Pathologist says both Strussions were dead before the fire; jury hears Cole deposition

Morning: the Belmont County coroner

Belmont County Coroner Amanda Fisher testified she went to the scene on Sept. 21, 2021, after her office was told of a fire with two deaths. She testified the amount of blood was unusual for a fire death and that she found what she believed was a bullet wound on Angela Strussion. 9:20 AM

Fisher testified that, based on rigor and other findings at the scene, she told a sheriff's detective she believed death occurred between 11 PM and 2 AM. 9:27 AM She testified she determined the manner of death was homicide and the cause was a gunshot wound to the head for both. 9:31 AM

On cross-examination, Shamansky asked about her training as a chiropractor, and she said it was incorrect that she cannot make findings to a reasonable degree of medical certainty. 9:31 AM She testified an early report her office sent to Licking County gave a broader range, 10:30 PM to 7:00 AM. 9:32 AM On redirect, she agreed that eight hours before the 7:00 AM fire discovery is 11:00 PM, the earliest time she gave investigators. 9:38 AM

Morning: the forensic pathologist

Dr. Charles Jeffrey Lee, deputy coroner and chief forensic pathologist at the Licking County Coroner's Office, testified he performed both autopsies, and the defense stipulated that he is an expert in forensic medicine. The state showed autopsy photographs and X-rays during his testimony.

Dr. Lee testified he found no soot in Thomas Strussion's airways or lungs, meaning he died before he could breathe in smoke. 9:53 AM He testified Angela Strussion was also dead before the fire and smoke reached her, and gave multiple gunshot wounds to the head as her cause of death. 11:11 AM

On cross-examination, Dr. Lee agreed with Shamansky that the cause of death was not in question, and that a chiropractor is not qualified to give a medical opinion on cause or time of death. 11:16 AM

Late morning: an FBI analyst

FBI investigative analyst Brian Warcholak testified he was asked in early 2022 to help analyze phone records, and was given the records for Andrew Griffin and Brett Cole. 11:24 AM He testified he flagged a one-minute incoming call at 7:02 AM on Sept. 21 from a Tennessee number that appeared nowhere else in Cole's records. 11:31 AM He testified he passed the number to the FBI special agent he worked with, to look up in cell tower records. 11:32 AM

Afternoon: Arthur Cole's video deposition

The state played the video deposition of Arthur Cole, Brett Cole's grandfather, who testified he had known Griffin all his life. Cole testified that on a truck ride, Griffin said on a phone call, "I had to go get my money, and I killed two people." 3:24 PM Cole testified he suspected the person on the call was Brett Cole but did not know for sure. 3:24 PM He also testified Griffin told him, "who would ever expect that a little boy like me growing up out here in the country could ever do what I would do?" 3:29 PM

Cole testified he did not report the call because he thought Griffin was lying, like always. 3:30 PM He testified he had earlier overheard Griffin and Brett Cole at a campfire talk about a motorcycle, including ditching it in Red River quicksand and selling it for parts. 3:41 PM

On cross-examination, Cole agreed with Shamansky that the remark came with no further details. 3:44 PM After the jury left, Shamansky renewed the defense objection that the witness's absence from the courtroom violated Griffin's right to confrontation, and Judge Berhalter overruled it, citing his earlier ruling on the defense motion. 3:55 PM 3:55 PM