Events Calendar
In This Section
Falls approves sale of former plaza site
Group recommends merging Akron, Summit County health agencies
Jewell Cardwell: LeBron fans cooking up fundraiser
Citizens and public officials question wetlands proposal in Lake Township
Canton school board won't seek operating levy
Downtown Akron restaurants serve up 79,000 pounds of cardboard for recycling
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Complaints against officer keep coming
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Woman rescued after falling through rotting floor in house
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Zips favored on road against MAC West leader
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Five local gridders to play in Big33
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Defendant says machete attack was self-defense
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 10:10 p.m. EDT, Oct 28, 2009
Jay Stanford Andrews, the Akron man accused of attempting to murder his roommate with a machete, testified that their relationship began at the county jail because he had become lonely and knew he would eventually need a strong companion to protect him from neighborhood thugs.
''I wanted a tough guy,'' Andrews said.
When they got out this spring after spending six months in jail, Andrews told the jury today on the third day of his Summit County trial, the relationship soon became much more in his eyes.
Andrews, who acknowledged on the witness stand that he is gay and is fond of dressing in women's clothes, jewelry and makeup, said he wanted a romantic relationship with 40-year-old Richard Bracken, the man he allegedly attacked in the early hours of June 21 at the home they shared on East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.
''The door to my heart was open, and I had invited Rich to step through it and go into a more deep, close, loving relationship if he so desired,'' Andrews said, ''but he didn't want to.''
Andrews, 57, is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if he is convicted of attempted murder and related charges, defense lawyer Reid Yoder said.
Among other charges, Andrews is accused of two counts of felonious assault for allegedly biting off a chunk of Bracken's left ear.
Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty is hearing the case. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 9 Thursday.
In four hours of testimony, Andrews spoke slowly and articulately about his relationship with Bracken and how it broke down into what Andrews described as ''mortal combat'' and ''a life-or-death struggle'' between the two.
Andrews repeatedly insisted he acted in self-defense. Bracken, who admitted in earlier testimony that he was a crack cocaine addict, initiated the fight, Andrews said, by charging at him with a claw hammer.
Bracken had just trashed the kitchen and was upset, the defendant said, because Andrews would not agree to hand over $10 for a quick fix of crack.
Andrews said he awoke about 2 a.m., taking a machete that he kept as a weapon at his bedside or under his pillow in the rough neighborhood. He said he could hear Bracken trashing the kitchen, ''like a major demolition [project] was going on.''
Andrews said he held the machete at his side, keeping it out of Bracken's sight.
When he walked into the kitchen, Andrews said, Bracken threw a big jar of grape jelly to the floor. Soon, the men began hurling insults.
Andrews said Bracken made the first move with the hammer, then he acted in self-defense with the machete.
The struggle ensued, with both men tumbling into a nearby mudroom, where, Andrews said, Bracken momentarily took hold of the machete.
At that point, Andrews said, he had only one weapon at his disposal: ''my teeth.''
He said he bit off a chunk from the top of Bracken's ear, then bit him again in the chest.
''He's younger, bigger than I am — hyped out of his mind on drugs — and I was quite concerned [for my safety],'' Andrews said.
At least two issues with his testimony apparently emerged when Andrews was cross-examined by Summit County Assistant Prosecutor Jay Cole.
Andrews repeatedly testified he and Bracken exchanged blows with their weapons only in the kitchen.
Bracken testified Tuesday that he was hit in the head three times with the machete.
Andrews testified that Bracken hit him with a glancing blow to the head with the hammer.
Cole, however, pointed out in questioning that police investigators found blood smears, blood spots and blood splatter only in the mudroom.
The prosecutor also got Andrews to say the blade of the machete was about 2 feet long.
''How was it possible that Bracken could not see such a weapon?'' the prosecutor asked.
Andrews replied that Bracken was in a ''blank rage'' from his drug habit.
''I could have carried the machete clenched in my teeth and he wouldn't have seen it,'' Andrews told the jury.
Deliberations are expected to begin Thursday afternoon.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Jay Stanford Andrews, the Akron man accused of attempting to murder his roommate with a machete, testified that their relationship began at the county jail because he had become lonely and knew he would eventually need a strong companion to protect him from neighborhood thugs.
''I wanted a tough guy,'' Andrews said.
When they got out this spring after spending six months in jail, Andrews told the jury today on the third day of his Summit County trial, the relationship soon became much more in his eyes.
Andrews, who acknowledged on the witness stand that he is gay and is fond of dressing in women's clothes, jewelry and makeup, said he wanted a romantic relationship with 40-year-old Richard Bracken, the man he allegedly attacked in the early hours of June 21 at the home they shared on East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.
''The door to my heart was open, and I had invited Rich to step through it and go into a more deep, close, loving relationship if he so desired,'' Andrews said, ''but he didn't want to.''
Andrews, 57, is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if he is convicted of attempted murder and related charges, defense lawyer Reid Yoder said.
Among other charges, Andrews is accused of two counts of felonious assault for allegedly biting off a chunk of Bracken's left ear.
Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty is hearing the case. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 9 Thursday.
