by Anne Hagan
“Dana, are you still at the park with Hannah?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, don’t talk. Just listen to me. OSHP just executed a warrant for your arrest and a warrant for a weapons search and seizure on our house and on your car. As near as I can tell without seeing the actual warrant yet, they want you in connection to Terri’s murder.”
“Mel that’s crazy! I’ll just go over there right now and...”
“I said don’t talk! Listen to me Dana; that’s only part of it. Somehow Noland Troutman is involved. He held some sort of press conference this morning apparently just after the warrant was issued and called for me to step down.”
“No...”
“Shhh; listen! We don’t know what all he said. The noon news hasn’t aired yet. Whatever his back up for his calling for that is, might not play on the news. Reporters will typically wait to hear both sides first. Holly is trying to get a hold of the police beat reporter for the Columbus Dispatch now. We know her real well. If she was the one at Troutman’s little circus this morning, she’ll tell us what went on. If she wasn’t, she’ll know who was and get the scoop.”
“Don’t do anything at all yet. Just sit tight where you are for another half hour or so and let me see what I can find out. Once we know what we’re dealing with, we’ll get you a lawyer and we’ll get on this.”
“Okay. Call me as soon as you hear something!”
###
Mel listened to Emily Hanes from the Dispatch while she and Holly waited to see if the noon television news broadcasts would air anything more than they already had. So far two networks were showing heavily edited tape of Troutman claiming “Melissa Crane’s actions are at minimum improper and, quite possibly, they should bear further scrutiny. Melissa Crane should recuse herself from her position while the OSHP investigation is ongoing.” Emily was filling in the blanks and painting an even bleaker picture.
When she was through with Emily she turned to Holly, “I need you to get Dana back on the line and then I need you to get a few reporters up here to the conference room. I’m going to need to make a statement to the press before this gets any further but I don’t want a free for all.”
“Who do you want up here?”
Mel scratched her head. “Tell the networks they can send a camera man each or a reporter. I’ll agree to take questions so they’ll have to use their judgment on that one. Let the Zanesville, Newark and Columbus papers know they can send one rep each. You might try the local radio stations too and see if they have anyone to send over. That will be the fastest way to get my side of the story out. Set it all for 3:00.”
“That’s it, six or seven people plus radio if they want to come?”
“That’s it. Dana needs to get an attorney and turn herself in and I have a job to do. I’m not going to join in on a media circus right now.”
“Gotcha boss.”
###
“Dana, please tell me that you’re still at the park?” Mel asked over the phone.
“I am but I’m really worried. What’s going on? Should I come over there? Should I go to OSHP?”
“No and no.” She filled me in on what was happening.
“Now what needs to happen? Why not just turn myself in. We both know I didn’t do this.”
“The system doesn’t work that way Dana. You need a lawyer. If they have any evidence at all with your prints on it or...anything like that, you’ll be locked up until your arraignment. If they hold that in this county or in Franklin County, which is more likely, your bail is going to be set high - if you get bail at all – and, trust me, you’re not going to be in my nice and easy lock up.”
“What evidence could they possibly have? Me...you...us being at the scene isn’t evidence Mel.”
“They have your crutch Dana, remember?”
I was struck by my own forgetfulness and stupidity for a minute. Finally I asked. “Who’s a good criminal lawyer in this town?”
“You’re going to need someone better than we have available around here. The best is the pain in the ass mouthpiece I mentioned to you before, Boswell Bates, but he’s out of Cleveland and he probably won’t represent you anyway since he’s representing my former officer, Kelly Rice.”
“Well who else is there then?”
“Call my family lawyer, Karen James. She doesn’t have a criminal defense practice but I’m sure she can recommend someone.” Mel reeled off her number. “You’re probably going to want to leave that park but go somewhere where your car won’t stand out since there’s a warrant out. Don’t come here and don’t go home until you talk to an attorney and, for Pete’s sake, don’t go to the OSHP yet!”
###
I’m at a total loss with nowhere to go and I’m powerless to do anything.
Karen James gave me three names. I called all of them. One was with a client, one was in court and one was on vacation out of the country. I left a message for the two that were at least partially accessible and then I drove around looking for a place to hole up until I could talk to someone. I didn’t even know if there was an APB out for me so my head was on a swivel watching for police cruisers as I drove.
The more I drove the more I thought about what was happening. It really started to burn my ass that Mel was being drug into this by Troutman and his venomous attack but it was even more concerning that the state cops were concentrating on me and not even trying to find Terri’s real killer. I remembered that Nichols hadn’t bothered to take my phone the day he interrogated me and download the call and text logs. I wondered if he’d bothered to go back and pull them at all.
I was fuming and still driving when my cell rang ten minutes later. It was the office of Joshua King, Esq. His paralegal informed me that Mr. King could see me today if I could be in his office by 3:00 PM. I got directions from her and high tailed it over to their office in Columbus.
Chapter 18 – Lions and Tigers and Lawyers...
Friday Afternoon, June 20th, 2014
The law offices of Joshua King were in a downtown high rise near the federal court house and not far from the Columbus Customs Office. How convenient! If I had my badge on me, I could go hang out there since I’m still technically still an employee...
