing Raymond and Doris Montgomery in 1986.

Sgt. Don Hyde and former Maj. Jim Phillips were honored for getting a confession from Sean Carter in the killing of his grandmother in Southington in 1997.

Hubbard Township Detective Mike Begeot and Chief Todd Coonce were also honored for getting videotaped confessions from three of four participants in the 1995 murder of Ann Serafino. Jason Getsy was executed for killing Serafino.

Watkins also recognized Dale Laux, a longtime forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, for his career service.