In four hours of testimony, Andrews spoke slowly and articulately about his relationship with Bracken and how it broke down into what Andrews described as ''mortal combat'' and ''a life-or-death struggle'' between the two.
Andrews repeatedly insisted he acted in self-defense. Bracken, who admitted in earlier testimony that he was a crack cocaine addict, initiated the fight, Andrews said, by charging at him with a claw hammer.
Bracken had just trashed the kitchen and was upset, the defendant said, because Andrews would not agree to hand over $10 for a quick fix of crack.
Andrews said he awoke about 2 a.m., taking a machete that he kept as a weapon at his bedside or under his pillow in the rough neighborhood. He said he could hear Bracken trashing the kitchen, ''like a major demolition [project] was going on.''
Andrews said he held the machete at his side, keeping it out of Bracken's sight.
When he walked into the kitchen, Andrews said, Bracken threw a big jar of grape jelly to the floor. Soon, the men began hurling insults.
Andrews said Bracken made the first move with the hammer, then he acted in self-defense with the machete.
The struggle ensued, with both men tumbling into a nearby mudroom, where, Andrews said, Bracken momentarily took hold of the machete.
At that point, Andrews said, he had only one weapon at his disposal: ''my teeth.''
He said he bit off a chunk from the top of Bracken's ear, then bit him again in the chest.
''He's younger, bigger than I am — hyped out of his mind on drugs — and I was quite concerned [for my safety],'' Andrews said.
At least two issues with his testimony apparently emerged when Andrews was cross-examined by Summit County Assistant Prosecutor Jay Cole.
Andrews repeatedly testified he and Bracken exchanged blows with their weapons only in the kitchen.
Bracken testified Tuesday that he was hit in the head three times with the machete.
Andrews testified that Bracken hit him with a glancing blow to the head with the hammer.
Cole, however, pointed out in questioning that police investigators found blood smears, blood spots and blood splatter only in the mudroom.
The prosecutor also got Andrews to say the blade of the machete was about 2 feet long.
''How was it possible that Bracken could not see such a weapon?'' the prosecutor asked.
Andrews replied that Bracken was in a ''blank rage'' from his drug habit.
''I could have carried the machete clenched in my teeth and he wouldn't have seen it,'' Andrews told the jury.
Deliberations are expected to begin Thursday afternoon.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:40 AM, 10/29/2009
Frankly, both need to be removed from society forever....and I hate spending so much of our tax $$$ on incarceration, but these are some sick individuals !
akron, oh
Posted 08:23 AM, 10/29/2009
Wow...that's all I can say. Just wow.
Demolition Falls, OH
Posted 09:00 AM, 10/29/2009
He got really upset because his roommate wouldn't share his crack.
clinton, oh
Posted 09:09 AM, 10/29/2009
Is that really a machete in that long brown wrapper?
Akron, OH
Posted 09:34 AM, 10/29/2009
Based only on this story and not knowing anything else, I'd say the defendant's story of self defense sounds plausible. I'm guessing it's going to be tough to convict him without the testimony of a witness.
But Simpleman, I totally agree with you. I nearly lost my breakfast over that comment he made about his feelings for the other guy. Blech.
Stalked by epicene bubblephile…obsessed with my 'nutbag.', ㎯
Posted 10:00 AM, 10/29/2009
Blech III.
Haha@ Biblio.
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:08 AM, 10/29/2009
Drama Queens the new TNT hit series..
Posted 10:11 AM, 10/29/2009
Yuck.
Akron, OH
Posted 11:32 AM, 10/29/2009
Apprasit - Agreed. You wouldn't believe how many of the police and ems related calls in this city are from people like this. If it weren't for these people, you could cut both departments in half and still lower response times for tax paying citizens with legitimate problems.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:14 PM, 10/29/2009
What is happening to Akron?
Barberton, oh
Posted 12:27 PM, 10/29/2009
I don't understand some thing in this case, it says the two were in jail together, but looking at Andrews records there's nothing to show him being incarcerated . I would like to know what he was in for, he is known for having violent tendencies. Now the other gut, boy is he a work of art, nothing more than a career criminal all the way, including being a sex offender, I know that doesn't matter, he's not on trial here, but I believe there's just a hint of other things going on here.
akron, oh
Posted 12:34 PM, 10/29/2009
Andrews comes across like Lorena Bobbitt.
findlay, oh
Posted 03:28 PM, 10/29/2009
Did he want his crack or did he want his crack?
akron, OH
Posted 04:57 PM, 10/29/2009
WOW!!! This is a mess a "hot mess" For the love of......... I'm speechless....
Akron, OH
Posted 07:17 PM, 10/29/2009
Wow
CuyahogaFalls, oh
Posted 08:35 AM, 10/30/2009
Sick'os
Akron, oh
Posted 09:36 AM, 10/30/2009
I know it's sick, but this story makes me laugh. There's just so many Jerry Springer elements to it. It's amazing that it is real.
akron, oh
Posted 09:54 AM, 10/30/2009
"BrokeBacks Gone wild"
Akron, OH
Posted 11:22 AM, 10/30/2009
Come ON guys!! Didn't you know that the best place to meet your soulmate is Summit County Jail?!