After I tucked my car away in one of the darker corners of the building’s garage, I took the elevator to the 5th floor. No penthouse suite for this guy! Maybe he won’t charge me an arm and a leg... When I stepped onto the plush carpeting of his opulent outer office, I knew my last thought was a mistake. I also knew that in my cargo shorts and tee shirt I was underdressed for a meeting with him.
I gave my name to the dressed to the nines receptionist in the waiting area and then self-consciously worked my way over to a seat. Besides the woman at the desk, I was the only one there. It’s after 2:00 on a Friday – be happy this guy is even willing to see you! I shuddered trying to shake the gremlins out of my head.
For about ten minutes I flipped through a magazine without really seeing the pages. I was nervous and out of sorts. Having a warrant on my head was an entirely new experience for me and it was wreaking havoc on my already fragile mental state.
A door opened somewhere down a hallway past the front desk. The hushed voices of two men talking came closer. A distinguished looking older man in a gray three-piece business suit carrying a briefcase appeared with a man I put to be in his late twenties wearing Nike’s, jeans and a polo. They shook hands and the older man left. The Receptionist rose but the younger man waved her down, walked over to me and extended his hand.
“Joshua King; nice to meet you.”
He wasn’t at all what I expected. I struggled to get up to return his handshake. “I’m, uh, Dana Rossi.”
“Are you sure about that?” He smiled. “You seem a little unsure about something.”
“You read me well Mr. King.”
“Joshua, please, and reading people is how I make my living. I’m positive I know what you’re unsure about...besides whatever predicament you’re in, that
is. It’s me isn’t it?”
I felt my cheeks heat up.
He grabbed a handful of his shirt, “Casual Friday and, believe it or not, Mrs. Riggs here,” he tossed his head at his receptionist, “is dressed down.” He held a hand beside his mouth and stage whispered, “She’s not wearing pearls today.”
That got me to laugh.
“I’m young Ms. Rossi but, I assure you, I can help you.”
“I have to say, I like your confidence. I sure hope you’re right!”
Once we were seated in his office, King cut right to the chase, “Tell me your story.”
Figuring the first consult was free but that this could wander into retainer territory rather quickly, I gave him the basics about Terri coming to Zanesville, my former relationship with her, meeting with her, what she said when we met, what she wanted me to do and then about her ending up dead, about me being questioned by the OSHP and finally about me being on the hook for murder. I got all of that across in just a few minutes but I left out most of the details.
When I finished, he leaned forward and said, “I sense a quite few holes in that narration. Just give it all to me. We’ll figure out what’s important and what isn’t later, okay?”
I blew out a hard breath. “Where on earth do you want me to start?”
“Well, for one thing, you struggled to get out of a chair in my lobby. Just from that, I find it hard to believe you could have struck a disabling blow with a crutch, maneuvered to shoot someone, drug her body into a lake and then left the scene on only one crutch. That assumes a lot.”
“Exactly. Why can’t the OSHP see that?”
He shrugged. “They look for hard evidence. They don’t think about motive and means so much. He waved his hand toward my crutches. “How did all of that happen?”
I explained to him that I’d been shot in the line of duty and then I outlined the effects of my injury for him. I debated whether to tell him about the settlement offer since I’d signed a non-disclosure agreement but I figured there was attorney/client privilege in this case so I spilled my guts about that too.
“I assume there’s plenty of medical evidence to back all of that up?”
“Tons!”
He shook his head, “Wow! The troopers really did miss the boat on this one. And yet, there’s still a lot more going on here. You’re an investigator; tell me what you’ve put together and who all the players are.”
“Have you watched any television today or listened to the radio at all?”
“No. I’ve been here, slaving away, all day,” He grinned and patted his own shoulder.
I laughed and felt a little tension ease then I told him the whole truth about my relationship with Mel, about the election and about what Troutman had purportedly done. I hadn’t seen any of the telecasts myself and the radio announcers I’d heard on the way here hadn’t played any voice recordings of him only mentioned the press conference and his accusation.
“There’s probably even more to this than all of that, isn’t there?” He looked me in the eye and waited patiently.
“There is but that’s all of the important stuff.” I leaned toward him, “Do you think you can help me?”
“No.” At my crestfallen look he said, “I don’t think I can. I know I can. But, there’s a slight catch...”
“If it’s money, it’s no problem. I can give you a retainer now and pay out of my set...”
King interrupted, “It’s not Money. It’s Friday.”
At my puzzled look he said, “I mean its Friday afternoon at 3:00. If we go downtown now and you turn yourself in, we’re going to go through booking and probably an interview and all of that but then you’re going to cool your heels until sometime on Monday when the courts are all back in session to get arraigned. You’ll sit in the lockup all weekend. That’s hell for anybody but for someone in your physical condition it will be miserable.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Between you and me, I suggest you find a nice, quiet hotel somewhere and hole up there for a couple of days. Stay off the phone; in fact, turn...it...off! Stay away from the media and stay away from the police. On Monday, we’ll meet back up here and let the wheels of justice start turning.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Unless you really want to spend the weekend in jail?”
“No, not hardly. You’re right.”
