BUCYRUS—Cameron Davis took the stand in Crawford County Common Pleas Court to testify in the murder trial of Jacqueline Montgomery.
Davis testified that while he started the fight with murder victim Mikey Benedict, defendants Tim and Jackie Montgomery finished it. He testified that Jackie Montgomery threw a punch and kicked an unconscious and defenseless Benedict in a last act of violence against him.
On direct examination, he told the jury as Jackie approached the victim, she told her husband to stop hitting him, saying: “Tim, that’s enough, Tim, that’s enough.” Tim then stopped. After that, Jackie was the last to hit and kick him.
According to prior trial testimony, Davis admitted he was involved in both rounds of the fight. Eyewitness Chris Kegley testified all three of the defendants hit Benedict.
Defense attorney James Mayer challenged Davis:
“Are you telling this jury that you were only watching round two? Did you think to stop it, that it was too much?” Mayer asked.
Davis said he was frozen as he watched the beating continue. He likened it to watching a bad car wreck. He testified he was several feet away from the victim by then.
Mayer pulled out Davis’ bloody shoe, showing blood all over the top.
Davis said he punched Benedict three times, breaking his hand on the third strike. He said he kicked him twice in the face, causing all the blood on his shoe. He said: “I kicked him in the nuts as I walked away.”
“Like an “eff-you” punch?” Mayer asked. “Yes,” Davis replied.
Davis testified that he lied to the police when he told them he was solely to blame. He thought he’d get charged with a simple assault.
“I lied and tried to take the blame for everything. I didn’t want anyone else to get in trouble,” Davis said.
During his police interview, Davis told officers he was ahead of the Montgomerys walking home from the Just Jokin’ bar.
He said Benedict was distracted and pacing while on his phone when he recognized him from the bar. He offered Benedict a hit off his weed pen and said yes. Davis asked Benedict why he hit him earlier at the bar, and Benedict got tense and squared up to fight. Davis said that’s when he struck him the first time: “I punched him and he hit the ground sitting on his butt with his hands behind his back. I kicked him in the face with the top part of my shoe. I never stomped him. I punched him one more time in the nuts and walked away,” Davis said.
He said Tim Montgomery walked quickly towards Benedict, and Jackie was right behind.
“So what you’re telling this jury is that you lied for Tim and took responsibility for not just what you did but also what Tim did? And after seeing the entirety of what had happened there, you thought this was a simple assault?” Mayer concluded.
Mayer outlined the terms of Davis’ plea deal.
Noting that Davis is only 32 years old and has three young children (the youngest of whom he has never seen outside of jail), the plea deal looked good.
According to the terms, Davis pleads guilty to manslaughter and other felonies for twenty years in prison. He will be eligible for an uncontested Judicial Release after serving ten years. He could be out of prison in eight and a half years with jail time credit. In the plea, Davis agreed to testify honestly in the case at whatever time the State called upon him.
The prosecution rested its case on Thursday. Jacqueline Montgomery will testify Friday in her own defense.