4 years ago today....

August 30, 2009 the world lost a great man. Mike Williams was my cousin. He was murdered found beaten to death in his car on his way home from work. I spent my day going to visit the grave and crash site of my little cousin. No one, and I mean no one should ever have to say those words. The pictures here are of today. My Aunt Char and Tabitha Kemp who made this beautiful picture of Mike for her, the signs at the crash site, me putting flowers at the crash site, my family and Mike's friends at his grave. Mike's death started it all. There would be no CCFHV if it weren't for him. I know that I represent now 30 families but for me, today is about Mike and I am sure that there will be some people out there that don't like that, but too bad. Mike was my cousin. He was my blood. and today is his anniversary. There have been a lot of emotions this week. I have felt the pain of losing him, anger...so much anger at the fact that his case is still unsolved and that his killer is still out there, living their life as if nothing has happened. Something happened! Mike was stolen from all of us that loved him. I have so many wonderful memories that I keep close to my heart. I would love to share them with you, but for some reason, I feel if I do, then they will no longer be mine... I miss him. I really miss him. I have had a very difficult couple of weeks.My closest friends have felt the effects of my wrath. I cannot help it. I don't understand it. I have been living with the fact that he is gone for 4 years. You would think it would get easier with time, but for me it hasn't. No matter what I do, I can't help. I can't help the public care and love him like we did, I can't help my Aunt Char who is still in so much pain. I can't help his friends who I have been blessed to spend some time with this week, I can't help myself. Nothing I do can bring him back! He is gone. FOREVER. At the vigil last Friday, I looked around at these families that I know and for the first time ever, I felt a sense of hopelessness with Mike's case that I have never known. Rhoda, Barb and Bonnie have been waiting for answers for over 30 years. I cannot imagine. I love them all and want so much for them to get some kind of resolution but at the same time, I hope and pray that we will not have to wait for 30 years. I mean no disrespect by that statement and I know the other families will understand my feelings. Mike is gone. He isn't coming back. He touched so many lives while he was here. It is so unfair that his life was taken. I am angry. I am so angry.. My Aunt is also going threw the "Angry Stage" as they call it (as if it ever goes away) ..the signs that you see here from the crash site show that. Anger. Hopelessness. Pain. Fear. Loss. Love. Regrets. It is reality and it sucks! My family has changed. I certainly have changed. None of us are the same. Nor should we be. I am also grateful. I am grateful that the last time I saw Mike, I hugged him and told him that I loved him. He knew that. He always knew that because I made sure of it. My family knows that I love them..My friends know that I love them..And that's the way it should be. ALWAYS hug your family and friends and tell them that you love them! Don't ever think that they know. You have to tell them and make sure they know. That is the only small bit of comfort that I have. Mike knew. And just as importantly. I knew too. I knew that he loved me. He made sure of it. I know that my thoughts are a bit jumbled right now and I apologize for that. I miss my cousin. I hate that he is gone and there is so much pain around us. I hate that his killer is still out there. I hate that I feel hopeless. I hate that I hate this whole thing! I love you Mike and miss you so much! You are part of me everyday and I know that you know...

Remembering Tonia

Tonia Amato would have been 28 years old today. Tonia was murdered on July 1, 2007. Her family has had so much pain to endure. Her husband J.C. Amato admitting killing her, claims it was in self defense, and is currently in jail for another crime. I'm sure that you all have heard the story. I want you all to remember Tonia who is the victim in this case. Remember that Tonia did not deserve her fate. Remember that Tonia was a beautiful young woman with so much to offer this world. Remember that Tonia has a wonderful family and friends that still miss her everyday. Remember that although Tonia is in a better place, she should still be here with her family and friends. Remember that Tonia did not choose to die and that her death was NOT an accident. Her life was taken from her. Please remember to say a prayer for Tonia's family that are hurting. Please remember Tonia. We will! Happy Birthday Tonia!

The Vigil Will Go On, Even In The Rain.

CCFHV has plenty of experience conducting our events in the rain. The pic above is from the 2009 Columbiana County Fair. It rained a lot that day, but we stayed any way. This vigil is only once a year. Also, our schedule is completely packed for the next six weeks. Mike William's mom is only in town for four days before she returns home as well, so rain is not going to be a deterrent for us. Please come anyway and bring an umbrella. We hope God smiles on us and grants us some sunshine for our event. But if not, we will deal like we always do. Hope to see you there!!

Kimberly

7 Years..

It has been 7 years since Craig Roberts was

murdered in his home. 7 Years that his family has patiently waited for justice.

