Home News Courts Samuel Williams, 24, views phone records during his death penalty case. He is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and kidnapping and one count of aggravated burglary in the 2011 deaths. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON Enlarge Loading

Published: 7/26/2012

BY ERICA BLAKE AND JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITERS

Black duct tape wrapped around the necks of Lisa Straub and Johnny Clarke to hold plastic bags in place was so tight, it cut off the blood to their heads, and eventually their air, a deputy Lucas County coroner testified in Common Pleas Court.

Maneesha Pandey was the final state witness in the aggravated murder trial of Samuel Williams, who faces the death penalty if convicted. The 26th witness in the case, Dr. Pandey told a jury of nine women and three men on Wednesday that Ms. Straub and Clarke died of asphyxiation from suffocation and strangulation caused by a bag over their faces and tape around their necks.

Williams, 24, and co-defendant Cameo Pettaway, 23, are both charged with two counts of aggravated murder and kidnapping and one count of aggravated burglary in the Jan. 30, 2011, deaths of Ms. Straub, 20, and Clarke, 21.

The two were found in the home of Ms. Straub's parents with their hands bound behind their backs and plastic bags secured tightly around their necks. Clarke's ankles also were bound withduct tape.

Jurors in Williams' case are expected to hear closing arguments today, then proceed to deliberations. Dr. Pandey is expected to testify today during the trial of Mr. Pettaway, whose case is being heard by a jury of nine women and three men in a different courtroom.

During the third day of testimony at both trials, investigators and analysts spoke of the evidence collected at the Longacre Lane home in Springfield Township where the bodies were found.

Of all the evidence collected, a discarded cigarette butt -- and only that cigarette butt -- contained the DNA of both Williams and Mr. Pettaway, a DNA analyst said Wednesday in both courtrooms.

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DNA evidence shown in murder trial