Charges against one of three alleged co-conspirators in the 2011 murder of Randy Scheffield in Newbury Township has been dismissed.
Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz filed a motion Tuesday morning to dismiss all charges against David “Tig” Rowles.
“The state, in the course of the resolution of the criminal case involving this defendant and a co-defendant, Gina Battaglia, conducted further interviews. As a result of those interviews and further information gathered by an informant that came forward after being housed with co-defendant Doretta Scheffield, the state is in the position to request a dismissal of (Rowles),” the motion reads.
Rowles, 34, along with his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Battaglia, 31, and Rowles’ mother, Doretta Scheffield, 64, were all arrested March 26 and charged in connection to Randy’s murder.
Randy, 53, who owned Scheffield Lawns, a Newbury Township landscaping business, was found unconscious in his bed on Dec. 27, 2011. It was later discovered he had been shot in the back of the head by a small caliber gun.
In November, Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge David Fuhry sentenced Doretta to 25 years to life in prison after she was convicted of aggravated murder, murder and tampering with evidence.
A law enforcement official familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Battaglia and Rowles both took polygraph examinations and Battaglia’s was a “100 percent failure.”
“And based upon Rowles’ results, law enforcement felt that his involvement was minimal at best,” the official said.
Flaiz declined to comment on any polygraph testing.
“I want to limit my comments because we still have the case pending against Gina Battaglia,” Flaiz said Tuesday morning. “Based upon developments in the case since the grand jury returned the indictments, including some additional information we obtained, we don’t believe that we could prove the allegations against Rowles beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Circumstances have changed somewhat and we are focusing our prosecution efforts going forward on Miss Battaglia.”
Battaglia is scheduled to be tried in Fuhry’s courtroom Jan. 12.
First, however, the judge will decide whether prosecutors are allowed to introduce evidence of an alleged conspiracy between Battaglia and Doretta.
On Dec. 16, a hearing was held during which prosecutors introduced cell phone tower data, vehicle comparison analysis and text messages reportedly linking Battaglia to Randy’s murder.
Prosecutors also introduced the statement of a jailhouse informant, which they believe establishes the existence of the conspiracy.
Battaglia’s attorney, David Grant, argued Doretta’s statement merely described events that occurred four years ago and any alleged conspiracy had already been completed.
Therefore, he asked Fuhry to exclude the informant’s statement as hearsay. A ruling is expected any day.
Rowles’ attorney, Jim Kersey, could not be reached for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
