BUCYRUS―”I was never angry with Cindy.” That’s what Robert Pinyerd told the jury when he testified in his defense Friday morning in the Crawford County Common Pleas Court.

Pinyerd is charged with murder and aggravated murder in the shooting death of Cynthia Jo Heath in February of 2022.

Heath was shot in the head three times shortly after she returned from breakfast with another man, Mike Brattain. Pinyerd was supposed to have left her house. When they returned and saw he was still there, Brattain asked Heath to let him know she was ok. He never talked to her again.

Pinyerd told the jury that he wasn’t trying to hide or conceal anything.

Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler reminded Pinyerd of his interview with then Crestline Police Chief Shook.

“I was high, you told Chief Shook. You’re defending why you couldn’t have done these things because you were high.” Hoovler said.

At the end of his cross-examination, Hoovler reminded him that he testified that he never takes issues out on Cindy. “No,” Pinyerd replied.

“But wait, there’s a text message from October 10, 2021, Hoovler said. He read his text message sent by Pinyerd:

“Yes bro, I’m all messed up again. I have a nasty fiancé and spent $3500 on rings and eight months and Joey rock comes around and she ditched me, dirty as^ bit*%.”

“That’s emotion toward Cindy, right?” Hoovler asked.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Tom Nicholson asked the jury to look at all the possible suspects that police ignored. He told the jurors that there was reasonable doubt in this case. He encouraged the jury to watch the police interview. He called the interrogation a bludgeoning by Chief Shook.

“There’s no DNA, no gun, no blood in the car, and nothing on her glasses that ties Pinyerd to the murder. Ask yourself if they even allowed him to put out an alibi. No one in her family has ever heard him say a mean word to her,” Nicholson said.

Hoovler told the jury: “Mr. Pinyerd is the most unlucky man in the world to a man that’s never said a bad word about the victim. Still, you say text messages and witnesses that I’ve told you just the opposite. In the morning, the girl he loves is going out with another man. When she comes home, he’s still there, and she somehow gets shot in the head three times.

If he couldn’t have her, no one else was.” Hoovler said.

The jury began deliberations at around 1 P.M.

Crawford County Now will report on the verdict as soon as it becomes available.