Man indicted in beating death
By CHRISTOPHER BOBBY Tribune ChronicleWARREN - A 26-year-old Burghill man was indicted Thursday on a count of aggravated murder in the beating death of his girlfriend a week ago.
Nathan A. Riggs, 4340 state Route 7, also faces a felony charge of gross abuse of a corpse, according to a special report from a Trumbull County grand jury.
Riggs, who was arrested and confessed to deputies at the murder scene June 27, remains in Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $2 million bond.
The two-count indictment headed off a July 7 preliminary hearing.
Riggs now will be arraigned Tuesday morning by Common Pleas Judge Andrew Logan, who was assigned the case.
According to Riggs' attorney, Anthony Consoldane, tests for competency and sanity could be sought and become part of the defense strategy.
It was reported at the time of the death that Riggs has never had a driver's license and is unable to read and write, and Consoldane said his client's mental capacity should be considered by the court. The defense attorney also said he has been told that when Riggs was ''8 or 10'' years old, he nearly drowned and suffered a loss of oxygen to his brain, possibly causing brain damage.
Deputies said Riggs used a blunt tool - possibly a crowbar or hammer - to kill Tricia Wade, 31, inside a garage at her home on Bushnell Campbell Road in Vernon.
Wade's four children were inside the house at the time but aren't considered eyewitnesses to the crime, police said.
According to a 911 tape of the call, Riggs told a dispatcher he ''couldn't take it anymore and bashed her brains in.'' He talked to the dispatcher after his mother arrived at Wade's home and called authorities.
The indictments against Riggs claim ''prior calculation and design since he reportedly threatened to cut off the woman's head with an ax a week earlier.''
Riggs told the deputy, ''I did it. I killed her. I couldn't take it anymore. She's in the garage,'' according to the affidavit drafted by Detective Sgt. Peter Pizzulo, a member of the Trumbull County Homicide Investigation and Prosecution Unit.
Pizzulo took a video statement from Riggs at the jail and got a confession.
''I grabbed a hammer and I started blasting her head in, then I grabbed a big old spud bar thing and started hitting her with that,'' Riggs said, according to the affidavit.
Riggs said he told Wade he didn't want to argue with her anymore, but she told him he wouldn't do it so he just ''started swinging.'' He said then he drank a couple of beers, poured one on her head and told her, ''I told you not to -- me off tonight.''
Assistant prosecutors said the corpse abuse charge pertains to Riggs admission of killing the woman, drinking beer and then hitting her again with the weapon.
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MissieBB
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07-29-08 4:14 PM
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Sorry, the trib bleeped it (the ****) out, so I had to write it this way.
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MissieBB
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07-29-08 4:12 PM
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h t t p : // codes.ohio.gov/orc/2903.01 (Part A&F) this is one of nathans charges the other is as follows.. h t t p : // codes.ohio.gov/orc/2927.01 (Part B&C) when you look thoses up..then go to.. h t t p : // codes.ohio.gov/orc/2929.02 (Part A)
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Uncle Buddy
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07-29-08 3:11 PM
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this note posted to misfortunate persons whom use there computer for recreation instead of education..*******codes.ohio.gov/orc/2903.01 this is one of nathans charges the other is as follows..*******codes.ohio.gov/orc/2927.01 when you look thoses up..then go to..*******codes.ohio.gov/orc/2929.02 let me know what you come up with people Thanxs, Tricia's Mom
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Uncle Buddy
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07-24-08 9:37 PM
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Kathy L. Miller (Tricia's Mom) via Uncle Buddy. (Brother)
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Uncle Buddy
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07-24-08 9:36 PM
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to whom it may concern the most....or not concern the most....(but think that it does) I am so so sick of all crap being written about (MY DAUGHTER)..and her faults (some fictional some nonfictional), lets look at it this way there was a HOMOCIDE committed here. There is a MURDERER and the one whom was murdered. There is a purpotrator, and a vicitm. The only person that is able to make that decision is GOD himself.It does NOT matter that Tricia drank socially or everyday, nor did it matter that Nathan had the EXACT same afflicition, what matters is that My daughter was taken by a murderer, and her life should have NEVER been taken by the hands of another HUMAN BEING... Only our GOD can make that decision.
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MissieBB
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07-12-08 10:23 PM
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As an Aunt to Tricia, her uncle and I would LOVE to see the children moved out of that area. Break the cycle!!!! Tricia's Grandmother had that property on Bushnell Campbell Rd for nearly 40 years. I think it is time for a change and better education. Let's face it... Nathan is GARBAGE and will be GARBAGE until he dies. He had NO right to MURDER a young mother of 4!! There is NO excuse on earth for what he has done... NONE. Anyone who defends his actions is also a PUKE, simple minded and poorly educated at that!
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Buzzhawg
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07-10-08 11:25 PM
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I dated Tricia for a while when she lived off Elm road in warren. I was real good friends with her cousin Steve. I was also a friend of John Moore. This is horrible. Now this Riggs******is going to plead insanity??? WTF? Tricia was a beautiful person. Ill be praying for her kids.
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Kinsman
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07-07-08 3:23 PM
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All four children belong to the same father. His name is John. After the youngest she got her tubes done. As for their father (John) the last i heard he was in jail. The two younger ones only had Riggs for a Dad.
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BryceZ
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07-06-08 8:07 PM
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Let's see Ages 8, 9 ,12, 13. Enough explanation?
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MELISSY01
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07-06-08 6:44 PM
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WOW, can someone please explain to me how they were together for almost 8 years and none of those kids were his? not saying anything bad about either of them other than obviously there was something wrong in that relationship! I too am just trying to make sense of all this....