“I’ll be honest with you, Monday’s stink for me but if you can get in here early, say 7:00, we can get you to OSHP and get you booked. You’d stand a good chance of getting a Monday afternoon arraignment if the weekend flood of collars is low.”
“Okay. What about a retainer?”
“I charge $250 an hour. Monday between booking, a police interview - if there is one – and arraignment, we’re looking at about three hours. I’ll pull those phone logs I’ll bet the OSHP hasn’t bothered to pull, I’ll pull whatever police reports are out there and, if you’ll sign a waiver, I’ll get your medical records too. Let’s call it four hours total.”
A freakin’ grand and that’s just to get me through day one! I swallowed hard.
“Relax!” Just give us $500 up front; cash, check or charge and we’ll bill you for the rest. Mrs. Riggs will get you set up with a retainer agreement and the release form.” He stood and leaned toward me, “We got this! It’s going to be okay Dana. I promise.”
###
Friday afternoon, June 20th, 2014 – 3:00 PM
Press Conference – Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today on such short notice.” Mel took a deep breath and looked around the tiny conference room. She tried to catch the eye of each person in the room.
“I’m going to give you a statement and then afterward I’ll take as many questions as I can.”
There were nods around the room.
“Over the weekend, a Chicago area woman, Terri Sweeting, was found by a fisherman floating dead in Lake Dillon. The lake and Dillon State Park are under the jurisdiction of the Ohio Highway Patrol so the OSHP was called in to investigate.
Prior to her death, Ms. Sweeting was in touch with my romantic partner Dana Rossi.” Mel again looked directly at the cameras and at the reporters in the room. “She came to Ohio of her own free will to ask Ms. Rossi for help with a personal matter dealing with a criminal issue that she was faced with back in the Chicago area. She described her problem in detail to Ms. Rossi at an initial meeting in a public location on Friday, June 13th. Nothing came of that initial meeting.”
“Ms. Sweeting asked Ms. Rossi, via phone, for a second meeting on Saturday, June 14th to take place at Dillon Dam. Ms. Sweeting was a registered cabin guest with the State Park lodge and she was, apparently, staying not far from the dam.
When Ms. Rossi arrived at the dam, Ms. Sweeting was not there. Ms. Rossi received a subsequent text from Ms. Sweeting saying that she had car trouble and that she’d pulled over at the boat launch area for Lake Dillon. Ms. Rossi went to the boat launch and located Ms. Sweeting’s disabled vehicle in the parking lot but she did not locate Ms. Sweeting.”
Mel paused and looked around the room a third time and then she continued, “Dana Rossi is a United States Customs Agent. She was shot and seriously injured in the line of duty a couple of months ago during the smuggling bust at the Chappell farm which she led and which I’m sure that many of you previously reported on. She has remained in this area to recuperate and to attempt to rehab from her injury. She struggles to get around and does so strictly on crutches. She’s been staying with me and my family during her rehab.”
“When Ms. Rossi...Dana returned to my home last Saturday, she was missing a crutch. She informed me that she had not stepped away from her car at the dam and that she only went a little way away from it to get a better view of the bathroom facilities while looking for Terri Sweeting at the boat launch. She believes her crutch was removed from her car at the boat launch at that time. I believe Dana.” Mel ma
de direct eye contact with Emily Haines of the Dispatch.
“Ms. Rossi and I went to the boat launch immediately after the conversation between us about the crutch and less than an hour after she’d previously left that area. Our sole intent was to look for Ms. Sweeting. Sweetings disabled car was still in the parking lot where Ms. Rossi had previously seen it. Ms. Sweeting was not in the area nor was she answering calls or texts. Ms. Rossi and I went to the lodge office to inquire after Ms. Sweeting. We were told she’d checked out of the cabin that she was renting that day at a time that would have been shortly before she placed her initial call to Ms. Rossi. We returned home and Ms. Rossi continued to try and reach Ms. Sweeting without success.”
“On Monday, when Ms. Sweeting’s body was found, I was notified as a matter of courtesy as the Sheriff of this County. Given my prior knowledge, I expected the worst and so I went to the crime scene to offer information and assistance to the OSHP. I did those things and nothing more. I did view the body of Ms. Sweeting at the request of the OSHP. I did not see any evidence and I did not offer any opinions, professional or otherwise. I provided them with contact information for Ms. Rossi, at that time.”
“Ms. Rossi was contacted by the lead investigator for the OSHP and she voluntarily met with him at the Coroner’s office to identify the body and then she also voluntarily went through an extensive police interview. She was not charged with anything and left of her own free will at the completion of the interview.”
Mel paused and took a deep breath and then continued, “Evidence that is available to the OSHP will bear out everything that I’ve said to you today. Nothing that I’ve done personally is at all out of line with the performance of my official duties as the Sheriff of Muskingum County.”
“Ms. Rossi has had a warrant issued for her arrest based, she believes, on a crutch that the OSHP found with her fingerprints on it at the crime scene. She was told in her interview that a crutch was found so this turn of events isn’t entirely unexpected. Ms. Rossi is consulting with an attorney and she will be turning herself in to the OSHP in answer to the warrant.”