7 years. Any information would be appriciated! Please keep Craig's family and friends in your thought and prayers today. Steve and Shelly, Beth, mark, etc. you are on our minds today and in our hearts always!

Blah..blah..blah..blah..blah

Evidentiary issues cause another delay in trial
By MARY ANN GREIER (mgreier@reviewonline.com)
POSTED: August 25, 2009 Save | Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment Email: "Evidentiary issues cause another delay in trial"


LISBON - Evidentiary issues have once again delayed any movement toward a new trial date in the Jack "J.C." Amato Jr. murder case, with another telephone conference set for 8:45 a.m. Sept. 15.

On Monday morning, all the attorneys in the case appeared via telephone before Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to check the status on two previously raised discovery issues.

The attorneys included in the conference call were Special Prosecutor Lynn Grimshaw and defense attorneys James Hartford, Nicholas Amato and Charles Amato. Pike took the call at his bench in the open court room.

During the session witnessed by one media representative, two additional issues came up, leading to a need for more time and Pike telling the attorneys he hoped they could set some new trial dates during the next hearing.

Amato, 37, was scheduled to face trial on Aug. 18 for murder and having weapons under disability in the July 1, 2007 shooting death of his wife, Tonia, at their home at 1200 Commerce St., Wellsville, but the trial was postponed. He has maintained that he shot his wife in self-defense, claiming that she fired at him first with a .22-caliber gun and he returned fire, shooting her between the eyes.

After his initial arrest in February 2008, Amato was released from jail on a $100,000 cash or surety bond with the requirement to stay at his father's Irondale residence under house arrest, but he was arrested again in September 2008 and placed in custody for a separate weapons case for having firearms and explosive devices in the room where he was staying. He remains in the county jail.

In the hearing, Hartford said they wanted a copy of a taped statement taken from Larry Gardner, who lived at 1212 Commerce St., Wellsville, according to court documents, saying they had already interviewed him and wanted to know what he told the state of Ohio.

Grimshaw commented that he didn't see how the witness statement was exculpatory. When information is exculpatory, it means it could contain something to help the defendant. He pointed out if there's a question, it usually falls to the court to review a statement for exculpatory information.

Hartford said that would be appropriate, with Pike agreeing to review the statement as soon as it's provided to him.

Hartford also brought up a motion to view evidence filed Thursday by Charles Amato. The motion requested permission for defense counsel to view silver/metallic objects depicted in six photographs from the crime scene, including one which showed an object on a couch or chair and the rest showing items on what appears to be the floor.

Grimshaw asked if they could first go back to the previous issues of a .45-caliber bullet and box sent to the defense's expert in the state of Washington and a report regarding some evidence taken from the defendant's Commerce Street house this year for testing by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

Grimshaw wanted it on the record that the bullet and box were returned to the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office and the BCI&I report was received and turned over to Charles Amato, which was confirmed by the defense.

As for the new motion, he said he couldn't discern anything from what was sent, and would need them to show the photos to the Sheriff's Office detective handling the case so he can see if they have the material requested. Charles Amato said the copies he attached to the motion were taken from a disk provided by the prosecutor's office. He agreed to provide what was needed to the detective.

Once the items in question are located, the defense wants them sent to their expert in Washington state for analysis.

The weapons case also remains on hold, awaiting a new trial date.

Unsolved Murders From The Past

We had the opportunity to meet a wonderful man named Glen Waight in May of 2008. We talked for over an hour about the unsolved murders in Columbiana County, which turned out to be something that greatly interested him. Of course any history about the area had his attention, from what we could see. He gave us the list above that goes clear back to 1861 of unsolved murders in and around the East Liverpool area. Honestly, most of these cases we never heard of, and obviously, most will never be solved. How many of the names on our list today will be there 100 years from now? At CCFHV, we are working to make sure it is 0.
Interestingly, there are 4 names to add to the ones we already have for Hancock County. Look for that list to be on here soon. While we tried to keep it here in this county, we are starting to get more and more cases from other counties, close to ours that we can help, too. It was pointed out to us by a friend that two names on our list are not actually in Columbiana County. Tim Cline's body was found in Fairfield County on the Hocking River and that was our bad for not catching that. And then, James Brenneman was found in the Ohio River and his case is with Hancock County also. Christopher Joy Jr. was murdered in Jefferson County, but we have been telling you that from the beginning. We made sure to point that one out.
Why did they end up on our list? Because we are Columbiana County FAMILIES Of Homicide Victims. Their families live in this county. Christopher's family lives in Wellsville as does Tim Cline's. And James Brenneman's family lives near Calcutta. James lived in the East Liverpool area when he was murdered.
We are aware of some of the complaints about our list and we are striving to fix the problem. Even if you take off the three mentioned, there are still 25 unsolved murders in Columbiana County to deal with. We have also been questioned about Tyler Unkefer being on the list. It is only because no ruling has been made on his case at this time. Once a ruling is made, that will determine if his name stays on our list. I know some do not like it, given the circumstances, but it is his family we are concerned with who suffer and deal with it every day. They need closure the same as anyone else. Remember, we are about the families. All the families. Everyone hurts in murder, on both sides of the fence.
The longer we do this, the more we learn. We are not perfect, but we are honing our skills. Expect some changes coming soon. We can admit when we make mistakes. And we will fix them.

