Opinion ID: 3149633
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Dean’s correspondence with Sions and Manns

Text: {¶ 39} At trial, Dean’s girlfriend, Ronda Sions, testified that Dean told her they were looking for a man known as O-Z on the night of Arnold’s murder. She said that Dean said they had had a run-in and they had it out for him. According to Sions, Dean called the murder a case of mistaken identity and said that they intended to shoot O-Z, not Arnold. {¶ 40} Sions and Dean exchanged numerous letters while he was in jail.2 In one letter, Dean claimed that his anger and lack of control was the reason a man he “never laid eyes on before is in his grave and    was shot down like an animal for no reason other than he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Dean added that, “What’s so sad and it scares me when I think about it is the fact that I don’t care. {¶ 41} In another letter, Dean wrote: 2 During Dean’s first trial, the court admitted as exhibits the original letters. During the second trial, excerpts from the letters, rather than the original letters, were admitted as exhibits. Throughout this opinion, we refer to the excerpts admitted during the second trial. 9 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO I just lost control. I made a lot of mistakes and I’m gonna have to pay for them. And it is nobody’s fault but my own. {¶ 42} In yet another letter, Dean wrote: Most of this shit is my fault. If I hadn’t gotten myself into all of this, none of this shit would be happening. {¶ 43} Dean also wrote to Sions: Try to stay out of trouble. Baby, I don’t need no more blood on my hands or my conscience. {¶ 44} Dean’s letters to Sions also described his close relationship with Wade. Dean wrote: That’s some crazy shit you was telling me about Josh is going to try and say he was scared of me. That’s some bullshit. I will call so many witnesses to testify that he looked up to me and that I treated him like a son. I let him wear my clothes, fed him and Luther, his little brother. I helped his whole family.    If he would just keep his fucking mouth shut, everything would be a lot better. What he and his people fail to realize is that every time he opens his mouth, he not only hurts me but himself. He is just digging himself a deeper hole. They got him so scared with this life without parole bullshit that he will say whatever they want him to say. 10 January Term, 2015 {¶ 45} Manns, a fellow inmate, testified that Dean talked to him about Arnold’s killing, saying: “He jumped out the car and went to rob him. Titus Arnold turned to run. He tried to fire his gun. His gun jammed, and Josh Wade jumped out of the car and shot two shots. One went into a car door, and one went into Titus Arnold’s head and killed him.” {¶ 46} Dean also wrote several letters to Manns. In one letter, Dean wrote: They act like I killed the president.    I had one hell of a time. I know that sounds crazy but you know me. I had a nice ass buick rivera power everything I had a nice system and everything    I was off the hook, you wouldn’t believe the shit I was doing every day. I got a lot of good stories to tell you when I get there, I say that because like I said, it don’t look good for me.    It was just me and my boy Joshua Wade you seen in the paper they got him charged with the same thing they got me charged with and they are gonna try him as an adult. I’m really worried about him if you know what I mean? {¶ 47} In another letter to Manns, Dean wrote: You are absolutely right about my situation being hopeless, but that’s life. I made my choices and I knew the consequences of my actions. I have lived my life the way I wanted, I have always done what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and fuck what anybody had to say about it. {¶ 48} And in yet another letter to Manns, Dean wrote: 11 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO I’m a realist bro, and I know what is in front of me and I’m gonna face it head on, you understand where I’m coming from? Because the way the law states is it doesn’t matter if I pulled the trigger or not, you know that, not to mention the fact that I’m 30 and dude was 16, I’m supposed to be the responsible adult you know.