GUILTY OH - Emily Rimel, 5, Columbus, 7 Dec 2004

[Montanagirl]

Yes, Ohio does have the death penalty, and I thought it was an automatic thing when a child under the age of 13 is killed.
I don't see it mentioned in the articles, but that could be for one of two reasons- the media considers it to be automatic so they don't mention it, or the death penalty was taken off the table, because since there is no body it is sometimes hard to get a jury to agree to it.

Does Ohio prosecute murders without a body being found? I know in some states they can't try a murder with out a body. I just wondered if that was why the State of Ohio hasn't charged Bruce with her murder as well as the other crimes. It seems pretty cut and dried that the inmates that are tesifying against him have nothing to gain by their statements. And once again it makes me so mad that defense attorneys advise their clients not to reveal the whereabouts of their victim's body.

 

[mysteriew]

Does Ohio prosecute murders without a body being found? I know in some states they can't try a murder with out a body. I just wondered if that was why the State of Ohio hasn't charged Bruce with her murder as well as the other crimes. It seems pretty cut and dried that the inmates that are tesifying against him have nothing to gain by their statements. And once again it makes me so mad that defense attorneys advise their clients not to reveal the whereabouts of their victim's body.

Ohio does allow for murder charges against a person, even if there is no body. (I know of one case where the perp got 888 yrs). But I have read that prosecutors hesitate to prosecute, unless they have overwhelming evidence, as they state it is harder to convince the jury that a murder occurred. Also, juries tend to be hesitant to give a DP sentence when no body has been found. This way they can charge him for kidnapping, and get him into jail, then if/when her body is found, they are free to pursue a DP murder case against him. Something that wouldn't have been possible if they had tried him for murder already.

 

[mysteriew]

The man accused in the disappearance of a 5-year-old Madison Township girl took the stand in his own defense Friday.

In a case that hinges on the testimony from jail house snitches, the public finally heard from the man accused of kidnapping Emily Rimel.

Lindsey Bruce took the stand against the advice of this attorney. In the face of charges of kidnapping and rape that could send him to prison for life, he was calm and had an answer for everything.

Bruce was on the stand for an hour and he admitted to being in the apartment the night Emily Rimel vanished.

"When I got there Brent was asleep and Emily, I guess, was in bed asleep," says Bruce.

Bruce said he didn't stay long. "I said, 'Brent, lock the door.' He just mumbled and I got up and left," he says.

Bruce said the four inmates who testified in this trial about his jailhouse confessions were lying.
http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=3859644&nav=LQlCecOQ

 

[mysteriew]

Police have no body, no eyewitnesses. The case against a man accused of raping and kidnapping a missing 5-year-old girl rides on jailhouse snitches and what could be the prosecution's strongest evidence _ DNA found on the man's body the day after the girl's disappearance.


Testifying Friday against his attorney's advice, Lindsey Bruce said he doesn't know what happened to Emily Rimel, who vanished from her bed last December.

"Do you know where she's buried?" asked Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch.

"I wish I did know, so her mom wouldn't have to grieve so much," said Bruce, a family friend.

The kindergartner is presumed dead, although her body hasn't been found. Bruce, 24, has not been charged with murder, but he was accused of kidnapping and rape after investigators found DNA fragments that are a close match to Emily on his genitals.

Diane Gehres, who tested the DNA for the state crime lab, testified that it could be possible to transfer DNA from elsewhere but the prevailing theory is that direct bodily contact is needed to collect enough to measure.

Welch said Anderson testified about details that were never televised: that Bruce told him he strangled a girl and wrapped her in a sheet, plus the name and hometown of Bruce's girlfriend, and that Bruce said they earlier had sex in Emily's room.

By taking the stand, Bruce allowed prosecutors to enter evidence that Young had succeeded in barring from the trial. Common Pleas Judge Beverly Pfeiffer had said statements Bruce made to FBI agents could be used only if he testified.

Columbus-based agent Curtis Collins testified that on the night of his arrest, Bruce was sitting with officers in the conference room when he started talking about blacking out after drinking and stupid things he'd done.

"I asked him, 'What was the stupidest thing you've ever done in your life?'" Collins said. "He said, 'You already know that. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.'"
http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=3860075&nav=Lrzs

 

[Norma]

Hopefully this will be convicted. And given the most maximum sentence Ohio allows. Then maybe his dirtbag lawyer can somehow plea the time down by allowing Bruce to tell Emily's family where she is.

What is the most time you can get for kidnapping in Ohio?

 

[mysteriew]

Hopefully this will be convicted. And given the most maximum sentence Ohio allows. Then maybe his dirtbag lawyer can somehow plea the time down by allowing Bruce to tell Emily's family where she is.

What is the most time you can get for kidnapping in Ohio?

I don't know the max in kidnapping. But if he ever admits to knowing where her body is, then he is looking at an automatic DP for killing a child under the age of 13. They haven't charged him with murder yet, so he would be facing that murder trial and the DP sentence. It isn't likely that he is going to give up much info.

 

[Peabody]

Well, LE knows that Bruce raped this little girl because of the DNA. It will be hard for him to talk his way out of that. They may not be able to prove murder and so they aren't charging him with murder....yet.
<SNIP>

Columbus- Police have no body, no eyewitnesses. The case against a man accused of raping and kidnapping a missing 5-year-old girl rides on jailhouse snitches and what could be the prosecution's strongest evidence - DNA found on the man's body the day after the girl's disappearance.

If he didn't murder Emily then he would be smart to say who did so that LE would stop focusing on him. I really doubt that anyone else was involved though. One criminal usually doesn't protect another criminal..they usually sing their heads off because they want a reduced sentence.

