COURTS

Prosecutors wait for forensics report

Attorney: Results may yield more charges, warrant delay of King’s trial

10/29/2013
BLADE STAFF
King
King

Prosecutors are awaiting a report from a forensic anthropologist who examined the remains of an East Toledo toddler before presenting the child’s death to a grand jury.

In Lucas County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, attorney Pete Rost asked the court to postpone the Nov. 4 trial of his client, Steven King II, on a charge of obstructing justice because he anticipates the report will lead to additional charges being filed against Mr. King relating to the homicide of Elaina Steinfurth.

Mr. King, 23, of 704 Federal St., and the child’s mother, Angela Steinfurth, 25, of 329 Valleywood Dr., each are charged with obstructing justice for allegedly lying to police investigating the child’s June 2 disappearance.

The case had remained a missing persons investigation until Sept. 5 when police, acting on a tip, found the child’s badly decomposed remains in a box inside a garage at the Federal Street address. No one has been charged with causing her death.

Robert Miller, chief of the special units division for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office, said after Mr. King’s hearing that the case will not be presented to a Lucas County grand jury until his office has all of the evidence, including the forensic anthropologist’s report.

“It will assist us with our conclusions relative to what we believe happened immediately before her death,” Mr. Miller said of the report.

Mr. Rost told the court that once the anthropologist’s report is received, he expects to “reach a resolution” with prosecutors not only on the obstructing charge but also on any charges related to the homicide.

Judge Ruth Ann Franks set Mr. King’s case for trial Dec. 9 and scheduled a final pretrial hearing for Dec. 2. She said that if a resolution is reached, she wanted it to be resolved prior to the trial date.

Ms. Steinfurth’s case is set for a pretrial hearing Nov. 20 before Judge Gary Cook.

— Jennifer Feehan