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Parkersburg manslaughter trial nearing its close

Attorneys call witnesses, make final arguments in Griffith case

By Madeline Scarborough 5 min read

PARKERSBURG -- Closing arguments were presented Thursday on day two of the Wood County Circuit Court trial of Stephen Griffith, 35, 480 E. Maple St., Davisville, charged with involuntary manslaughter, wanton endangerment with a firearm and brandishing.

The morning began with the state calling seven witnesses to the stand to testify on what happened at the Overtime Bar, 4542 Emerson Ave., around 2 a.m. May 7, 2017, when Chad Allen Hart, 38, of Parkersburg was shot, leading to his death.

Before officers had arrived to respond to reported gunshots, they received a call of a vehicle accident on Rosemar Circle directly across from the bar. Responding officers observed that a black Ford Ranger, Hart's vehicle, had struck a retaining wall.

State's witness Dr. Metin Savasman, medical examiner, said Hart had died from a gunshot wound, where the bullet traveled through his upper right arm, piercing a rib, and continued through both lungs and the pulmonary artery.

State's witness Faith Masten, who had been sitting in her vehicle with her fiance at the time of the argument and shooting, testified about how the argument started to the best of her knowledge.

"I saw a girl come out of the bar, being followed by an older man, that she seemed upset with and he was trying to get her to go back into the bar," Masten said.

The older gentleman was later identified as Robert Sadler, Griffith's friend, who he had come to the bar with.

Masten said she saw the woman, who was identified as Jennifer McGrew by previous witness Denise Mott, Hart's best friend, swat away Sadler's hand and that Hart had at that point approached the situation.

"He looked like he was trying to help a woman who was in a situation she did not wish to be in," Masten said.

The state's first witness Anthony Venarchick, who had been standing in the tree line of the parking lot during the evening's events, testified, "I could hear what sounded like a bar fight starting, although I did not observe any physical fighting."

Venarchick said he had gone to school with Griffith and recognized his voice in the mix of arguments.

According to Venarchick, Hart got into his truck and proceeded to leave, when Griffith slammed something that sounded like metal onto the hood of Hart's car. Hart exited the vehicle and shouted back "You have a gun, (expletive), well so do I," Venarchick testified.

Venarchick said taunting occurred, possibly from Hart, but he was not positive, saying things such as "go ahead you shoot" and "pull that trigger."

Venarchick said he heard two or three gunshots, very quick in succession, and he thought the first shot came from Griffith, but he was in the tree line and due to the darkness of the early morning, he could see figures not faces.

Forensic scientist Sarah Machado ran stubs provided by law enforcement to check each hand and the facial area of Griffith and Hart for gunshot residue.

"There was gunshot residue found on Griffith's right hand and face, but none found on Hart," Machado said.

Machado said sweat, rain or many other factors could cause residue to be removed.

Griffith testified in court on Thursday.

"Jennifer (McGrew) met us before heading to Overtime Bar," Griffith said.

Griffith said he was in a sexual relationship with McGrew at the time.

"Hart told us he would kill us and was banging his gun on the roof of his car while doing donuts in the gravel section of the parking lot," said Griffith.

Griffith claims he was in fear for his life.

Prosecutor Pat Lefebure started the closing arguments, stating that many accounts did not always match each other, but that all accounts were consistent with the facts that at no time did any witness see Hart with a weapon and at no time had anyone heard threats made by Hart.

"Griffith went to the Jeep to retrieve his weapon as Hart was leaving; he did not run back into the bar and he did not call 911; he chose to escalate the situation," Lefebure said.

Defense attorney Bill Merriman argued that Hart had been under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine, noted in the toxicology report from Savasman.

"He was agitated and angry; he got out of his truck and aimed a gun at the defendant; what would you do in that situation," Merriman said.

"He had every right to shoot; you don't aim a gun at someone; it is not a joke," he said.

Merriman said that if the tables had been turned and Hart's fired bullet had hit true, Hart would be on trial for first-degree murder. For that reason this must be self-defense.

"We do not know where he (Hart) fired since a bullet was never recovered, only a shell," said Lefebure.

Lefebure argued the evidence shows that Griffith had been drinking, was upset McGrew wished to leave with another man and had retrieved the pistol and shot through the back glass of a truck that was in the process of leaving.

"As for the found traces of methamphetamine, there is no way to tell when it was used and the toxicology report also found amphetamine, which is the broken down version of methamphetamine, meaning it had been in his (Hart's) system long enough to begin breaking down," Lefebure said.

Lefebure pointed out that Hart had not been pulled over by police that day, nor had problems with anyone else, which is inconsistent with someone who had recently used methamphetamine.

After the state rested its case, Merriman made a motion that he felt the state did not have enough evidence to prove Griffith's shooting had not been in self-defense, but Judge Robert Waters denied the motion and the jury began deliberations.

Jury will continue deliberations at 9 a.m. today.

Madeline Scarborough can be reached at mscarborough@newsandsentinel.com

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