Rape retrial begins in local court
The retrial began Tuesday for Larry Blair, a former Lowell resident accused of rape, just two and a half weeks after Washington County Common Pleas Court Judge Susan Boyer declared a mistrial during the first trial.
Blair, 52, was accused of rape by his 38-year-old niece. The crime allegedly took place in February at the Lowell residence Blair then shared with his brother, Daniel. Contacted by officers from the Washington County Sheriff's Office the day after the alleged rape, both Larry and his brother gave statements saying Larry had not made any type of sexual contact with the woman, whether consensual or not.
However, during the first trial, both Larry and Daniel testified that Larry did have sex with the woman and insisted it was consensual.
The victim, a responding officer with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the nurse that administered the rape kit, two friends to whom the victim reported the rape and a forensic expert also testified during the first trial.
Boyer called the first trial a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict after more than six hours of deliberation.
The second trial continues today.
Arrests end armed Cambridge standoff
CAMBRIDGE- Authorities say a seven-hour police standoff with two armed suspects in eastern Ohio has ended with their arrests.
The Daily Jeffersonian reports that the standoff at a Cambridge residence came to an end at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Names of the males - who are suspects in a robbery earlier Tuesday - were not released pending the filing of formal charges.
There were no injuries.
