Murder Trials Severed; Continued The murder trials of Charles Stephen Freeman, 52, of Achbold, Ohio and Joseph Edward Metz, 40, of Horner, were to have started on Monday but were continued last week by Circuit Judge Kurt W. Hall until February. The two are accused of the first-degree murder of Maxine Stalnaker and her daughter Mary Friend, who have been missing from their Jane Lew area home since Dec. 1, 1999. Defendant Metz is the son of Mary Friend and grandson of Maxine Stalnaker. At the time of their disappearance, Stalnaker was 69, and Friend, 46. A third defendant, David Martin Hughes, 58, of Archbold, Ohio, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery as part of a plea agreement with the state in exchange for his cooperation with the state in the prosecution of Freeman and Metz. Hughes has yet to be sentenced. Freeman and Hughes appeared separately in court last week and at a status hearing for Freeman held on Wednesday, Judge Kurt W. Hall approved a motion by Freemans attorneys that requested that the two be tried separately. In addition, Freemans attorneys Thomas Dyer and James E. Hawkins, Jr. requested that the trial be continued in order for them to have more time to review evidence and speak with the witnesses to be called by the state. A motion filed by Prosecuting Attorney Lea Anne Hawkins to disqualify Dyer from representing Freeman was briefly visited by the court, but will be taken up again at a later date for a final decision. Metz was in court on Thursday and his attorneys Dennis Willit and Steven Nanners requested a continuance in his case. The continuance was granted until February. Judge Hall has yet to rule on motions filed by Metzs attorneys, including one seeking the dismissal of charges against Metz. Rulings on those motions, and the motion filed by the state to remove Dyer as an attorney for Freeman may be taken up later this week. Freeman and Metz remain held in jail without bond pending trial. Hughes is free on bond pending sentencing.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:04:05 +0000
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