Toledo teen faces 1 murder trial for 2 slayings

3/26/2013

A Toledo teenager is to be tried at the same time for two separate murders because the cases are related, a judge ruled Monday.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ruth Ann Franks denied a motion to hold separate trials for Traquawn Gibson, 18, of 2720 Elm St., who is charged with both the Oct. 18 shooting death of Deontae Allen, 19, and the Nov. 18 shooting death of CreJonnia Bell, 19.

Defense attorney Don Cameron said it would be prejudicial to his client to combine the trials, with two different crime scenes and two different sets of witnesses.

Lindsay Navarre, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, said the cases were tied by witnesses who would testify Miss Bell knew about Mr. Allen’s killing and that Mr. Gibson told them Miss Bell “had to be killed because she knew too much and she was leaving him.”

Mr. Gibson is to be tried on the murder charges April 15.