WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.879 Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence, and is 2 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.679 not intended for all audiences. 3 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:14.119 Listener discretion is advised. He came over in the corner 4 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:19.719 with a hammer and just started beating me, unmercifully, just 5 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:23.960 beating me and beating me, and the blood was discussing. 6 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:27.480 He said, all of you have just stitched. 7 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:45.000 Me, and I've got to kill you. 8 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:50.079 You've likely heard the phrase kindness is its own reward. 9 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.399 This is a belief many of us have. They good 10 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:57.399 deeds might bring a little good karma, and then helping 11 00:00:57.520 --> 00:00:59.880 someone in need is just the right thing to do. 12 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:06.400 Most of the time that belief proves true, but not always. 13 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:11.519 Sometimes kindness is twisted into something dark and ruthless. A 14 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:14.599 simple favorite can spiral into a choice that should never 15 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.359 have been made. There's another saying, one that speaks to 16 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:23.560 the crueler side of fate. No good deed goes unpunished, 17 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:28.480 and in the rarest most brutal cases, an act of 18 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:33.200 generosity doesn't only lead to regret. It leads to suffering. 19 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:38.959 It leads to bloodshed, it leads to death. 20 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:43.200 This is Guardian Medical. Do you dispatch for medical police 21 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:46.760 or is it an different number? Okay, we have a 22 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:49.719 medical alert for client at forty four Cleveland Street. 23 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:55.159 At around two am on November sixth, twenty fifteen, in Youngstown, Ohio, 24 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:57.840 nine to one one Dispatch received a call from the 25 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:02.719 healthcare provider, Guardian Medical. They requested that an ambulance be 26 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:05.159 said to the home of one of their clients. 27 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:06.799 Okay, what's going on there? 28 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.840 We had the medical alert to go off and we 29 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.919 did not be seeper response over the phone or over 30 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:15.520 the two way And can you tell me about the 31 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:20.159 patient here or honestly I'm showing is that she has 32 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:25.960 MS and cannot walk and the age they have bound 33 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.599 is forty one. 34 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.560 What's her name, Erica Huff. 35 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.039 After this call came in, an ambulance was quickly dispatched 36 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.240 to the home of forty one year old Erica Huff. 37 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.000 Guardian Medical call, They want you to go to forty 38 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:42.520 four Cleveland Street. 39 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:44.479 The alarm went off there. 40 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:47.520 And they didn't say what was wrong, right, No, they 41 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:49.080 didn't make any contact with her. 42 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:54.280 It's a forty one year old female, Erica Huff. She 43 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:58.479 has MS and cannot walk. Yeah, I think we've been 44 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.000 there before. Forty four Cleveland right. 45 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:02.400 Good. 46 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:03.360 More than thank you. 47 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:06.800 This wasn't the first time emergency services had been called 48 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.960 to Erica's house, and on the surface, it seemed like 49 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:14.120 just another routine call. But in less than two hours, 50 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.960 that assumption would be shattered. What started as a simple 51 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:24.840 ambulance dispatch spiraled into chaos. Three ambulances, two fire trucks, 52 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:29.520 and several police officers would descend on Erica's home. Among 53 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:32.199 the many people who arrived was a homicide detective. 54 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:37.080 My name is Ron Roadway, my official title. In twenty fifteen, 55 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.639 I was detective sergeant with the Youngstown Police Department, assigned 56 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:44.680 to the homicide bureau. Erica Huff was a forty one 57 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:47.639 year old who resided on the south side of Youngstown. 58 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:52.199 She had a severe handicap and health issues. She had 59 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:59.240 multiple carosis ms, she was bedridden. She didn't live by herself, 60 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:03.199 but she had health aids with her. Her mother was 61 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:05.000 pretty active in her life, helping her out. 62 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:08.240 Erica Huff relied on a wheelchair to get around and 63 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:12.680 needed daily assistance with even the most basic tasks like bathing, 64 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:17.279 preparing meals, and doing laundry, things most of us take 65 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:21.720 for granted. Living with multiple sclerosis is no walk in 66 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:25.680 the park. The disease, which attacks the brain and spinal cord, 67 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:30.519 