CCFHV is Working!!

What Kind of Information Is CCFHV Finding Out There?

CCFHV has been all over the county in the last two years.
We have talked to hundreds of people that either knew the victims
or heard about the cases, or that knows family members. We have talked to
total strangers with a sympathetic ear.
Because of this, we get tips we can give the police.
This was the plan and it is working. We also encourage people
who know something to call the respective police stations and tell them what they know.
Perhaps what we discover most are simple little things that are not
necessarily big parts of a case, but answer questions. Or we hear
things that endears one of the persons on our list to our hearts even more.
Or we hear something that ties the story together as to why something was done.
We often hear some not so nice stories as well. Maybe the stories are true, more often than not, they are not true.
Having these kinds of conversations with the public gives us a chance to set the record straight.
All of our victims are just that...VICTIMS...
We are not here to judge anyone for things that happened in their lives. The one thing that we
know for sure is that each and every one of them were murdered in cold blood.
Maybe they were not a pillar of the community and maybe they were not a decon in their church, but they still had
the right to live a complete life. Someone took that away from them and left their families
to try to carry on with that knowledge.Just because they were human does not give anyone the right to be judge, jury and
executioner.
Why do we know these things? Because we are out there asking people.
That is what we do. All of these cases, some of which are 40 years old,
the police have nothing to work on. Once a case gets too old, it isn't even worked on at all.
Names on our list like Irvin Keefer, Bruce Burton, Dick Hubbard, James Brennamen, James Anthony Sr.,
Frank Daniels, Craig Roberts, and others have not had their cases worked on in years.
Now, keep in mind that no case in Columbiana County is declared cold that we know of.
They will run down a lead on most of them whenever they can.
But if there is nothing to work with, they can't. We keep people talking about the cases and therefore get new leads on the cases
to give them something to work on.
We try to make sure we tell people as we talk about our 28 cases what
info we hear on the street that has been validated. We never talk about any clues we get that
we are sure are not just rumor. Like Mike Williams was found in an SUV in a ditch for example is not true.
He was in a maroon Probe, and attempted to be driven into a pond. He was not on drugs,
he was not seeing a married woman. We make corrections like that to help crush the many rumors
out there that are not true.
Finally, we do our best to work with the families whenever possible. Personally, this sometimes is not an easy task.
Belinda knows personally the pain of being a family memeber and alot of the time, people forget that.
We cannot be drawn into the middle of family disagreements, or we will not walk on eggshells to please anyone.
We are always open to suggestions but do not enjoy being punching bags when we are usually the only
two out there fighting for YOUR family members.
We are all alone. There has never been another organization like this. We are going to make mistakes.
There is no handbook for us to follow. It is very easy to pass judgement on us when you are not out there dealing
with the stories, lies, mean people, cranky family members who get upset because we have more information than
they do, dealing with the frustration of Law Enforcement, politics, rumors, and did I mention that we spend endless
hours in the sun, rain, wind, etc..and also spend a ton of our money to be out there for the victims.
We get emotional about these victims because we care about these victims. plain and simple.
CCFHV is out there for the TRUTH.
We are out there to let everyone know that these people are not forgotten. They were here.
Their time was cut short because someone murdered them. Some one has to start caring and trying
to make a difference. That is what CCFHV is trying to do.

Update on Dalton's Candle

We had Dalton's Candle on display during the fair. If you were out to visit us, you may have seen it. Tiffini came out and visited us and said there was not a problem with putting the candle on Dalton's grave. She said she would get the written permission slip to us ASAP. We will keep you updated on the placement of the candle. Again, thanks to everyone who donated to help us get it.

UG! Again!!!

Amato trials moved back
By MARY ANN GREIER Staff Writer



LISBON - With evidence still being examined and a potential for additional expert study depending upon the results, the murder and weapons trials against Jack "J.C." Amato Jr. have been postponed.

