Man charged with killing jogger asks for expert witness

Staff report

WARREN

Russell Lauer III, 43, of Cortland, who is charged with killing a jogger along Ridge Road in Fowler Township in February, was allowed to hire pharmacist Robert J. Belloto as an expert witness for his defense.

Belloto, of Beavercreek, Ohio, is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and part-time principal of Beloto Research and Consulting, which provides forensic toxicology consultation concerning drug effects.

Atty. Brendan Keating, Lauer’s court-appointed attorney, sought Belloto’s help to interpret toxicology results. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that Lauer’s blood-alcohol level was 0.077, and it had a concentration of oxycodone of 51.60 ng/ml shortly after the Feb. 27 accident.

Lauer is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, leaving the scene of an accident and a driving-lane violation in the accident that killed Brittany Szwedko, 27, of Cortland.

Judge Peter Kontos approved the hiring of Belloto at a rate of $250 per hour and a retainer of four hours. He will be paid $1,500 per day if he is called to testify at trial.

Lauer’s case is scheduled for a Sept. 12 pretrial hearing and a trial Sept. 26.