(Lucas County Jail).
Two Ohio men have been convicted in the brutal murder of a pregnant Toledo woman and her unborn child, following an emotional eight-day trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. On Wednesday, a jury of seven men and five women deliberated for roughly three hours before delivering guilty verdicts on all charges against Paris James, 37, of Sylvania Township, and Jerry Scott, 28, of Toledo.
According to warrants obtained by local ABC affiliate WTVG, The charges stem from the January 24, 2024, deaths of Tameisha Price, 34, and her unborn daughter, Malaysia Price, who was 8½ months along. Both James and Scott were convicted of five counts of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, and multiple other charges.
Though no witnesses placed either man inside Ms. Price’s Norton Place home during the 4:45 a.m. shooting, prosecutors presented compelling cell phone location data that tied the two men and James’s vehicle to the scene of the crime. The data also tracked their movements afterward, leading to a location in North Toledo where a firearm matching shell casings from the crime scene was later discovered.
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia R. Bates expressed gratitude for the jury’s decision. “We hope this verdict brings a measure of peace to the families of Tameisha and Malaysia, and I hope their memories forever live in their hearts,” she said. “We are grateful for the jury’s service in what was a marathon case that required careful consideration of detailed cellphone data.”
James, confirmed to be the unborn child’s father, had sent conflicting text messages before the murder. Some revealed his doubts about paternity and even encouraged Ms. Price to seek an abortion, while others stated he was willing to support the child financially and showed that he remained sexually involved with her.
Investigators also uncovered suspicious text exchanges between James and a man referred to as “Duv,” allegedly discussing a murder-for-hire plot using coded language. Prosecutors argued that when “Duv” failed to carry out the plan, James turned to Scott, with whom he had multiple meetings and phone calls before and after the murders.
Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, where they face life in prison without parole. Judge Eric Allen Marks revoked their bonds immediately following the verdict.
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