GUILTY OH - Melinda Davis Clark, 33, wanted to visit ex boyfriend, Shelby, 25 Feb 2021 *arrest*

[PommyMommy]

MAY 12, 2021
Death penalty sought against suspect in Melinda Davis slaying (mansfieldnewsjournal.com)
John Mack Jr. could face the death penalty if convicted on aggravated murder charges in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Melinda Kay Davis.

Mack was indicted on 17 counts Wednesday including aggravated murder, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence.

[...]

A Richland County grand jury met in a special session this month and found that Davis' death occurred "while the offender was committing, attempting to commit, or fleeing immediately after committing or attempting to commit kidnapping and either the offender was the principal offender in the commission of the aggravated murder or, if not the principal offender, committed the aggravated murder with prior calculation and design."

[...]

Mack is charged with two counts of aggravated murder including one that meets death penalty criteria; two additional counts of murder; two counts of kidnapping; six counts of tampering with evidence; abduction; grand theft of a motor vehicle; gross abuse of a corpse; domestic violence, and obstructing official business, according to the indictment filed Wednesday with the Richland County Clerk of Courts.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 26, 2021
Mansfield man accused of killing ex-girlfriend could face death penalty if convicted (cleveland19.com)
Mack will be back in court on June 23 for a pre-trial.

MAY 14, 2021
Bishop: Mack could face death penalty in connection with Davis murder | News | richlandsource.com
[...]

"An aggravating circumstances specification attached to the first count of Aggravated Murder, if proven, would make Mack Jr. eligible for consideration of the death penalty," Bishop stated in the press release.

[...]

Bishop said the aggravating circumstances allege that Mack Jr. committed the Aggravated Murder, which itself requires proof of prior calculation and design, while committing, attempting to commit, or while fleeing immediately after committing or attempting to commit kidnapping.

"The specification further requires proof that Mack Jr. was either the principal offender in the commission of the Aggravated Murder or that he committed the Aggravated Murder with prior calculation and design," the Prosecutor stated.

The second count of Aggravated Murder alleges that Mack Jr. purposely killed Davis during and in the course of kidnapping her but does not include a death penalty specification. The maximum sentence for that offense could be life in prison without parole.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 14, 2021
Melinda Davis autopsy shows she died of blunt force trauma (mansfieldnewsjournal.com)
[...]

The autopsy report, obtained Monday by the News Journal, stated that there were multiple blunt force injuries to Davis' head and neck and evidence that she had been choked and that her body suffered overall bruising and contusions.

The report said Davis' neck was broken, listing a "cervical neck C7 right vertebral body fracture with surrounding extravascular blood."

There were multiple contused abrasions across Davis' body, according to the report, including her head, torso, upper and lower extremities, and legs, and she suffered a brain hemorrhage.

A cloth belt was found around Davis' left ankle and the left wrist had a ligature mark encircling it. A strong odor of bleach was detected coming from the body when the trunk was opened, according to a document in the autopsy report, signed by Richland County coroner's investigator Tom Stortz.

Stortz said Monday that "there is nothing in the autopsy that shows (the killer) used an object" in causing the fatal wounds.

[...]

 

[Dre]

How nauseating to be brutalized so thoroughly and then your life ended. Glad this is being considered capital.
Moo

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 22, 2021
Cause of death determined for Shelby's Melinda Davis | News | sdgnewsgroup.com
[...]

"It is our opinion that the cause of death of Melinda Davis is multiple blunt force injuries," states the June 9 autopsy report that was prepared for Richland County by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office.

The report listed multiple blunt force injuries to Davis' head and neck along with abrasions and findings of strangulation. A brain hemorrhage and neck fracture also were found along with other injuries. The death was ruled a homicide.

[...]

The body was nude when found in the trunk, a report stated. A strong odor of bleach was detected as coming from the body, stated the document from Richland County coroner's investigator Tom Stortz. "Autopsy revealed that the decedent had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and upper body," Stortz also wrote.

[...]

After her disappearance, family had spoken about circumstances involving Davis' disappearance. LD said that her sister and Mack had broken up about eight months prior to her disappearance.

[...]

A pretrial hearing in the Mack case is planned for 3 p.m. June 23, according to the Richland County Clerk of Courts website.

 

[PommyMommy]

DEC 29, 2021

Top 3-4: Alexander Rios died after altercation in jail; Melinda Davis murder

John Henry Mack's murder trial is scheduled for April 4, 2022 before Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Brent Robinson.

www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com

[...]

John Henry Mack's jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 4 before Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Brent Robinson.

 

[Marg from Oz]

Trial scheduled for April 4th. It is now more than a month later. What happened at the trial?

 

[PommyMommy]

Trial scheduled for April 4th. It is now more than a month later. What happened at the trial?

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything in MSM. I also can't seem to access the case at Public Records Search – Welcome To Shelby County Ohio. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but maybe you or someone else will give it a try? MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

Paywalled article w/Google preview:

John Mack Jr murder case: State responds to motion to suppress​

https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com › 2022/05/23 › jo...

May 23, 2022 — Mack, 45, 592 Cliffside Drive, faces 17 counts, including aggravated murder, in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, Melinda Davis.

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 25, 2022

Trial underway for Mansfield man accused of killing ex-girlfriend

Mansfield police said John Henry Mack murdered Melinda Davis, 33, of Shelby, in 2021.

www.cleveland19.com

[...]

On Feb. 26, 2021, a search was executed at Mack’s home and deputies said, after processing the evidence of blood in his apartment and consulting with the Richland County prosecutor, an arrest warrant for Mack was issued.

Mack was arrested by the U.S. Marshals on March 4, 2021.

Davis’s body was found inside the trunk of her Volkswagen Jetta in Columbus on March 14, 2021.

John Henry Mack Jr.((Source: Richland County Sheriff))

[...]

Mack faces the death penalty if convicted.

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 28, 2022

https://wmfd.com/article/mack-trial-testimony:-witnesses-say-defendant-was-burning-items-the-day-melinda-kay-davis-went-missing/15541

[...]

Jurors were able to view body camera footage of Deputy Skeen's first interaction with Betsy and Cory McCombs who witnessed Mack burning trash bags of items the day Melinda Kay Davis went missing.

The footage shows fires still smoldering at 1:48 p.m. on February 25, 2021. Cory McCombs also testified to seeing a dark-colored vehicle backed up to the garage door.

[...]

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 16, 2022

Ex-boyfriend found guilty of kidnapping, murdering of Richland County woman

John Mack Jr. was convicted Wednesday of 17 charges, including aggravated murder. The victim, 33-year-old Melinda Davis, was found dead in the trunk of her car.

www.wkyc.com

A jury on Wednesday convicted John Mack Jr. of 17 criminal counts related to the death of 33-year-old Melinda Davis, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors had originally sought the death penalty against Mack but later dropped that specification, and the harshest sentence he can now face is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

NOV 17, 2022

John Mack Jr. sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Melinda Davis

Judge Brent Robinson sentenced Mack to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 20 1/2 years.

www.richlandsource.com

[...]

Judge Brent Robinson sentenced Mack to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 20 1/2 years.

[...]

"This was a coordinated effort between 17 different law enforcement agencies that entailed over 7,000 hours of investigation," Sheldon said.

Bishop called it one of the most complex litigation cases in the history of Richland County.

"We had over 300 exhibits in this trial," he said. "We had over 60 witnesses. We literally joined the defense in May and asked (Judge Brent Robinson) for a continuance because we needed more time to prepare. It was just that voluminous and complex that both sides had to agree that we needed more time."

[...]

Prosecutors said Mack showed no remorse throughout the course of the trial.