“This is really a story about drugs,” defense lawyer John Kaspar said during opening statements.
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Kirby is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, murder, felonious assault, grand theft and tampering with evidence.
He is alleged to have committed these crimes to fund his and his wife’s drug habit after Deborah Power changed the password on her bank card.
In April, Jacqueline “Jackie” Kirby, 31, was sentenced to three years on probation for her part in the case and ordered her to enter the Women’s Recovery Center, an outpatient substance abuse program in Xenia.
This morning, Assistant County Prosecutor John Arnold said the extended family all living in the South Lebanon home where the alleged crime occurred relied on Social Security payments.
Kaspar said the case would also demonstrate the poverty of their conditions and “the vital importance of a $290 check.”
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Prosecutors called the 911 operator who took the initial call after the incident and a series of deputies after opening statements.
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