A Marion jury returned verdicts Friday finding Cliff Rick, 26, guilty of Murder, along with a firearm specification, tampering with evidence, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The guilty verdicts were the culmination of a five day jury trial which commenced on Monday. The jury deliberated for about 11 hours before returning their verdicts on Friday.
Sentencing will be held at a later date. Rick faces a sentence of 15 years to life on the murder charge, plus a mandatory three years for the firearm specification. In addition Rick faces up to five years for Tampering with Evidence and up to 12 months for the Possession of Cocaine charge.
Rick has remained in custody at the Multi-County Corrections Center since being arrested on November 11, 2007 by the Marion Police Department. Rick was found in a motor vehicle with Michael L. Foreman and Heidi G. Thacker. During the traffic stop, officers discovered the body of Sidney Bell, 23, covered up in the back of the vehicle. The investigation revealed that Rick shot Bell twice in the head four days earlier.
At trial Rick argued that the shooting was justified on the basis of self-defense. The jury rejected this defense.
Investigators determined that neither Foreman nor Thacker participated in the murder, but did help transport Bell’s body. Foreman first learned of the homicide four days after the murder took place and just hours before being arrested by the Police. Thacker witnessed the murder, but did not contact authorities.
Thacker and Foreman both testified at Rick’s trial. Thacker is incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, in Marysville, serving a sentence of four years and 11 months for Tampering with Evidence and Possession of Cocaine. Foreman is incarcerated at London Correctional Institution, in London, serving a sentence of four years for Tampering with Evidence.
The possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia charges pertained to an Oct. 15, 2007 incident when the Marion County Sheriff’s Office located Rick at a local motel after using cocaine.
At trial, Slagle presented evidence that Rick was addicted to cocaine and that he shot Bell to obtain additional cocaine and money.
The jury did decide that Rick did not originally plan to kill Bell, meaning a conviction on a lesser charge of murder and the chance Rick could be released.