Amato was scheduled to face a jury on Aug. 18 for the murder and having weapons under disability charges related to the July 1, 2007, shooting death of his wife, Tonia, at their Commerce Street home in Wellsville. He has maintained he shot her in self-defense after she fired a gun at him during an argument.

He was scheduled to face another jury on Sept. 15 for a separate indictment for his possession of guns and an alleged pipe bomb in a bedroom of his father's Irondale home last September. He was staying there under house arrest as a requirement of his bail in the murder case. Since then, he's been incarcerated at the county jail.

Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court agreed Monday to continue both trials after discussing the matter with attorneys for both sides. Special Prosecutor Lynn Grimshaw requested the continuance in the murder trial due to a request by the defense to have a .45-caliber bullet and the box where it was found in the Amato house examined by a private laboratory in Washington state.

Pike already had ordered the shipment of the bullet and box to the lab last week.

During Monday's hearing, defense attorney James Hartford asked that the weapons case also be continued, with the idea that it should be tried after the murder case. Grimshaw didn't oppose the motion, and Pike agreed.

Pike noted the court had the highest duty to ensure a fair trial, yet also noted the need to get the matter resolved.

He scheduled a telephone conference for 8:45 a.m. Aug. 24 to see where the evidentiary issues stand before scheduling new trial dates.

Defense attorney Nicholas Amato suggested another report on evidence uncovered at the house by a defense expert in May and now in the hands of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation may be available by then. Depending upon the results, Hartford said they may need to request an independent evaluation of that evidence.

Grimshaw said he had not received any information from BCII about the evidence in question, but was trying to find out what was happening with the report.

mgreier@salemnews.net

The Rest Of Our Fair Days

This years Columbiana County Fair was the best!! One of our favorite scenes was the rides at night.
Then there was the glamour of it all. Our beautiful volunteers pose with Belinda to encourage people to stop and have a look at some of our stories. All in fun, these guys worked very hard most of the week, giving Belinda and I a much needed break.
Then there was the infamous Pringles incident. No one knows for sure what happened to them, but I have a good idea.
By Sunday night, Belinda and I were exhausted. Fourteen hour days took their toll on our nerves, but we actually made it through the entire week. A long but successful week for CCFHV.
Again and again we told the stories of the 28 victims on our list whose murders are unsolved. Sometimes that is hard because some of the stories are easy to picture and remain vivid even now.
Saturday was a lot of rain to deal with. A few times it poured and we considered leaving. But we stuck it out and it cleared up by the end of the evening. And honestly, it was way better than the 90 plus degrees we had on Sunday. In our tent, we cooked.
Our tent was often packed with volunteers. Last year we attempted to have family members come out but it has proven to be too difficult on them. I don't know where Belinda gets her strength.
All I know for sure is being on the midway really made a difference. We talked to thousands of people this week. It was fun and exciting.
And we got the word out. The best thing we heard the entire time was Thank You. It was worth seven days, fourteen hours a day. It was a great week.
Look for our next event to be the Balloon Launch on August 28 at 1pm at the gazebo across from the court house in Lisbon. I think a lot of people will be there. We hope to see you there!!
Sincerely,

Kimberly

Amato Update

Bullet heads to forensic lab in Washington state
By TOM GIAMBRONI (tgiambroni@reviewonline.com)
POSTED: August 7, 2009 Save | Print | Email Email: "Bullet heads to forensic lab in Washington state"
*To: <--TO Email REQUIRED!
*From: <--FROM Email REQUIRED!


LISBON - A bullet containing the DNA of shooting victim Tonia Amato is on its way to be examined at a forensic laboratory in Washington state.

County Common Pleas Court Judge C. Ashley Pike issued an order this week stating the bullet and the box it was found in would be shipped to the Columbia International Forensics Laboratory in Newport, Wash., as requested by defense attorney James Hartford, whose client, Jack C. Amato Jr., is charged with murdering his wife.

Pike, in his order, noted this was being done by agreement of both defense counsel and special prosecutor Lynn Grimshaw, who was concerned about the condition of the bullet being lost or damaged in the process of being shipped and examined. He also wanted some order in place establishing the condition of the evidence before it is shipped.

As part of Pike's order, the attorneys for both sides agreed if the bullet or box is lost, damaged or destroyed that "testimony regarding the condition of the bullet and box prior to shipping" would be allowed at trial.

Amato Jr., 37, is currently scheduled to go on trial Aug. 18 but Grimshaw has requested a continuance. A motions hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10 to consider Grimshaw's request and any other motions.

