Fire investigator testifies three separate fires were set; banker describes AJS account

The bank account

Pam McKim, a vice president of business development at Belmont Savings Bank, testified for the state that she knew Tom and Angela Strussion as their banker and through the St. Clairsville chamber and Rotary. 10:55 AM

McKim testified that the AJS Holdings LLC business checking account opened on 3/11/2021, to her knowledge, with Tom Strussion, Angela Strussion and Griffin as authorized signers, and that Griffin was not an owner. 11:01 AM She testified that when Griffin said he did not have his deposit at that time, the Strussions agreed to put him on the account. 11:06 AM She identified four checks from Griffin to AJS Holdings, the first for $40,000 on March 11, 2021, and agreed they totaled about $75,000. 11:08 AM

McKim testified that in August 2021 Angela Strussion called to have Griffin's access removed, and that she stopped his online banking and debit card. 11:13 AM She testified Griffin called the same day and that she told him the reason was up to the owners. 11:15 AM She identified a new signature card dated 8/24/2021 that she said removed Griffin. On cross-examination, McKim agreed she had no evidence Griffin ever deposited cash in the account and that his contributions were all checks. 11:17 AM

The fire investigator

John P. Weber, a retired investigator with the State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau and an accelerant-detection K9 handler, testified on direct examination by Joseph Vavra that he arrived at the home just before 9 AM on Sept. 21, 2021. 11:20 AM

Weber testified that he found three separate areas of origin, at the living room couch, a hallway closet and the foot of the master bedroom bed, with no fire spreading between them. 11:34 AM He testified that an unidentified open flame device was used at all three, with paper materials present. 11:39 AM He testified the stove, reported with all four burners on high, was an attempted origin that never ignited. 11:30 AM

Weber testified that his K9, Max, gave no alerts for accelerants in two searches of the house. 11:41 AM He testified the fires burned for an extended time before smoldering, and that two dogs and a cat in the house appeared to have died of smoke inhalation. The defense had no questions for Weber.

The crime scene investigator

Matthew Austin, a crime scene investigator with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, testified on direct examination by Assistant Attorney General Chris Kinsler. 2:24 PM He testified that heat and water can damage DNA evidence, and that a faint bleach odor in the house came from bleach that fire trucks add to their water tanks. 2:33 PM

Shamansky told the judge the defense stipulated to the authenticity of the crime scene photos, State's Exhibits 135A through 135 quadruple L, which Austin described for the jury. 2:39 PM Austin testified that the only suspected blood he saw was between the burned couch and the back door. 2:54 PM He testified that two suspected bullet fragments were found in that area after the couch was removed, and that a bedside drawer held two firearms, including a loaded revolver with no evidence it had been fired recently. 3:20 PM

Austin testified that the back and front door latch plates showed no pry marks, tool marks or visible damage. 3:24 PM He testified that he did not believe the bank money bags held paper cash and that he found no other cash in the house beyond what he described. 3:44 PM He identified evidence he collected, including touch-DNA swabs and latent prints, and testified that the investigating agency decides which items the lab tests. Shamansky told the judge the defense had no cross-examination. 3:46 PM

End of day

Judge Berhalter repeated his admonitions to the jury, told jurors he would see them at 8:45 AM the next morning, and recessed court.