Olsen verdict: Guilty on all 9 counts in aggravated murder trial

A wealth of circumstantial evidence proved to be Nathan Olsen's undoing.

An eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated for almost 90 minutes Friday afternoon in Richland County Common Pleas Court before finding Olsen, 41, guilty on all nine counts, including aggravated murder. He fatally shot Antonyo Powell, 29, on Oct. 22 outside a residence in the first block of Antibus Place.

"It (circumstantial evidence) was 100% the case," Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher said. "Circumstantial evidence is plenty when we had the overwhelming amount we had in this matter."

More: Ten witnesses take stand for first day of testimony in Olsen murder trial

In addition to aggravated murder, Olsen was convicted of three counts of murder, discharge of a firearm in or near prohibited premises, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone, two counts of felonious assault and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

All but the last count carried two firearm specifications.

According to trial testimony, Olsen was upset because he believed Powell burglarized his house while his children were sleeping on Oct. 15 last year. Common Pleas Judge Phil Naumoff scheduled sentencing for 1 p.m. Oct. 26.

Olsen showed no emotion as Naumoff read the verdicts on each count. His mother looked down, resting her chin on a book.

More: Olsen murder trial: Cousin said defendant wanted to kill Antonyo Powell

On the other side of the aisle, Powell's aunt, who helped raise him, closed her eyes and became emotional.

Prosecutors showed photos of Powell that Olsen circulated on Facebook to more than 25 people and made threats to kill him, saying the incident was consuming him. He was arrested Jan. 10 in South Carolina.

Powell was struck by seven shots in drive-by incident

Olsen committed a drive-by shooting, firing nine shots and striking Powell seven times. According to his autopsy, Powell suffered 13 bullet holes.

The defense built its case on the lack of direct evidence. No one saw Olsen commit the crime, and the murder weapon was never recovered.

More: Ten witnesses take stand for first day of testimony in Olsen murder trial

"We knew he had the access to firearms that would match the description on analysis," Schumacher said. "There's always going to be some concern (about a case). You're putting this in the hands of others.

"I'm never overly confident, but I knew the Mansfield Police Department did a phenomenal investigation. We wouldn't have brought it this far if we weren't confident in our case."

Assistant Prosecutor Lauryn Calderhead served as co-counsel. Like Schumacher, she credited the investigation. Richard Clapp was the lead detective in the case.

"This was a big win for the Mansfield Police Department," Calderhead said. "There was testimony that there were only three detectives handling over 120 cases (total). The fact that they were as thorough as they were given how short-staffed they were is commendable for their department."

Video shows a black vehicle at shooting scene

Defense attorney Aaron Schwartz, of Strongsville, declined comment. In his closing argument, Schwartz focused on security footage of the shooting from Culligan Water Conditioning, 350 S. Main St. The business is across the alley from the location of the shooting.

"The only details that are available are it's a car — it's not a truck — and it's black," he told jurors. "The only thing you can see is a black vehicle.

"You simply can't identify the car from the Culligan video. You cannot identify the driver on the video, and you can't identify who fired the gun."

Schwartz also argued against the Facebook Messenger conversations, saying they were coming from Olsen's account but could have been made by someone else.

Naumoff set sentencing for nearly three weeks out to allow time for any family members who want to be there.

With the aggravated murder conviction, Olsen is looking at 25 years to life in prison. The firearm specifications could add significant time to his sentence.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield man guilty on all 9 counts in aggravated murder trial