can cause extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, severe pain, and a 68 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:35.399 host of other debilitating symptoms. Fortunately, Erica had a loving 69 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.199 mother and stepfather who cared for as well as in 70 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:42.879 home caregivers from the company comfort Keepers who checked on 71 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:47.040 her regularly. Perhaps the hardest part for Erica wasn't her 72 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.319 own suffering, It was the fact she couldn't care for 73 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:54.000 her five year old daughter. Her illness made motherhood an 74 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.920 uphill battle, forcing her to rely on her mom and 75 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.000 stepdad to raise the little girl. No matter how much 76 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:03.720 she loved her child. Multiple sclerosis had stolen the simple 77 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:07.560 joys of being a hands on parent. But despite all 78 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:12.600 these challenges, Erica did her best to push through each day. Then, 79 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:17.920 on November sixth, twenty fifteen, her already challenging life turned 80 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:19.120 into a nightmare. 81 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.360 On November sixth, twenty fifteen, the first call I Believe 82 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:27.279 went out around two o'clock in the morning two o'clock am. 83 00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:30.439 It was a medical alert from the home of Erica 84 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:35.839 Huff on Cleveland Street. EMTs and an ambulance responded to. 85 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:40.319 The home that morning. Erica's life Alert necklace was activated 86 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.360 triggering an ambulance dispatch. For the next hour or so, 87 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:49.279 all was quiet. The responding paramedics never requested assistance or 88 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:53.519 called in an update. Then, at around two forty five am, 89 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:57.240 nine to one one received a second call, this time 90 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:01.519 from a man named Lonnie Johnson Town One. 91 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:05.959 Yeah, this is Lonnie, forty four Cleveland. My wife come 92 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:07.040 over because of my daughter. 93 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.639 Her daughter's along with a house, and so she came 94 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.240 over here to see what's going on. And then it 95 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.879 was taking so long. Each time I called, nobody answered. 96 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:18.560 So I came over here and she hollered, run run, 97 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.439 and she screamed aloud, and I'm not gonna set the door, 98 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:23.120 but the lights are off. Now. 99 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:24.720 I don't know what's going on in that house. 100 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.720 I don't want to go in there. And some that 101 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:27.360 and happened. 102 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.040 I need to cop to come to forty four Cleveland 103 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:31.560 Street in Youngstown, Ohio. 104 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:33.680 Okay, are you still there? Though? 105 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.839 Yeah, I'm I'm I'm about maybe a two or three 106 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:44.319 colleagues away from that house. Because Ronnie Johnson Jr. 107 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:46.279 She screamed and told me. 108 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:49.600 To run run Lonnie, run, And. 109 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:50.879 I went to go to the door and I turned 110 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:53.240 around and called come back and call you guys cause 111 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:55.920 something and then the light everything is off in that house. 112 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:56.720 The light's off. 113 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:58.639 I don't know what's going on. I need some help. 114 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.560 Okay, Wellsten, tomw okay, ca very please. 115 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.360 Following Lonnie's call, police were sent to Erica's house, but 116 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:11.839 their arrival wasn't as fast as Lonnie had hoped. 117 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:13.800 Yankstown nine on one. 118 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.079 Yeah, I just called out long ago and asked him 119 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:19.360 for a police to come the forty fourth Cleveland Street. 120 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:20.480 They're on their way. 121 00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:26.600 Okay, oh wow, okay, okay bye. 122 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:31.439 Growing impatient, Lonnie called nine one one a second time. Meanwhile, 123 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.759 dispatchers were struggling to understand why police were being sent 124 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.680 to the same address where an ambulance had already been dispatched. 125 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.439 Why hadn't they heard anything from the paramedics on scene. 126 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:48.040 Did you transport the lady from forty four Cleveland or Cleveland? 127 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:52.720 Oh that was the medical warm Yeah. 128 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:53.079 No, it was false alarm. 129 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:56.279 Oh okay, it was a false alarm. Once we finally 130 00:07:56.279 --> 00:07:58.600 go out there, it was false. They didn't take her nowhere. 131 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:03.279 Strangely, the ambulance paramedics reported the initial call as a 132 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:06.920 false alarm, but when police showed up about an hour later. 