ASHLAND — In a surprise move on day eight of his capital murder trial, accused serial killer Shawn Grate changed his pleas to guilty on 15 of the 23 charges against him.
Grate is now pleading guilty to all four rape charges as well as gross abuse of a corpse (2 counts), burglary (4), tampering with evidence, unauthorized use of a vehicle, one of the kidnapping counts, robbery and breaking and entering.
Grate also admitted he is a sexually violent predator and that he committed the kidnapping offense with a sexual motivation. The defense said he made the pleas freely and without any negotiation or plea deal between the prosecution and defense.
The guilty pleas account for all charges involving the surviving victim, Jane Doe, as well as all charges related to burglaries at Charles Mill Lake Park campground.
When asked why he made changed his pleas, Grate told the judge he didn’t want to “rub it in anymore than it already is.”
Grate’s not guilty pleas still stand for charges related to the alleged murders of Stacey Stanley and Elizabeth Griffith.
Judge Ron Forsthoefel said he will schedule sentencing after the jury returns a verdict on the remaining charges, which include four counts of aggravated murder, three counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated robbery.
At that time, for the charges Grate has pleaded guilty to, Forsthoefel said he could sentence Grate to 72 years to life in prison, with 50 of those years being mandatory. He could also impose fines of $170,000, plus possible sanctions. Grate will also have to register as a sex offender.
The death penalty remains on the table for the aggravated murder charges.
Following the change of plea, the prosecution called two more witnesses Wednesday morning.
Emily Feldenkris, a forensic scientist for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, testified about DNA evidence in the case.
She said a vaginal swab from Jane Doe contained Grate’s DNA. She also testified that fingernail scrapings from Stacey Stanley contained male DNA, but the data was not strong enough to determine whose DNA was present.
Further, she testified that various pieces of clothing and sexual devices found at the crime scenes contained Grate’s DNA. Some of the items contained other DNA as well, but the data was not strong enough to conclude whose DNA was there.
The final witness, Ashland Police Officer Joel Icenhour, testified about data he retrieved from two cell phones that belonged to Grate.
One of the phones had no data from prior to Sept. 6, and Icenhour testified the data may have been deleted. That phone’s number matched the number last called from Griffith’s phone.
The second phone contained a still photo of Jane Doe as well as several videos. Icenhour testified the videos showed Grate, Jane Doe and Stanley.
The only one of the videos shown to the jury depicted a man putting his genitals in Stanley’s face and instructing her to give him oral sex. The man appeared to use his thumb to attempt to force her, despite her protests.
Icenhour testified that another video showed the man orally raping Stanley. He said he was confident the man was Grate.
The prosecution rested its case following Icenhour’s testimony, and the defense rested without offering any testimony or calling any witnesses.
The judge called the situation “unique” in that a majority of the evidence in the case had already been introduced by the prosecution and seen by the jury prior to Grate’s guilty pleas. Evidence not relevant to the charges that remain before the jury will be included in court records but not given to the jury as they deliberate, he said.
The judge, prosecution and defense plan to meet Friday morning to discuss the content of jury instructions, which will be given to the jury Monday.
The jury will hear closing arguments, receive the court’s instructions and begin deliberations Monday. They will be sequestered until they reach a verdict.
