Sims murder trial enters second day

March 31, 2016 at 12:02a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Anastasia Wilson testified Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that she does not own a television and does not follow the news.

But she does know how to handle an M-16. And because of that, she was able to identify a shell casing that prosecutors say came from the October 2014 shooting death of Shaniece Wells, 23, at a home in the 800 block of East Wilson Avenue.

Keith Sims, 27, of Ford Avenue, is on trial in the death of Wells, who died at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital of injuries she suffered Oct. 25, 2014, outside of Sims’ home. Prosecutors say the shooting occurred after an argument and near-fight between two groups of women that began as a dispute over noise.

Jury selection was wrapped up Monday before Judge Maureen Sweeney, and Wednesday was the second day jurors heard testimony. Sims faces charges of murder and felonious assault with a firearm specification. Prosecutors said Wells was shot outside the home, then taken by car to Akron Children’s Hospital and from there sent to St. Elizabeth.

Wilson said on Oct. 27, 2014, she was waiting for the bus at Zedaker and Boston avenues that would take her to classes at Youngstown State University. Because it was a nice day, she sat under a tree, which is where she found a shell casing. She photographed it with her phone and called police, Wilson testified.

Wilson testified she never picked up the casing, nor did she move it, but she may have bumped it. The location is near where the shooting occurred.

Prosecutors said the casing is from a .380-caliber round, the kind of ammunition used in the gun that fired the shot that killed Wells as well as the type of ammunition that was found at Sims’ home when police served a search warrant.

Under cross examination from defense attorney J.P. Laczko, Wilson said she did not know there was a shooting there because she has no television and does not keep up with the news.

But she did say she knows how to identify shell casings, because she was in the Army National Guard for six years. Although her duties were first in the band and later administration, she said all guard personnel had to qualify at least once a year to use an M-16 rifle.

“Even the band and the admin people have to qualify once a year on the M-16,” Wilson testified.

Also testifying was city police Detective Sgt. William Ward, the uniform supervisor for the South Side, who was one of the first officers on the scene after the shooting was reported. Ward testified that when he was there with other officers, they found shell casings and a blood stain on a sidewalk.

Ward testified that a short time after he got there, he was informed that the Ohio State Highway Patrol found the car Wells was transported in at Akron Children’s. Ward also said the shooting scene also was nearly devoid of onlookers, which he said is unusual.

Prosecutors said in opening statements Tuesday that Wells was shot by Sims after the argument was over and the threat of danger had passed.