17-05-2025
UPDATE: Page guilty on all counts
May 16—LIMA — As jury trials go, the case of Leroy Page had more than its share of peculiarities.
From allegations of juror tampering to Page serving as his own attorney to a reported bribe offered by the defendant to the alleged victims in the case, the trial inched toward its apparent conclusion on Friday.
Jurors received the case late Friday afternoon and deliberated well into the evening before returning guilty verdicts against Page on all eight felony charges and specifications he faced.
Page, 34, was charged in Allen County Common Pleas Court with having weapons under disability, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, aggravated burglary, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault in connection with incidents that occurred on Oct. 30, 2022.
He was found guilty of kidnapping and assaulting two Allen County homeowners that night after crashing his vehicle in their front yard while eluding police.
Testimony from law enforcement officers revealed Page crashed a vehicle he was driving — after leading Lima police officers on a pursuit that prosecutors say exceeded 120 miles per hour — in a field near the intersection of West Elm Street and Fraunfelter Road. Benjamin and Dianna Shelton, who live near the crash scene, testified that Page broke into their home and terrorized them for several hours before demanding they drive him to a Shawnee Township location.
The Sheltons, during their respective times on the witness stand, each identified Page as their attacker. Dianna Shelton told jurors on Wednesday she suffered multiple facial fractures, a broken nose, a concussion, severely lacerated lip and other bruises at the hands of Page. Jurors viewed photos taken at a Lima hospital that showed the bruising and swelling the woman sustained in the attack. The assaults were alleged to have taken place in the couple's bedroom.
Shelton said Page struck her and her husband repeatedly over a span of several hours before forcing them to drive him to the intersection of Breese and Yoakam roads in Shawnee Township, near what police reportedly knew to be Page's residence.
His own lawyer
Page, who served as his own attorney throughout the trial, took the stand Friday as the trial's final witness. His version of the events of Oct. 30, 2022, mirrored earlier statements from police officers who had described events leading up to the time of the crash. But at that point Page's story diverged greatly from what jurors have previously heard. The defendant told jurors he entered the Shelton's garage and did not force entry into the home or enter the living quarters at the residence, as had been alleged. Page testified that while inside the Shelton's garage he negotiated with the couple and agreed to make a cash payment to them of $15,000 for their silence to law enforcement. He denied striking the couple.
The defendant said the Sheltons agreed to drive him to the area of Red Bud Lane in Shawnee Township and waited while he ran to a home to get money. Page testified an associate returned to the Shelton's Dodge Ram pickup a short time later with $6,200 — all the money Page said was in the house — and that the Sheltons then drove away.
Page's DNA was found in the rear seat of the pickup truck, evidence revealed. A search warrant was executed at a home on Red Bud Lane later that morning, but Page was not located. He fled the area and was arrested nearly two years later in Las Vegas.
'David vs. Goliath'
In his closing remarks to jurors, Page referred to his case as "David vs. Goliath." He intimated that prosecutors had withheld evidence in the case that would have benefited him and accused the Sheltons of lying from the witness stand. He also hinted at racism, suggesting that some jurors could be wondering to themselves why a white couple would lie against a Black defendant.
"If you're thinking that way you've already decided your verdict," Page said. "There was a lot of evidence that wasn't presented. I just ask that you pay attention to small details. They matter.," Page asked of jurors. "In America you're innocent until proven guilty, but sometimes you have to prove your innocence."
Prosecuting Attorney Destiny Caldwell told jurors the state had presented evidence sufficient for conviction on all counts. She said that any "negotiations" between Benjamin Shelton and Page were nothing more than a diversionary tactic "to keep the defendant calm." Caldwell said there was "no question" the Sheltons suffered serious physical harm "and there's no doubt it was this defendant who caused that harm."
Juror saga updated
On Thursday it was learned that two jurors in the case believed they had been followed home the previous evening. The jurors said they were concerned but could still be fair and impartial. They remained on the jury.
A follow-up was offered Friday. Kohlrieser said representatives of the Lima Police Department investigated the allegations and learned that the driver of one of the two suspicious vehicles lived within a few blocks of the juror in question. Police were able gain information about the second vehicle, including its owner, but said that person had no apparent relationships with anyone connected with the trial.
Page told the judge he believed the jury had been "tainted" by the drama and asked for a mistrial. Kohlrieser overruled that motion.
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