133 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:12.279 It was immediately obvious that something was terribly wrong. Smoke 134 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:16.319 was pouring out of Erica's windows. Her house was on fire. 135 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:21.040 Officers quickly requested fire trucks and more ambulances. 136 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:23.920 I think we need you back at forty four Cleveland. 137 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:25.879 Okay, what's going on there? 138 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.920 Okay? I sent you guys there before for an alarm, 139 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:31.079 and now the police were called there. 140 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.759 Some guy called the police there and they're saying there's 141 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:34.799 a deceased female. 142 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:37.000 Oh, I don't know. 143 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.039 They got the fire department on the way there now 144 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:42.559 and to gain entry to get into then too ambulances. 145 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.639 I don't know what's going on, and I think for 146 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:46.279 two yes. 147 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:51.320 Not long after arriving on scene, the responding police officers 148 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:56.159 made a chilling discovery. They found a dead body. 149 00:08:57.399 --> 00:08:58.320 I still don't know. 150 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:00.679 He was saying there was a dead body there, didn't 151 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:04.080 I asked for the fire department, and then I asked 152 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:05.200 for another ambulance. 153 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:06.639 Yeah. 154 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:10.919 Now markets got unseen and said that there's an occupied 155 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.000 structure fire there. 156 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.960 We only sent one truck. We didn't call for no. 157 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:18.440 Yeah, now they're calling for another a go on. 158 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:24.679 Now they're requesting ladder truck and battalion too. So I'm 159 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.679 not sure exactly what's going on. I just wanted to 160 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:30.399 give you a headtipths Inspire Department is involved and there's 161 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:31.320 a dead body there. 162 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:36.799 As more cops, firefighters, and paramedics arrived, dispatchers scrambled to 163 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:41.240 gather information, trying to make sense of the chaos, but 164 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.480 one detail stood out. The original emergency call had been 165 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:50.080 dismissed as a false alarm. But why what had actually 166 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.200 happened with the first ambulance? 167 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:54.320 What do they have going on there? 168 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:56.159 Okay, they got a medical alarm. 169 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:58.200 They fed at fifty five to fifty five, got there, 170 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.399 said it was a false alarm, goes they're not something door, 171 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:05.159 somebody says run, he calls unknown trouble. They get there 172 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.279 and say they have a dead female. They have a 173 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:10.799 dead female there, apparently that's what they officer said when 174 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:14.279 they got there. Okay, that's all they know that a 175 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:15.159 dead femail enough. 176 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:17.399 How did you guys determine that it was a false 177 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:19.320 alarm on Cleveland Street? 178 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:24.279 They actually, our courage just told us that a thirty 179 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:27.200 something or so. Your old male he answered the door 180 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:30.200 and said everything's fine. 181 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:31.360 It was a false alarm. 182 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:35.519 Thirty something ish year olds he may have thirty something 183 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:36.720 year old male right. 184 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.320 Answered the door and said everything was okay. It was 185 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:40.320 a false Yeah. 186 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:44.159 It turned out that when paramedics reached Erica's home, a 187 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:49.039 man waved them off, insisting there was no emergency. Without 188 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:53.840 verifying anything, the paramedics left, never checking on Erica, never 189 00:10:54.120 --> 00:11:00.919 stepping inside her house. That decision would prove to be disastrous. Eventually, 190 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:04.480 Detective Ron Roadway arrived on the scene and spoke with 191 00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:08.200 the responding officers. It began trying to make sense of 192 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:08.840 the mayhem. 193 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:13.720 Officers were dispatched to the Cleveland Street residents. When they arrived, 194 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:16.360 they of course were going to run the primitive house. 195 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:19.960 They heard and then noticed that the air conditioning y'ared 196 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.360 out of one of the bedrooms was being pushed out. 197 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:24.600 We got there. It was weird. 198 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:28.159 You hear the alarm going off, and we go to 199 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:30.200 the back and then Thowe was trying to push out 200 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:31.360 the air conditioner in the back. 201 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:32.279 Uh huh. 202 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:33.919 And we opened the. 203 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:36.559 Window and ripped the air conditioner out, pulled this woman 204 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:38.879 out and she was bloody head to toe, and then 205 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:40.159 the other woman within their dead. 206 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:42.919 And that's when they made entry into the house and 207 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:46.360 discovered two victims in the house. 