Amato Jr. has admitted shooting his 25-year-old wife in the head at their Wellsville home on July 1, 2007, but claims it was in self defense after she shot at him with a handgun while they were arguing. The first police officer on the scene found Ms. Amato lying face down, with her right hand over a small handgun and a finger resting on the trigger. The gun was cocked.

The .45-caliber bullet with Ms. Amato's DNA was found in the kitchen inside a Sweet and Low box, which had a bullet hole, but the bullet didn't match the handgun Amato Jr. said he used to shoot her. Investigators later searched the home of Amato Jr.'s father for the weapon but were unable to find one that matched the bullet.

The 4th Day Was A Long One!

It was a long day today. For a while we thought it was going to rain, but it didn't. There just wasn't much going on today. A truck competition was held at 7pm, but it had a small turn out and was done early.

The T-shirts for the Christopher Joy Jr. family came in today. Their shirts say "There will be justice for Christopher Joy Jr." On the back of the shirt it says "LOVE from Christopher Joy Sr. and Family."

This family is determined to find the killer of little Christopher. The CCFHV is supporting their efforts all the way.

Tomorrow is the truck and tractor pull. There is usually a good turn out for that. Belinda and I have spent from 10 am out there to about 11pm most days. It is exhausting work, but we are having a lot of fun and meeting some great people.

Please try to make it out and say Hi to us. Check out our new line of T-shirts, and grab a flyer that tells about the Memorial Balloon Launch on August 28 and the Ghost Walk of Lisbon on September 27. Hope to see you down at the fair!!

Day 3 of the Fair.

Day 3 at the fair and we are having the best time out there this year! Every one is wonderful to us. We are meeting family members of some of our murder victims that we never met before. (like cousins of Tracy Hill).

Clyde Brown, City Councilman of Salem, Ohio, stopped to say Hello. We also great appreciate his interest in us and Thank him for his time!
The Alpaca's were walking the midway this morning and Kim couldn't resist going out and introducing herself.

And finally, Angel and Dave came out to visit. Old friends are the best. Last year we were in the commercial building and we can't tell you how nice it is to be on the midway this year. We can safely say we are seeing you at the fair. See you tomorrow!

Columbiana County Fair Day 2

Here you see some of our adventures in day 2 of the Columbiana County Fair. We met some more great people. Gary Paulin's family stopped to visit. Our friend Carl from KLG Ambulance Service stopped by to visit with his family, the KLG crew. KLG sponsored us this year and we are grateful for their interest and support.

Charlie from the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce stopped by to say Hello. Thank you Charlie.

Belinda, Katie, and Mariane took a few minutes to have a Pringles break. Did we mention that we love them? They are the best.

Rachel and Amber Davis came to help out at the booth today. Rachel is Louise Davis's sister. They stayed about 6 hours, talking to people and handing out our business cards. We were busy and their help was greatly appreciated.

The Vaughn Family also stopped out to visit. They bought a couple of "Justice for Dalton" tee shirts and let us know they support us. We can't thank you enough Vaughn family!

As you can see, we are wearing new shirts. "Where is Gene Lysle." is printed on our new shirts. They are $10 each. They are sponsored by his mom, Sherryll Jackson.

And so ends day 2 of the Columbiana County Fair for the CCFHV. Hope to see you out there!

DAY 1 AT COLUMBIANA COUNTY FAIR

Here are some highlites from day 1 at the Columbiana County Fair. We had a visit from the State Treasurer, Kevin Boyce. He was very nice. We were saddened to hear he and his family had lost a loved one to murder some years ago. He said he knew how many of the families were feeling. We greatly appreciated that he stopped by to visit and hope he does so again. Dan Bing of the procecuters office and Craig Brown, our County Recorder, also paid us a visit. Thank you Dan and Craig for taking the time to see what we were doing.

Sheriff Ray Stone stopped twice to visit us this first day. We always love seeing our favorite Sheriff. He is still working to try to get the money to hire at least one more Sheriff Deputy. So far he has had no luck, but knowing Sheriff Stone, he won't give up.

We also had a visit from the Christopher Joy Jr. family. Kathy and Chris and many other members of his family came out to lend their support.

Finally, you see Belinda and two of our volunteers for this week, Mariane and Katie. They are always ready for a photo at a moments notice. Oh, and they do great work at our booth, too.

And so ends day one. We had many other visiters and made some great new friends. We can't wait to see what we run into the rest of this week. Hope to see you at the Columbiana County Fair.