GUILTY OH v. Erica Stefanko (murder of Ashley Biggs in June 2012)

[arielilane]

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (Court TV) — The verdict for an Ohio woman convicted of luring her ex-husband’s former partner to their death has been overturned.

In Nov. 2020, a jury found Erica Stefanko guilty of aggravated murder in the death of 25-year-old Ashley Biggs. During her trial, the jury heard testimony from Stefanko’s ex-husband Chad Cobb, who testified remotely. Cobb confessed to killing Biggs, and claimed Stefanko placed the bogus pizza delivery call to Bigg’s workplace, which prosecutors said lured her to her death in June 2012.

...

In July 2021, Stefanko was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

Verdict overturned in Pizza Delivery Murder Trial

The verdict for an Ohio woman convicted of luring her ex-husband's former partner to their death has been overturned.

www.courttv.com

Posted at 9:54 AM, July 28, 2022 and last updated 5:29 PM, July 7, 2023

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson

Jury selection begins today in the retrial of OH v. #EricaStefanko. Remember Erica Stefanko? She was convicted in 2020 for her part in the murder of Ashley Biggs by allegedly making a fake pizza delivery call to lure Biggs to the place where she would be killed by the father of her child and Stefanko's then husband, Chad Cobb. Stefanko was found guilty and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole at 30 years. Her conviction was overturned saying her rights were violated when the co-defendant, Chad Cobb, was allowed to testify via Zoom and with a mask on.

9:43 AM · Jan 9, 2024


Ashley Biggs


Erica Stefanko


Chad Cobb

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I'll save ya a click: overturned because Cobb's (and 2 others) remote testimony (with masks) meant her rights were violated because she was unable to "confront" the witnesses

Ummm, covid happened and this type of hearings and testimonies were necessitated. Wonder if we will see more of these cases.

ETA: Well, there ya go, our posts crossed.

 

[arielilane]

Key Points

• Erica Stefanko of Rittman will be retried for murder starting Tuesday.
• Stefanko is accused of making a bogus pizza delivery call that lured a Jackson Township woman to where she was killed.
• Stefanko's previous conviction was overturned because of video testimony permitted in her first trial.

...​

Attorneys sought to suppress statements in new trial​

Many of the same people are scheduled to testify in Stefanko’s second trial, which is expected to again be shown on Court TV.

That includes Chad Cobb — who will appear in person — Cobb and Bigg’s daughter and Cindee Cobb, Chad’s mother.

However, defense attorneys sought to suppress oral and written statements made by Chad and Cindee Cobb that they claimed were hearsay. This includes Cindee Cobb’s recording of Stefanko.

The attorneys also claimed any statements between Chad Cobb and Stefanko should be protected by spousal privilege because they were married at the time.

Easter and Brian LoPrinzi, the same prosecutors who handled Stefanko’s first trial, said statements by Chad Cobb about Stefanko’s bogus pizza order aren’t privileged because they were made in front of Cobb and Bigg’s daughter. They said statements Stefanko made to Cindee Cobb also weren’t hearsay because they were made about Stefanko by Stefanko, according to court records.

Towell ruled Tuesday that the statements would be permitted, as long as they fall under an exception to the hearsay rules, such as a third party being present.

That means Cindee Cobb's recording will be admissible, as will Chad Cobb's testimony about the overheard bogus pizza delivery call.

Laybourne said a decision hasn’t been made on whether Stefanko, who didn’t testify in her first trial, will take the stand in her retrial. He said the defense may call Mike Stefanko, who is Erica’s husband and Cobb’s former best friend, and Joelle Hendrick, Erica’s mother.

...

Rittman woman to be retried in pizza delivery murder case in Summit County court

1/9/2024

 

[arielilane]

@CourtTV

"It made me angry." Family and friends of victim #AshleyBiggs express frustration of having to relive her murder again after defendant #EricaStefanko won an appeal, granting her a new trial.#CourtTV's @ChanleyCourtTV breaks down jury selection in the #PizzaDeliveryMurderRetrial.

2:53 PM · Jan 9, 2024

https://twitter.com/x/status/1744809716256313633

 

[Soulmagent]

I'll save ya a click: overturned because Cobb's (and 2 others) remote testimony (with masks) meant her rights were violated because she was unable to "confront" the witnesses

Ummm, covid happened and this type of hearings and testimonies were necessitated. Wonder if we will see more of these cases.

ETA: Well, there ya go, our posts crossed.

So I will admit , I knew when they kept holding trials during the pandemic this would happen ,and I think it will happen again and for years. So many legal issues to raise ,some of them even justly .

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson
Jury selection OH v. #EricaStefanko will continue in the morning. Once the jury is seated they will go on a jury view. The earliest they'll have openings is tomorrow afternoon.

4:09 PM · Jan 9, 2024

 

[arielilane]

A new panel of potential jurors will be brought in for Erica Stefanko’s retrial after attorneys learned that several jurors in the first pool had researched and discussed the pizza delivery murder case.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Towell dismissed the first pool of 60 jurors Wednesday afternoon.

Attorneys will begin questioning 60 new potential jurors Thursday morning, with the hope of seating a jury by the end of the day.

...

With Monday being a holiday, that means the first chance for opening statements and the start of testimony will be Tuesday morning.

