Judge rules evidence is admissible in Bellevue murder case

BELLEVUE — A visiting judge denied the motion to suppress evidence for a murder case in Bellevue.John Frost, 59, of Bellevue, faces charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and having weapons under disability after he was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing Curtis Gibbs.In November, Frost's attorney, David Klucas, filed a motion to suppress evidence in the case, including statements he allegedly made to Bellevue police the night of Gibbs's death. Sandusky County Common Pleas Judge John Dewey recused himself from the hearing for the motion to suppress."Judge Dewey had issued the search warrant and the better practice was to have another judge review it," Sandusky County prosecutor Tim Braun said.Sandusky County Judge Jeremiah Ray, however, had to recuse himself as well after he discovered he'd previously represented Frost in a separate case when he was a private-practice attorney.The Ohio Supreme Court was contacted and appointed Huron County common pleas Judge James Conway for the hearing. Judge Conway decided to not suppress the evidence. Dewey will preside over the remainder of the case, which has a jury trial scheduled for May 20.On July 30, Gibbs went to the Bellevue apartment complex, where Frost lives. Later that night, dispatchers received several calls about gunshots and man bleeding in the hallway.Bellevue police found Gibbs dead in the hallway from an apparent gunshot wound. Gibbs and Frost both had handguns which had been fired, according to police.Officers questioned Frost about the death and charged him the following day. His family claims the shooting was self-defense from an attempted break-in. But Gibbs's family say he went to find his girlfriend and was shot in the hallway before he got to Frost's apartment. Gibbs