RITCHIE TRIAL: PROSECUTION TEAM
Mathias H. Heck Jr.
Montgomery County prosecutor
Age: 48
Born: Randolph Twp.
Education: Chaminade High School, Marquette University 1969, GeorgetownUniversity Law Center 1972
Career:
1972 - 92 Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutor 1992 - County Prosecutor Heck was chief trial counsel for former County Prosecutor Lee C. Falke. 1988 - Teamed with David Franceschelli to prosecute Eddie Robertson on acapital murder case involving execution-style shooting of Stephanie Hiatt, avisitor at a Harrison Twp. beer drive-through. Jury recommended death, butjudge granted Robertson life. 1989 - Teamed with former assistant prosecutor Maureen Newkold to convictLinus Bauer, former Riverside police chief, who received probation inconnection with four convictions - two felony and two misdemeanors - forforcing a teen-age couple to have sex while Bauer watched. 1992 - Teamed with Franceschelli to prosecute Karl Ray Vultee Jr. on acapital murder charge in the fatal shooting of Dayton Police officer WilliamSteven Whalen. A three-judge panel granted Vultee life in prison after hepleaded to aggravated murder and other charges. 1993 - Teamed with another assistant county prosecutor in the aggravatedmurder trial of Herman Harris Jr. who was defended by Michael W. Krumholtz andan assistant public defender.David M. Franceschelli
Age: 42
Born: Auburn, N.Y.
Education: Mount Carmel High School, Auburn, N.Y.; St. John Fisher College,Rochester, Ny. 1975; University of Dayton School of Law 1978.
Career:
1979-80 private practice 1980-83 Dayton Power & Light, legal department, regulatory agencies andcorporate litigation 1983- Assistant Montgomery County prosecutor. Worked in juvenile, consumerfraud and criminal divisions. Now assigned to prosecutor's violent crimesbureau. In 13 years, Franceschelli has lost only two criminal cases. 1991- Co-counsel in the murder trial of Bert E. Watts, who was found notguilty after he claimed self-defense in the fatal shooting of former Daytonpolice officer John Gamble. 1994 - Won conviction of Tanisha Nobles, 21, on charge of murder in theDecember 1992 drowning and disappearance of her son, Erick, 2. Nobles firsttold police she had lost her son at the Salem Mall, prompting a community-widesearch. The boy's body was never recovered. 1995 - Won conviction of Rebecca Lynn Hopfer, 17, on charge of murder inthe death of her newborn daughter. 1995 - Co-counsel in the second murder trial of Cynthia Eng, who was foundnot guilty of killing her husband in Huber Heights after she claimedself-defense as a battered spouse.Frances McGee-Cromartie
Age: 39
Born: Dayton
Daughter of former Dayton Mayor James H. McGee
Education: Fairview High School 1974, Howard University 1978, Ohio StateUniversity College of Law 1981.
Career:
1981- 83 Law clerk, legal department, Bank One 1983 - Assistant Montgomery County prosecutor. Has worked in intake,juvenile, criminal and civil divisions. 1988 - Won conviction of former FBI agent Rick L. Young on charge ofconspiracy to commit aggravated arson against his former attorney, a formerbusiness partner and the partner's father.
DAYTON DAILY NEWS
Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.
Published: Sunday, January 28, 1996