Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday in the jury trial of Lima resident Rebekah Shaw, charged with the aggravated possession of drugs. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations on Thursday.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA — The state of Ohio on Wednesday wrapped up its case against Lima resident Rebekah Shaw, charged with a second-degree felony count of the aggravated possession of drugs. Seven witnesses took the stand during the day.
The first witness of the day proved to be the most reluctant. Ashley Maag, Shaw’s sister, was brought into the courtroom of Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Terri Kohlrieser in handcuffs after a bench warrant was issued for her arrest earlier that morning.
Maag knew she was scheduled to testify at 9 a.m., Assistant Allen County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Thines told the judge when his witness failed to arrive. Less than 20 minutes later Maag was led into the courtroom. Her testimony, however, was not what Thines has anticipated.
Thines said testimony given by Maag during more than an hour on the witness stand Wednesday morning was in “direct contradiction” to the information she had previously given to representatives of Allen County Children Services agency, law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office.
Maag admitted she did not want to be in court but nonetheless maintained she told the truth while on the witness stand. She was called to testify about an alleged sexual assault that was a component of a police investigation into events that took place in August of 2021 at a Lima residence. Police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Brice Avenue early that morning in reference to a different assault and identified Timothy Perkins as the victim. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries and then was then placed under arrest based on an initial allegation of sexual assault that was later found to be bogus.
Maag testified that Shaw’s daughter, who had claimed she was sexually assaulted by Perkins, confided to her while at the hospital for a rape exam that Shaw and her siblings had pressured her into saying that Perkins touched her inappropriately. Magg said the young girl felt she “had to go along with the sex abuse claim or her mom would go to jail” on drug charges.
Drug theft or sexual assault
Perkins testified on Tuesday that he stole 25 grams of methamphetamine from Shaw while she was sleeping on the morning of Aug. 28, 2021. He said that a few hours after he stole the drugs he received a text from the defendant that stated, “You are dead.” Shaw also posted on Facebook a reward of $300 for anyone who brought Perkins to her residence.
A video of an interview between Shaw and Detective Jesse Harrod at the Lima Police Department was played for jurors Wednesday afternoon. During the interview, the detective focused on text messages between Shaw and Timothy Perkins in the hours following the theft of the drugs.
“There were 10 texts back and forth between you and Tim and there was not a single thing in there about the sexual assault of your daughter,” Harrod told Shaw during the interview. “I find that very concerning. The only thing you talked about with Tim Perkins was your dope.”
Shaw had previously suggested to LPD detective Brian Snyder that her reward post on Facebook was in reference to her daughter’s assault.
Jurors also heard from Stacie Powell, a caseworker with Allen County Children Services, who testified that while at the hospital for an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of Shaw’s 10-year-old daughter she overheard comments the young girl made to Maag.
“I heard the daughter say that the sexual assault allegation was not true and that she was told by her mom and siblings to say Timothy Perkins had touched her,” Powell said, “or else her mother would go to jail.”
Thines said at one point on Wednesday that the “credibility of Rebekah Shaw is clearly what this case is all about.”
Shaw, 42, is charged with the aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony. Jurors are expected to get the case on Thursday.
