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Seman indicted in fire that killed 3; faces death penalty
Seman Indictment
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Court of Common Pleas document outlining the Indictment of Robert A Seman, Jr., regarding charges of murder.
Robert Seman Indicted
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Robert Seman was indicted on aggravated murder and arson charges today by a Mahoning County grand jury for a March 30 fire that killed a 10-year-old witness who accused him of rape as well as her grandparents. Seman, 46, of West Calla Road in Green, faces three counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Corinne Gump, 10, and her grandparents William and Judith Schmidt in the Schmidt's Powers Way home just hours before jury selection was set to begin in Seman's trial.
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The suspect in the rape of a 10-year-old girl, who died in a fire just hours before his trial was to begin, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of bribery pertaining to that trial. Robert Seman, 47, of West Calla Road in Green, entered not guilty pleas at his arraignment on two counts of bribery before Judge Shirley J. Christian in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. His attorney Tom Zena.. was with him.
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Robert Seman would be eligible for the death penalty, if convicted, under six specifications after being indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury.
Thursday’s indictment alleges that Seman set a fire that killed three people, including a 10-year-old girl he is accused of raping, the day the trial in that case was to begin.
Seman, 46, of West Calla Road in Green Township, is indicted on 10 counts of aggravated murder, three counts of aggravated arson and three counts of aggravated burglary.
Seman was to go on trial March 30 on rape charges involving Corinne Gump. But Corinne and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, died in a fire at the Schmidts’ Powers Way home hours before jury selection was to begin. Seman was under house arrest at the time. His bond was then revoked, and he was placed in the Mahoning County jail.
Prosecutors said in a news conference that lab tests showed gasoline was used to start the fire and two 5-gallon cans of gasoline were found close to the house. There also was evidence that Seman had tampered with the ankle bracelet he wore while on house arrest awaiting his rape trial.
Prosecutor Paul J. Gains praised the cooperation of several law-enforcement agencies in building the case against Seman.
“Everybody put their egos aside,” Gains said.
Gains said he would not discuss specific evidence, saying that will come out during the trial process. He said he understood some people think it took a long time to charge Seman in the blaze, but prosecutors and law enforcement wanted to make sure lab tests from samples taken at the fire scene were finished before the case was presented to a grand jury. Those test results came back this week.
“We weren’t in a rush,” Gains said.
Besides the lab tests, investigators also served a search warrant at Seman’s home a couple of days after the fire but would not say what they were looking for. That warrant was sealed by the common pleas court judge who issued it at the request of prosecutors.
Fire department Capt. Alvin Ware, who heads up the arson unit, said he and others wanted to rule out any accidental causes for the blaze before looking for signs it was arson. The furnace, hot-water tank and gas lines were checked to make sure they weren’t the cause, Gains said.
“We had to sift through the debris to see if it was an accident,” Ware said.
Ware would not say if the gasoline was poured inside of the house or outside. Gains said the aggravated-burglary charge is because Seman used stealth or deception to get onto the property — not that he somehow got inside.
The grand jurors found Seman is eligible for the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder because they charged he killed the witness to a crime; killed a person younger than 13; killed two or more people; killed someone in the commission of another felony, which in this case means aggravated arson or aggravated burglary; wanted to escape prosecution from a crime; and used premeditation.
Gains said he would not speculate on whether Seman acted alone. He said the case still is being investigated and anyone with information should get in touch with him.
Gains and Ware both also said despite the fact the fire killed a witness in a criminal case, they tried not to rush to judgment when the investigation began, although Gains did call it an “odd set of circumstances.”
Gains thanked the county sheriff’s office, the city fire and police departments and the state fire marshal’s office as well as the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
In the rape case, Seman faces life in prison if convicted. Bribery counts also were filed against him in April because prosecutors said Seman tried to bribe his ex-wife with money to tell prosecutors Corinne lied about the sexual assaults. Prosecutors said Thursday that the ex-wife told police about the bribe attempt at the fire scene that morning.
Seman’s attorney also has filed a motion to dismiss the rape case because Corinne is unavailable to testify. Prosecutors have filed a response in opposition. Judge Maureen Sweeney has yet to rule on the request.