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BryceZ
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07-06-08 11:06 AM
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dot com
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BryceZ
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07-06-08 11:05 AM
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That's **** since it got bleeped
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BryceZ
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07-06-08 11:00 AM
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For anyone interested in helping the children please feel free to email me at bzocco@embarqmail****. The children will have lots of needs in the near future and we all need to support them as much as possible.
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BryceZ
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07-06-08 10:56 AM
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I think that Kate pretty much summed it up at the calling hours the other day. For those of you who cared enough to be there, please keep this in mind. And for those of you with just opinions, please keep them to yourself. Judy, I have more pictures of Tricia that I will drop off at Joe's today.
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daisy8
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07-06-08 9:31 AM
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Enough trash talk already. Tricia's kids should not be able to see or hear anything derogatory about their mother, and you morons just keep dishing it out. Don't you think that maybe they will read this, or their friends might and form an opinion about Trish. It is indeed a horrible situation, but people like you make it a whole lot worse. Get on here, and post something positive about her. And stop talking about Nathan, who gives a s**t about him anyway. As far as I am concerned he is gone forever. Tricia is gone also, but she is at peace.
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TruthSeeker
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07-06-08 1:20 AM
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Judy, you have to understand that nobody is defending his actions. What he did is is un-forgivable and he does indeed deserve to rot in isolation for the rest of his life. You also need to understand that any simple mind can indeed "snap" at any point given the right amount of provocation. And as much as your not going to like this, he did try to avoid the entire situation that night. Had she not went to where he was trying to avoid her that night, she would still be here today picking a fight with him. Had it not been for her kicking in the door of someone else's home at 2 in the morning to get to him he would not have been in their garage trying to avoid her yet again.
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Kinsman
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07-05-08 10:54 PM
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enough well said!!!!!
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Uncle Buddy
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07-05-08 9:30 PM
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Never Forget about the children... our Great-Niece and Gread Newphews.... They will suffer more than we will ever suffer... -Uncle Buddy (I LOVE YOU T-TA) XOXOXOXOXO
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AuntJudy
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07-05-08 8:55 PM
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Why in god's name are you even saying crap like that..I said before it does'nt matter what kind of lifestyle they had..the truth of the matter is HE KILLED her people!!! Why can't you people see this..stop making excuses for this piece of sh!t !!!!!!Whether she was sleeping with the whole town or not,doesn't give him a right to kill her so why in the f*** do you people keep mentioning sh!t like that..
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enough
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07-05-08 7:51 PM
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No one deserves to be beat to death and no child deserves to be without a mother. Tricia was not a saint, when she wasn't working in the bar- she was there drinking, alot of times while Nathan was at home with her children. Does anybody know that while they were in the bar that night that Tricia was verbally abusive to Nathan? Does anybody know that she was cheating on Nathan while he took care of her kids? Even though I loved her, anyone that knows Tricia knows that she had a knack for not knowing when to put a sock in her mouth. Does anyone know why her grandfather commited suicide? This by any means does not justify taking someone's life. Drugs and alcohol is no lifestyle for anyone, Tricia didn't know any different because that's what she grew up with. Tricia was beautiful inside and out, was caring and funny but made some poor decisions in friends and lifestyle which led her down the wrong path and sadly took her life.
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MELISSY01
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07-05-08 2:27 PM
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i'm not trying to get in deep discussion with anyone, but watch the news auntie, there of enough murders a day (senseless murders) to prove my point. im not defending him, im just saying....i have a grip its just the world we live in and its a shame. putting down either side of the family isnt gonna help anyone... whats done is done. in my eyes i still hold them both equally responsible. They both chose to stay in an unhealthy relationship for 7 years BOTH for whatever reason none us will know.
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AuntJudy
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07-05-08 1:52 PM
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NO melis ,your wrong!! "normal" people do not snap and KILL somebody..People with an underlying illness "snap" and kill.."normal" people snap and leave the relationship.****e on if what you are saying is true there would be millions of murders a day...get a grip and realize what you are saying before you say it!!!
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MELISSY01
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07-05-08 1:48 PM
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people need to look at it this way... people "snap" all the time. you dont have to kill animals or fantisize about killing people to snap. Drs, lawyers the guy next door they all do it. doesnt matter if your mental or sane. from what i gather they had a pretty volitile relationship and someone should have warned them both the one of them were going to end up dead or in jail or both. all parties are responsible
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AuntJudy
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07-05-08 1:41 PM
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Yes i agree,i think if you look back we all kinda had it bad in a way.(the nice switches from the trees).I think Big Joe will take very good care of the kids.I remember tricia's pony "pooper" when we were growing up.We were always @ grandma wade's house fighting over who was gonna ride pooper next..Wow those were some memories.My sister always had me like every other weekend after our dad died..And Tricia and Joey stayed with us to.It's funny how memories from long ago are always better than our recent memories..It hurts the most because i havn't seen her in forever and now I won't get to see her in another forever.And most of all telling her goodbye.I tried looking her up on myspace and in the directory as did my brother in florida.and the searches always pulled up nothing.
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Kinsman
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07-05-08 1:23 PM
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No the man who murdered my family member never gave a reason to why. Yes i have known Nathan since a child he never was "crazy". His mom was always there for him. as far as his mom reading to him as a child im pretty sure she did but some people just dont grasp on to reading. Im saying this because my sister is a teacher and that is what she had told me.Like i said before i am close to both sides i grew with Tricia's family too. So i know she had it hard growing up as well. Now her kids are going to have a hard life too. God bless them. Big Joe will do good by them i am sure.
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