New jury panel to be brought in for pizza delivery murder trial after first is dismissed

1.10.2024

 

[arielilane]

‘It’s never ending’: Ashley Biggs’ mother prepares for Erica Stefanko re-trial

Jan. 12, 2024 at 3:26 PM EST

 

[arielilane]

Video is 11+ minutes - The judge denies the prosecutions' request for 30 day delay, will go "day by day."


https://twitter.com/CourtTV
@CourtTV

The retrial of Erica Stefanko was delayed ahead of opening statements due to illness. Stefanko is facing a second trial on murder charges.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747287629324853347

11:00 AM · Jan 16, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Key Points

• The start of Erica Stefanko's retrial in the pizza delivery murder case has been delayed because of illness.
• One prosecutor on the case tested positive for COVID-19 and the second prosecutor is ill.
• The trial will begin when prosecutors are felling well enough to proceed, with the jurors updated on the status.

Start of Erica Stefanko's retrial in pizza delivery murder case is delayed by COVID-19

1/16/2024

 

[Gardenista]

 

[Gardenista]

Couple more sources that are streaming

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=737945931322640

LIVE BLOG: Deadly Delivery: Sentencing for woman convicted of killing Summit County Army veteran

Erica Stefanko remains at the Summit County Jail on a $2 million bond.

www.cleveland19.com

 

[arielilane]

After delays caused by the first jury pool being dismissed and illness, Erica Stefanko’s retrial in the pizza delivery murder case began this morning with opening statements.

Erica Stefanko goes on trial a second time in the pizza delivery murder case

 

[arielilane]

MONDAY, JAN. 22​

The first witness took the stand at 10 a.m.; however, the witness does not want to be on camera. The witness is Brittany Dunson, she was in a relationship with Ashley at the time of the murder.​

Opening statements began at 9:31 a.m. in the retrial for Erica Stefanko. She is accused of killing Army veteran Ashley Biggs, 25, in 2012.

The retrial was delayed last week after the lead prosecutor was diagnosed with Covid.

The jury reported to the courtroom at 8:30 a.m. One juror was excused for family medical reasons and replaced with an alternate.

LIVE BLOG: Deadly Delivery: Sentencing for woman convicted of killing Summit County Army veteran

Erica Stefanko remains at the Summit County Jail on a $2 million bond.

www.cleveland19.com

 

[arielilane]

Video is nine minutes.

Why Erica Stefanko's Conviction was Overturned​

Why was #EricaStefanko's conviction in the #PizzaDeliveryMurderTrial overturned? The Court of Appeals said the judge erred when he allowed Stefanko's ex-husband to testify remotely. Do you think Stefanko had a fair trial or did the Appeals Court get it right?

 

[arielilane]

5 minute video. State of OH allows the option to opt-out of being on camera during testimony.​

Pizza Delivery Murder Retrial: Day 1 Recap

Chad Cobb, who confessed to killing Ashley Biggs in 2013, testified that Erica Stefanko placed a fake pizza order to lure the victim.

www.courttv.com

​

Pizza Delivery Murder Retrial: Day 1 Recap​

Chad Cobb, who confessed to killing Ashley Biggs in 2013, took the stand and testified that Erica Stefanko placed a fake pizza order to lure the victim. (1/22/24) MORE

 

[Gardenista]

Looks like the judge deletes the live on her YT channel at the end of the day, but here is the live for today

Here's a source that retains the livestream

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1409679896601209

 

[arielilane]

DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 2 – 1/23/24

• Chad Cobb, returning for a second day of testimony, refused to admit that he actually killed victim Ashley Biggs, despite pleading guilty to murder and other charges for her death.
• Biggs’ friend and Domino’s supervisor, Matthew Travis, teared up as he recalled trying to find Biggs when she failed to return from a delivery.
  • The search led him to a pool of blood outside the delivery address.
• The Wayne County deputy who found Biggs’ bruised body in her car deep in a cornfield testified.
  • Biggs’ mother was seen in the gallery wiping away tears during the deputy’s testimony.
• WATCH: Pizza Delivery Murder Retrial: Day 2 Recap

OH v. Erica Stefanko: Pizza Delivery Murder Retrial

UPDATE: A judge sentenced Erica Stefanko to life in prison without the possibility of parole until after serving 30 years.

www.courttv.com

 

[arielilane]

TUESDAY, JAN. 23​

The defense asked Travis about what he saw when he went looking for Ashley Briggs. He said she didn’t return from the pizza delivery, so he went to the address where the pizza was supposed to be dropped off. However, when he got there, he said he knew something was wrong because he didn’t see Ashley’s car.

“There was a little road that led to the back. I was getting ready to go back there until I saw the blood and I turned around.”

He said after he drove away, he called the police.

Mike Travis, the manager of the Dominos where Ashley worked took the witness stand. He is giving his description of what happened at the pizza shop the day Ashley Briggs was murdered.

The prosecution began their questioning of Cobb by asking him about phone calls between him and Erica. The calls in question were made while Cobb was in jail. Cobb was asked if he and Erica knew the phone calls were being recorded, to which Cobb said “yes.”

The defense asks Chad Cobb if he had zip ties on him the night Ashley was murdered. Chad said he didn’t have zip ties and says that Erica is the one who put the zip tie around Ashely Bigg’s neck.

“For this case to actually have some transparency in it, as far as my actions, as far as Erica’s actions, as far as what happened to us, what happened to Ashley, what happened to Grace, this information needs to be put on the center table and probably discussed,” said Chad Cobb.

Chad Cobb, Erica Stefanko’s ex-husband, was the first witness on the stand and was being cross-examined by the defense.

Testimony resumed just before 9 a.m. in the retrial for Erica Stefanko.​

Opening statements were heard Monday and then the prosecution began calling witnesses.​

LIVE BLOG: Deadly Delivery: Sentencing for woman convicted of killing Summit County Army veteran

Erica Stefanko remains at the Summit County Jail on a $2 million bond.

www.cleveland19.com