Testifying Friday against his attorney's advice, Lindsey Bruce said he doesn't know what happened to Emily Rimel, who vanished from her bed last December.

"Do you know where she's buried?" asked Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch.

"I wish I did know, so her mom wouldn't have to grieve so much," said Bruce, a family friend.

Bruce isn't going to admit to murdering Emily. LE will have to find her body and prove that he did it.

In his testimony, Bruce had no explanation for the presence of the DNA.



Bold commentary from Associated Article:
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/112694962657570.xml&coll=2


Bring Maura Home!
www.mauramurray.com
www.spbowers.com\mauramissing.html

 

[mysteriew]

I'm new here, so you have to forgive my uncertainty on things.

Everything you quote is what I have read in the media so that's what I thought was the truth. I read a lot of things on other forums that are posted by people allegedly 'close' to the crime and the things I read were posted by someone who says he knows Emily's family and Bruce. The poster says that the media is feeding the public what they want to read, not neccessarily what is true. They also said that the family had an argument with a known sex offender that lived in their apartment complex weeks prior to Emily's abduction that was so heated that the creep kicked in the screen door to Emily's apartment and allegedly yelled that they would 'get even' with Emily's family.

I have not heard any of this in the news, and actually have doubts to the validity of the claims, but was just wondering what you guys thought? The posts on this forum seem to me to be much more informed and logical so I wanted your opinions. More for my own education than anything else I guess.

Welcome to WS!
When questioning the rumors and specultions one may hear, it is usually a good idea to see what comes out in court. Many of the questions you have are being answered in the court case. There is a thread in the Trials section which is covering the court case.

 

[mysteriew]

A jury in Columbus began deliberating this morning in the case against a man accused of raping and kidnapping a missing five-year-old girl. http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=3867932&nav=0zHF

 

[Bobbisangel]

A jury in Columbus began deliberating this morning in the case against a man accused of raping and kidnapping a missing five-year-old girl. http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=3867932&nav=0zHF

I don't see how a jury can do anything but convict this guy. There isn't any way he could have that little girl's DNA on his privates unless he was there.
I think kidnapping and rape will put him away for a long time. I hope this jury use their common sense.

I haven't even seen this anywhere on TV. You would think that it would be mentioned by Nancy or Katherine Crier.

 

[mysteriew]

A jury deliberating the fate of a man charged with kidnapping and raping a 5-year-old girl who is missing could not reach a verdict Tuesday, according to defense attorneys.

The jury was in their second day of deliberations, NBC 4's Nancy Burton reported.

At 3 p.m., jurors told the judge that they were at an impasse and could not reach a decision. The judge instructed the jury to return to the deliberating room and try one more time to reach a unanimous decision.

About 20 minutes later, the jury then told the judge that they were going home and would return to continue deliberating at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4997685/detail.html

 

[Montanagirl]

If the scuzball walks because the jury hasn't got the sense god gave a goose i believe i might scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!JMO

 

[mysteriew]

The judge and attorneys are to meet later today in Columbus, and the judge could order the jury to keep trying.

http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=3874901

 

[Montanagirl]

I just don't get it! If DNA doesn't lie, and he had Emily's DNA on him, how can anyone think he isn't guilty?? I just don't understand the world these days. And what about Bruce's girlfriend? Why haven't we heard anything about her before now? He says he had sex with her in Emily's bed??? Where they h**l was Emily when this happened? Maybe the girlfriend knows what happened to Emily - maybe she helped Bruce get rid of her body! I just can't stand it.

 

[mysteriew]

My question would be why wasn't her DNA found in that bed!

 

[Montanagirl]

I've looked throu all the articles I can and the media has never mentioned what DNA evidence they have. If it is epithelial (sp) or blood cells they have found on Bruce, that's fairly evident that he raped her. If it's only a strand of Emily's hair, then he may have picked it up in her bed. Both attorneys in the case said it would come down to which DNA expert they believed. Pray to god that they believe both the prosecutor's DNA expert and witness accounts of the other inmates. Surely jury members wouldn't discount what the cell mates had to say because they were in jail with him? They have nothing to gain by lying - no deals were struck.

 

[Montanagirl]

Another link about the jury deliberations

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4997685/detail.html

 

[mysteriew]

For the second day in a row, a jury deliberating the fate of a man charged with kidnapping and raping a 5-year-old girl who is missing could not reach a verdict.

The jury was in their third day of deliberations Thursday and went home for the evening after asking only one question, NBC 4's Nancy Burton reported. They asked the judge for clarification of a legal term used in the jury instructions.

At about 5 p.m. Wednesday, the jury again announced that they would return for another day Thursday.

Because Bruce testified, two FBI agents were allowed to tell jurors what Bruce allegedly said the night he was arrested, Burton reported.

"He wished that he wouldn't have been drinking that night. He wanted to help end this matter, bring it to some conclusion," an agent said.

"(He said) that he had had blackouts," said Curt Collins, FBI agent. "I asked him, 'What was the stupidest thing you had done in your life?' He said, 'You already know that. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.'"
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/5003424/detail.html

 

[Bobbisangel]

In his testimony, Bruce had no explanation for the presence of the DNA
[/QUOTE


Well imagine that....he can't explain the DNA found on his privates :furious:
As far as I know there is only one way DNA can get on someone's privates.
Don't think playing dumb is going to work here. Busted :behindbar

 

[Montanagirl]

...hmmmm,yes, well he says he got it from a toilet seat! All the 'poor' guy did was go to the bathroom in Emily's bathroom and bam! DNA on his privates!. Oh yeah, and he says he had sex with his girl friend in Emily's bed. And where was Emily while this was going on???????? And who is this girlfriend?