BUCYRUS—Maryssa Claytor took the stand Tuesday in the murder trial of Jacqueline Montgomery. Claytor, 29, was working as a bartender at Just Jokin’ in Crestline the night before the beating death of Mikey Benedict.
Claytor told the jury the bar opened that evening at 9 pm. She was the only bartender on duty. There were regulars in the bar, a wedding party seated outside on a patio, and the three co-defendants Jacqueline Montgomery, her husband, Timothy Montgomery, and their friend Cameron Davis.
Claytor told the jury that she was familiar with the trio, especially Davis, who was known to instigate arguments with others. She described him as rambunctious. Claytor said Davis would get in people’s faces and talk until he made them angry, causing a situation in the bar.
She testified that Jackie was so drunk that night that she ordered shots she couldn’t pronounce; “I cut her off at that point,” Claytor said.
After a racial comment by Davis, she told them all to get out. The bartender witnessed issues between Davis and Benedict before. Jackie would step in between them. “Tim had been aggressive other times at the bar and Jackie was the mediator,” Claytor said.
Acting Interim Chief Jason Kitzmiller told the jury he was detective at the time of the murder. The night in question, he was filling in as a patrolman.
Kitzmiller knew the defendants from previous contact with them. He testified that Jackie had accused Mikey Benedict of hitting her. However, he found no evidence of injury.
Kitzmiller testified that Tim would escalate in his behaviors until Jackie talked to him, and he’d back down. They demanded the arrest of Mikey Benedict for hitting Jackie on the night in question.
Bodycam footage shows the frustration of the three. Davis is hurling obscenities, apologizing for wasting taxpayer’s dollars, and announcing they were walking home. Kitzmiller tells them more than once to walk home and let him handle the situation. Noting that Tim gets agitated if he doesn’t get his way, Kitzmiller told the jury he had to threaten Montgomery with disorderly conduct if he returned to the bar. Jackie Montgomery is on the body can footage saying: “Come on, he doesn’t care.”
Police were driving around looking for Benedict because he left the bar before they could speak to him about the incident.
The first 911 call came into dispatch at 2:09 am. By 2:23 am Michael Benedict is nearly dead.
Crawford County Now will continue to cover this trial.