Murder trial for Alex Wells continued after attorney raises conflict of interest
Court grants Blakeslee's motion to withdraw; appoints new legal counsel
A two-week murder trial for a Cambridge man accused of killing his girlfriend's young son has been continued after an attorney appointed to represent him filed a motion to withdraw from the case due to a conflict of interest.
Caldwell-based attorney Jack Blakeslee filed the motion to withdraw in the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court last month, a little more than three months ahead of the previous trial start date of April 25.
The motion to withdraw was later granted by Judge Daniel G. Padden.
A new trial date is expected to be scheduled in the near future.
Blakeslee cited his prior representation of three potential witnesses as the conflict of interest, according to online court records. He also withdrew as counsel for Wells in a separate case.
Wells, 26, faces two counts of aggravated murder, unclassified felonies, with a specification of a murder victim under the age of 13 (a capital offense); one count of murder, an unclassified felony; and one count of involuntary manslaughter, a second-degree felony.
If convicted of the aggravated murder charge, Wells could face the death penalty.
More:Alexander Wells facing capital murder charge in death of 4-year-old boy
Wells is accused of causing serious physical injuries that claimed the life of 4-year-old Emrys Pyle. The boy died at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus less than 24 hours after the alleged assault.
He also faces two counts each of felonious assault and endangering children, second-degree felonies, and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Columbus attorney Kort Gatterdam agreed to accept appointment to the case and was then appointed by Padden to join Zanesville attorney Frederick Sealover as counsel for Wells.
On Feb. 7, Gatterdam requested the trial be continued and that request was also granted by the judge.
Blakeslee was ordered by Padden to forward all discovery to Gatterdam and new pretrial dates will also be scheduled by the court.
The trial was previously continued from Oct. 19, 2021, to the April date.
More:Murder trial for Alexander Wells continued until April
Wells was indicted by a Guernsey County grand jury on June 1.
Pyle was reportedly assaulted at a Wheeling Avenue residence in Cambridge on March 7, 2021, and was taken to Southeastern Med for treatment prior to being transferred to the Columbus medical center where he later died.
Doctors described the injury as a result of "major blunt force trauma."
An autopsy was conducted at the Franklin County Coroner's Office, but the results have not been released by local authorities due to the pending trial.
Wells also currently faces an unrelated count of failure to provide notice of change of address, a third-degree felony, for reportedly violating his duties as a registered sex offender.
That charge was also returned by the grand jury on June 1.
Wells was previously convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, and three counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, fifth-degree felonies, after he plead guilty to the charges in August 2015.
He was on parole at the time of Pyle's death.
The indictment against Wells states he is the "primary offender" in the death of Pyle or the murder was committed with prior calculation and deign.
The endangering children and felonious assault charges stem from incidents involving Pyle and a second, unidentified juvenile boy.
A $1 million bond covers both cases pending before the Guernsey County court. Wells remains incarcerated in the Guernsey County Jail.
Co-defendant, Shelby Stormes, identified as Pyle's mother, entered a negotiated plea agreement last October that requires her to testify against Wells during his trial.
More:Plea deal: Shelby Stormes to testify against man accused of killing her son
Stormes withdrew her not guilty pleas and plead guilty to two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies, and one count of attempted tampering with evidence, a fourth-degree felony, before Judge Daniel G. Padden.
The judge cautioned Stormes in open court that untruthful testimony during the trial for Alexander Wells in April could negate the plea agreement.
A sentencing hearing for Stormes will be scheduled after the completion of the murder trial for Wells. Based on the plea and subsequent convictions, she faces a maximum of 7 1/2 years in the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
Stormes remains incarcerated in the county jail on a $500,000 bond.
The charged against Wells and Stormes allege the offenses occurred between Dec. 1, 2020, and March 7, 2021.