Victim's girlfriend testifies in Bellevue murder trial

FREMONT — As Curtis Gibbs bled out on the steps of a Bellevue apartment complex from 10 bullet wounds, his girlfriend of seven years cradled his head.That's according to the testimony given by Kelly Ahrens, Gibbs' girlfriend, in the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday. She said Gibbs was one of a kind. He loved his family and knew how to make you laugh.John Frost, 59, is on trial facing charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and, because of an alleged drug addiction, having weapons under a disability following Gibbs's death. He's represented by attorneys David Klucas and Cynthia Welty.The prosecution — represented by Sandusky County assistant prosecutors Joe Gerber and Kaitlin Klucas — called Ahrens as its first witness. She said Frost let them into his apartment on the night of July 29, 2018, but she claimed he "wasn't acting right.""He had his gun out with a green laser and was pointing all over the room," Ahrens said. "At one point he had it on Curtis's chest."She claimed as Frost locked his door in the hallway as they all left, Gibbs told him "he didn't appreciate John waving the gun at him and if he was going to pull it out he better use it because he had a gun, too.""John said something like 'Yeah (expletive). You don't have the balls to do it but I do.' I then just heard bullets going," Ahrens said.She said she ran down the steps and eventually saw Gibbs slide down the staircase after being shot multiple times. Gibb's family broke into tears as she recounted his death.In his cross-examination, defense attorney David Klucas questioned Ahrens reliability given her past drug abuse, criminal convictions and the fact she originally told Bellevue police she was out of the building by the time the shooting started.The prosecution called expert witness Dr. Cynthia Beisser, who is a deputy coroner in Lucas County and performed the autopsy on Gibbs. She said Gibbs had seven penetration wounds and three graze wounds. She ruled his death a homicide caused by multiple bullet wounds."He could have bled out from this one wound in 10 minutes, but he had so many I can't put a number on (how fast he would've died)," Beisser said.Attorney David Klucas, in his cross-examination, presented a toxicology report, which showed Gibbs had methamphetamine in his system. Bellevue police Chief Marc Linder, who investigated the case when he was a sergeant, was also called to the stand.He testified Frost admitted to shooting Gibbs and claimed it was in self-defense at the scene, which, according to Linder, is why they didn't collect evidence like fingerprints and DNA. Linder's investigation was focused on figuring out why he was shot.The prosecution played recordings of his interviews with Frost, in which he said they all left his apartment because he had to do laundry. Frost took his gun with him to place in his car, but as he was locking his door, he said Gibbs made a comment about if he pointed that gun at him, he'd shoot him."I was in fear for my life," Frost said in the recording. "I see he's reaching for his pocket so I just start shooting him … I didn't trust this (expletive) … Somebody knows you have a gun and then they go to whip out their own gun. What am I supposed to do?"Other witnesses called to the stand included the first officers on the scene, the dispatcher who took the 911 call and forensic expert from the Ohio Attorney General's office who testified Gibbs most likely fired his gun twice before it was hit by a bullet and became inoperable.The trial will resume today in Judge John Dewey's courtroom with the rest of Linder's testimony.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterJohn Frost listens to testimonies Tuesday the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court. Frost on trial for murder following the shooting of Curtis Gibbs.John Frost listens to testimonies Tuesday the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court. Frost on trial for murder following the shooting of Curtis Gibbs.Kelly Ahrens, the girlfriend of Curtis Gibbs, testifies Tuesday in the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court. John Frost is on trial for Gibbs' death.