208 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:50.919 As officers approached the back of the burning home, they 209 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:54.399 spotted movement. A person was trying to escape the house 210 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.879 by pushing an air conditioner out of a window. Police 211 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:01.519 rushed to assist, pulling a bloody woman from the bedroom window. 212 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.879 She'd been beaten nearly to death. Inside that same room, 213 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.080 lying on the floor and surrounded by flames, was another woman. 214 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:17.200 She was dead, her body was battered, her skin singed 215 00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:20.879 by the growing fire. The police pushed into the house 216 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:23.759 through the back door. In the dining room, they found 217 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:29.639 yet another person, a man collapsed under a table, seemingly unconscious. 218 00:12:30.360 --> 00:12:34.240 Our guys went there for unknown trouble. Founded deceased female, 219 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:38.120 fears to be beaten to death. Found another female beat 220 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:42.080 almost to deaf. Found a male almost almost dead. They 221 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:44.639 not really sure what happened with him. And their house 222 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:47.000 was on fire. Somebody set the house on fire trying to. 223 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:47.519 Cover it up. 224 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:51.799 No shit, Yeah though, fd's trying to put the fire 225 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:53.279 out without disturbing the crime. 226 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:53.960 Scene too much. 227 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:56.960 But we got at least one dead right now and. 228 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:58.080 Two that are circling the drain. 229 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:01.919 In total, three people were pulled from Erica's burning home, 230 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.639 two women and a man. One of them had already 231 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:08.720 lost their life, and the two others were rushed to 232 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:12.799 a nearby hospital. As firefighters worked to put out the fire, 233 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.559 Detective Ron Roadway prepared for what he knew would be 234 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.120 a long, grueling investigation. By the time the case was closed, 235 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:26.440 multiple charges had been filed, including murder and attempted murder, 236 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:31.120 and in the end, thanks to the relentless efforts of investigators, 237 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:37.080 a violent and ruthless killer would face the ultimate punishment. 238 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:13.320 On the morning of November sixth, twenty fifteen, an ambulance 239 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:16.559 was dispatched to the home of forty one year old 240 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:22.120 Erica Huff, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, but when the 241 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.840 paramedics arrived, a man outside the house waved them off, 242 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:31.360 insisting there was no emergency and that Erica was fine. 243 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:34.519 They left without ever stepping inside. 244 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:38.159 Okay, Originally, at two o'clock we got a call from 245 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:40.240 the medical alarm people. 246 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:43.120 Guardian Medical said that there was an. 247 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:46.919 Alarm and they didn't have any contact with the person 248 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:48.679 that living at that house, so I had to send 249 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.360 an ambulance. 250 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:50.559 There was a medical alarm. 251 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:55.360 The ambulance responded and they cleared it. Some guy answered 252 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:58.080 the door when they got there and said that it 253 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:01.240 was a false alarm. Everything was okay and send them away, 254 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:03.480 and then all hell broke loose. 255 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.679 Shortly after paramedics drove away, a chilling nine to one 256 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:12.159 one call came in. This time it wasn't a request 257 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:15.440 for an ambulance, it was a call for police. 258 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.440 And then almost an hour later I looked up in 259 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:22.200 the addresses on the screen again, this guy named Ronnie 260 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:25.519 call and he said that he got to the door 261 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:26.879 somebody yelled run. 262 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:30.759 The house was dark and he didn't know what was 263 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:33.480 going on. So that's when she put in unknown trouble. 