Robbery Trial Starts For Mitchell
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
After a 12-person jury was seated Monday morning in Kosciusko Circuit Court, testimony began in the armed robbery trial of Richard A. Mitchell.
Mitchell, 45, of Fort Wayne, is accused of robbing Stimmelators Gentlemen's Club, North Webster, with a gun Aug. 12, 2003.
The jury heard testimony from five witnesses and heard the deposition of another witness Monday. All but one of Monday afternoon's witnesses were present in the bar at the time it was robbed. Each of the witnesses in the establishment at the time of the incident related similar accounts of the robbery to the jury.
Each witness described the robber as tall and heavy set, wearing a tan fisherman's hat, glasses and a T-shirt. Photos of the hold-up show the robber had a tattoo on his forearm.
When asked if the robber was in the courtroom, each witness identified defendant Richard Mitchell as the culprit.
Rachel Gilmer, an entertainer at Stimmelators at the time of the robbery, told the jury that around closing time Aug. 12, a man stood up, showed a gun and demanded money.
Gilmer said the man stood and said, "Excuse me, this is a robbery."
When the club's doorman Roy Mabie cursed at the man, the robber turned the gun on Mabie and asked, "Is today a good day to die old man?"
Then Mabie and bartender Angela Richmond gave the robber money from the cash register.
After taking the money, the man told Ben Bosenberg, the other customer in the club, to hand over the money in his wallet. When Bosenberg showed the robber the wallet was empty, the robber left the bar through the back door.
While the man was robbing the club, one entertainer moved undetected up a back set of stairs into an office where she called 911.
Once the robber left the building, the police were called and arrived at the scene a few minutes later.
According to the club's disc jockey, Carlene Leichty, the robber visited the club again several days after the robbery. On Aug. 21, Leichty said Mitchell entered the bar and walked past the DJ booth. As he passed the booth, Leichty recognized Mitchell as the robber and alerted doorman Mabie.
Mabie then called the police, who arrived at the scene and later arrested Mitchell.
In other testimony, Sam Stimmel, owner of the club at the time of the robbery, testified about the placement and operation of the security system at the business at the time of the incident. Stimmel told the jury a video cassette recorder taped black and while surveillance at the club. The system records a series of still photographs every few seconds.
Stimmel said he gave the surveillance tapes from the night of the robbery to North Webster Town Marshal Greg Church.
Stimmel also testified that the robber left the bar with approximately $1,100 in cash from the register.
Testimony in the case resumed at 8:30 a.m. today in Kosciusko Circuit Court. [[In-content Ad]]
After a 12-person jury was seated Monday morning in Kosciusko Circuit Court, testimony began in the armed robbery trial of Richard A. Mitchell.
Mitchell, 45, of Fort Wayne, is accused of robbing Stimmelators Gentlemen's Club, North Webster, with a gun Aug. 12, 2003.
The jury heard testimony from five witnesses and heard the deposition of another witness Monday. All but one of Monday afternoon's witnesses were present in the bar at the time it was robbed. Each of the witnesses in the establishment at the time of the incident related similar accounts of the robbery to the jury.
Each witness described the robber as tall and heavy set, wearing a tan fisherman's hat, glasses and a T-shirt. Photos of the hold-up show the robber had a tattoo on his forearm.
When asked if the robber was in the courtroom, each witness identified defendant Richard Mitchell as the culprit.
Rachel Gilmer, an entertainer at Stimmelators at the time of the robbery, told the jury that around closing time Aug. 12, a man stood up, showed a gun and demanded money.
Gilmer said the man stood and said, "Excuse me, this is a robbery."
When the club's doorman Roy Mabie cursed at the man, the robber turned the gun on Mabie and asked, "Is today a good day to die old man?"
Then Mabie and bartender Angela Richmond gave the robber money from the cash register.
After taking the money, the man told Ben Bosenberg, the other customer in the club, to hand over the money in his wallet. When Bosenberg showed the robber the wallet was empty, the robber left the bar through the back door.
While the man was robbing the club, one entertainer moved undetected up a back set of stairs into an office where she called 911.
Once the robber left the building, the police were called and arrived at the scene a few minutes later.
According to the club's disc jockey, Carlene Leichty, the robber visited the club again several days after the robbery. On Aug. 21, Leichty said Mitchell entered the bar and walked past the DJ booth. As he passed the booth, Leichty recognized Mitchell as the robber and alerted doorman Mabie.
Mabie then called the police, who arrived at the scene and later arrested Mitchell.
In other testimony, Sam Stimmel, owner of the club at the time of the robbery, testified about the placement and operation of the security system at the business at the time of the incident. Stimmel told the jury a video cassette recorder taped black and while surveillance at the club. The system records a series of still photographs every few seconds.
Stimmel said he gave the surveillance tapes from the night of the robbery to North Webster Town Marshal Greg Church.
Stimmel also testified that the robber left the bar with approximately $1,100 in cash from the register.
Testimony in the case resumed at 8:30 a.m. today in Kosciusko Circuit Court. [[In-content Ad]]