Brother of Howland murder defendant says prosecution is waste of money

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

Mike Hamad, brother of Nasser Hamad, spoke outside of the courtroom, saying the prosecution of his brother on murder charges is a waste of taxpayer money.

“Five people jump one guy. Luckily, he’s still alive,” he said Wednesday. He defended himself, and “unfortunately two people got shot and died. But what would you do?”

He said in the days before the shootings, Howland police apparently didn’t think the conflict between his brother and a group of people associated with his girlfriend was serious enough to stop.

His brother, 48, of state Route 46 in Howland, is facing two counts of aggravated murder and several counts of attempted aggravated murder in the Feb. 25 confrontation at his house that killed two young men and injured three other people.

Nasser Hamad is set to go on trial Oct. 10 in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. Before Wednesday, it had been set for Sept. 18.

Police say the five people went to Hamad’s house in an ongoing dispute. They arrived after Facebook exchanges earlier in the day in which both sides taunted the other to fight.

Upon their arrival, one of the five had a fistfight with Hamad, police said. After it ended, Hamad went in his house, got a gun and fired numerous shots at the five, who had returned to their vehicle, police said.

If convicted, Hamad could get the death penalty.

He and his family recently hired two additional lawyers, and both appeared for the first time in the case Wednesday.

In addition to Geoffrey Oglesby of Sandusky, who has represented Hamad since shortly after he was charged, Robert Dixon and David Doughten, both from Cleveland, were at the hearing.

Chris Becker, assistant county prosecutor, told the judge prosecutors still have a few reports to turn over to Hamad’s defense and are waiting for a ballistics report from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Judge Rice set a deadline of June 30 for any additional motions to be filed in the case, a July 21 hearing on motions and an Aug. 31 final pretrial.