264 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:36.799 Officers responded to the call, unsure of what they were 265 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:40.639 walking into. When they arrived, they found part of the 266 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:45.159 house was on fire. Before the flames spread, they managed 267 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.519 to pull two women from the home. Both had been 268 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:53.639 savagely beaten, their bodies drenched in blood. One of them 269 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:59.039 was dead and the other was barely clinging to life. Eventually, 270 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:03.639 a Youngstown, oh Ohio prosecutor joined the investigation, and the 271 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:08.799 deceased woman's identity was confirmed. It was Erica Huff. 272 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:13.240 My name is Don Candello Mesa. In twenty fifteen, I 273 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:17.679 was the chief trial Counsel for the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office. 274 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:21.360 In twenty fifteen, Erica Huff was forty one years old. 275 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:26.279 She was a mother, a sister, a daughter, as she 276 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:31.279 lived in Youngstown, Ohio. She had debilitating MS and she 277 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:35.159 was in a wheelchair at that point. She hadn't always 278 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:38.360 been in a wheelchair, but at that point she was, 279 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:41.879 and she had some home health care aids that would 280 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:44.600 come and help her get ready for bed and cook 281 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.639 and do other things around the house. She had a 282 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:52.600 five year old daughter who stayed with her parents, also 283 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:57.120 in Youngstown, and she would visit often with her daughter, 284 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:02.080 but she needed care to help her do everything from 285 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:02.679 day to day. 286 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:06.559 The woman who had survived the brutal attack was Erica's mom, 287 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:11.240 sixty eight year old Denise Johnson. She had been beaten 288 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:13.799 nearly to death before the fire broke out. 289 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:20.680 Denise Johnson was Erica Huff's mother. She was retired, I 290 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:24.799 believe at the time, but she had taken on a lot. 291 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:31.960 So when Erica went to a wheelchair and had to 292 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:37.000 sort of give up custody of her child to her parents, 293 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:42.079 Denise had retired and she was with Erica's stepfather at 294 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:46.960 the time, Lonnie Johnson, and they lived in Youngstown and 295 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:48.799 took care of Denise's daughter. 296 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:52.680 Erica's five year old daughter depended on her grandmother Denise 297 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:58.000 and her stepgrandfather, Lonnie Johnson for care Erica's illness made 298 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.640 it impossible to raise the little girl alone, and her 299 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:05.519 parents took on the role of primary caregivers while also 300 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:10.680 assisting Erica with her daily needs. They were devoted, loving people, 301 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:17.640 but on that horrific morning, tragedy struck. Erica was found 302 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:21.400 dead in her bedroom, beaten so severely that she never 303 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:26.000 stood a chance, and as if that wasn't enough, the 304 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.279 killer had set the house on fire to cover up 305 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.920 the crime. With Denise barely alive and rushed to the hospital, 306 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:38.839 police turned to the only person left the question, Erica's stepfather, 307 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:43.799 Lonnie Johnson, at seventy six years old. He was brought 308 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:46.680 to the station for an interview with the homicide detective 309 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:48.079 Ron Roadway. 310 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:53.039 From what we understand, your wife's daughter, your stepdaughter. Her 311 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:55.839 name is Erica huff Aza Gras and she lives at 312 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.759 forty four Cleveland Street. 313 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.400 She suffered from MS Is that correct? Yeah, she has okay, 314 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:06.079 pretty bad. Advanced her some wheelchair to the bulls to 315 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:10.400 the wheelchair okay, and she can't walk. She had people 316 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.039 coming even clean her up, and she can't even walk. No, 317 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.440 she can't take a step. 318 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.119 And I believe comfort Keepers is one of the companies 319 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:18.079 that comes in and takes. 320 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:18.279 Care of her. 321 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:23.279 Detectives started with routine background questions before shifting to what 322 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:28.359 really mattered. The morning of the attack. Annie explained that 323 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:31.000 he'd been asleep at home when it all began. 324 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:35.839 And it's my understanding somewhere shortly around two o'clock this morning, 325 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:39.920 your stepdaughter wears a medical alert, and that medical alert 326 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:44.400 went off. Rural Metro Ambulance Company was notified, and your 327 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:45.319 wife was notified. 328 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.000 Is that correct. I'm assuming you folks were sleeping when 329 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.079 you got the call. Oh yeah, okay. And then your 330 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:54.160 wife gathered herself together and went over to the house. 