Opinion ID: 3149633
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Beginning of murder investigation

Text: {¶ 29} Investigators found two .40-caliber shell casings near each other on West High Street. The closest shell casing was found more than 61 feet from Arnold’s body. Investigators also found a projectile in the driver’s side door of the pickup truck near where Arnold’s body was found. A live .25-caliber bullet was found near the parking lot across the street from where the Eppersons lived. {¶ 30} Early in the morning of April 14, Dean and Wade went to Mark Dean’s house. Mark and Kevin Bowshier were there, getting high on cocaine. According to Bowshier, Dean and Wade “held up a bullet shell and threw it.” Dean said that they had smoked somebody and robbed them. Bowshier testified: “They had ran up behind and tackled him, and I know his gun didn’t go off; and then the kid Josh shot him, shot Titus.” Bowshier recalled that Dean and Wade took less than $10 from the victim. {¶ 31} Kaboos testified that she overheard Dean and Wade on the morning of April 15 laughing over a newspaper article about Arnold’s murder. Dean told her to read the article. According to Kaboos, Dean said that they were driving down the street and saw an individual walking by himself. They stopped the car, pulled out their guns, and ordered Arnold to lie on the ground. Arnold started to run, and Dean tried to shoot him but his gun was on safety. Wade then said he had a bigger gun and shot Arnold. Dean said they robbed Arnold but got only six dollars. Kaboos testified that Dean was “bragging with a smirky grin on his face, like [he was] proud of what they had done.” 7 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO {¶ 32} Around the same time, Dean announced that he wanted everyone in his home to watch a television newscast about the Arnold murder. According to Kaboos, “Dean was standing there with his arms crossed watching it, and he was just smiling and laughing about it.” {¶ 33} Kaboos stated that Dean carried a smaller silver handgun with wood on the handle and Wade carried a larger caliber handgun that was originally Dean’s. Shortly after the murder, Kaboos saw Dean trade the smaller gun for drugs. {¶ 34} Kaboos testified that shortly after the night of the murder, she ended her relationship with Dean and left the residence after Dean reunited with his former girlfriend, Ronda Sions. On April 20, Kaboos contacted the Springfield police and provided them with information about Arnold’s murder.