Brooks sentenced to 30 years for murder of Alesha Bell, other offenses against women

JEFFERSON

James E. Brooks of Roaming Shores will be in prison for 30 years, including eight for the death of Warren teenager Alesha Bell.

Brooks pleaded guilty Tuesday in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court to charges of involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping of Bell, 18.

Brooks, 42, formerly of Warren, also pleaded guilty to gross abuse of Bell’s corpse and guilty to compelling women to engage in prostitution out of his rural home on U.S. Route 6 in Ashtabula County.

Taylor Cleveland, a detective with the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office said, however, he does not believe Bell was ever a part of Brooks’ prostitution ring.

Instead, he believes Brooks lured Bell into a trap other young women told investigators started out with Brooks giving the appearance of being interested in them romantically only to have Brooks later demand they engage in prostitution for him.

Cleveland said Brooks had an “extensive presence on an online dating site,” and investigators interviewed two women Brooks dated in that way.

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