331 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.200 Yes, she said, on the wool and turned that alarm off. 332 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.359 Now doesn't go awful lot? 333 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:01.480 Is that something what happened every now and then? 334 00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:04.119 But she went over the forty and pushed a button, 335 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:05.720 you know, took care of it, right. 336 00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:09.960 But she said that you stay home with the granddaughter, 337 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:13.079 Erica's daughter and stays with us ninety five percent of 338 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:15.680 the time, right, And she said, you stay with her 339 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:18.279 because I don't want to wake up and we're both gone, right, 340 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:19.720 And I said okay. 341 00:20:20.759 --> 00:20:24.759 When Erica's life alert necklace was triggered, the healthcare company 342 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:30.720 Guardian Medical was notified, as was Erica's mom. Without hesitation, 343 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:34.119 Denise got out of bed, got dressed, and rushed out 344 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.480 to check on her daughter. Before she left, she told 345 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.559 Lonnie to stay behind so that Erica's daughter wouldn't be 346 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:45.319 left home alone. He agreed, but as time passed and 347 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:52.519 Denise didn't return, Lonnie grew uneasy. Something felt wrong. He 348 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:54.400 decided to go to Erica's house himself. 349 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:57.279 About fifteen to twenty minutes so, I said, you know, 350 00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:59.079 let me get in the truck in gold and see 351 00:20:59.079 --> 00:20:59.759 what's going on. 352 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:02.880 When you first got there, he walked up to the 353 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:05.880 front door. That's right, okay. Did you go in the house. 354 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:06.920 Did you knock on the door? 355 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:07.359 No? 356 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.720 I went to reach for the door to open it 357 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:12.720 and thought it was over right, and she said no, run. 358 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:13.799 Did you see your wife? 359 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.440 Just hear her? 360 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.759 I just heard her, okay, So you never actually made 361 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:18.920 it through the threshold, and made it through the threshold. 362 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:21.480 Was the door completely closed the entire time you were there. 363 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:22.920 I didn't get a chance to touch it. I went 364 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:24.039 to reach for it was closed. 365 00:21:24.119 --> 00:21:25.920 Yeah, it was closed, Yes, sir, it was closed. 366 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.440 And basically what you heard was run, Lonnie, Run run. 367 00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:30.440 I told you to run. 368 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:32.559 And so now when you when you heard her say that, 369 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.640 I mean, you automatically assumed there was something something wrong. 370 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.200 So I turn around and I parked the car and 371 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:41.039 I called nine one one. 372 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:45.279 As Lonnie approached Erica's front door, he heard Denise's voice, 373 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:49.799 but her words were garbled and frantic. He thought she 374 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:52.880 was telling him to run. Later he would be told 375 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:56.559 that she was actually screaming for help, but in that moment, 376 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.960 all he heard was the urgency panic. Turned and ran 377 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:05.079 and called nine one one. By the time police arrived, 378 00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:06.759 the house was in flames. 379 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:10.799 They respond to the house, they go around the back. 380 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.079 They see some smoke coming out of the window. They're 381 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:17.799 able to tell that an air conditioner unit was partially 382 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:22.559 pushed out the window. They then removed that air conditioning 383 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:26.440 unit and pull Erica's mom from the window. 384 00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:30.319 Officers pulled the Nise from the burning home. She was 385 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:35.920 barely alive, her body battered and soaked in blood. Then 386 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.440 they found Erica. 387 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:40.599 They were able to go back in that room or 388 00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:44.119 see in that room that there's another body laying on 389 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:48.240 the floor. They put that fire out and or partially 390 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:50.680 put that fire out, and they're able to tell that 391 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:52.799 Erica is now deceased. 392 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:55.799 When she was found, a fire hadn't been set in 393 00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:59.279 the bedroom where she was at. She was burned. She 394 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:03.000 did have some severe blunt force trauma. We later found 395 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:06.720 out that she had been stomped on severely on her stomach. 396 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:09.200 There was a lot of internal bleeding, which is one 397 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:11.519 of the causes of death, and she had also been strangled. 398 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:17.319 The corner testifies that she had elacerated liver, broken ribs, 399 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:21.440 and evidence that she had been kicked in her stomach 400 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:26.119 or stomped on, and then she had blunt force to 401 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:29.720