Court weighs possible testimony of wife of man accused of murder

WARREN

Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court had a hearing today to begin to determine whether the wife of a man charged with murder will testify in his trial, set for Sept. 8.

Diana Settle, 41, wife of Michael B. Settle, 27, of Sherman Avenue in Niles, told Judge Kontos she agreed to testify at her husband’s trial “to do the right thing.”

The trial had been scheduled to begin last Monday afternoon but was rescheduled as a result of a meeting among the attorneys and Judge Kontos Monday morning.

John Juhasz, attorney for Michael B. Settle, filed a motion May 1 asking that the judge inquire of Diana Settle as to whether she wished to testify, and also asked for an order precluding her from testifying on the grounds that she is Michael Settle’s wife.

Under questioning by Judge Kontos Friday, Diana Settle said she and Michael Settle were married June 23 — 10 weeks after Michael Settle purportedly shot James R. Levels, 64, of Warren to death and injured Lisa Prater, 48, in Prater’s South Street home April 7.

Diana Settle said she spoke with detectives once about the case before they got married and again about July 1, after their marriage. Michael Settle was arrested about July 23.

Read more about the case in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.