Bellevue man guilty of involuntary manslaughter

FREMONT — John Frost was found not guilty Friday of murder, but he could still face prison time for the shooting and death of Curtis Gibbs.Frost, 59, of Bellevue, has been on trial all week for charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and having a weapon under a disability in the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court.Frost was represented by attorneys David Klucas and Cynthia Welty. The state's argument was presented by Sandusky County assistant prosecutors Joe Gerber and Kaitlin Klucas.Both sides called witnesses which included Gibbs' girlfriend, Bellevue police Chief Marc Linder, forensic experts, Frost's neighbors and medical experts.After about six hours of deliberations, which started Thursday after closing arguments and carried on to Friday, the jury decided the prosecution didn't meet the burden of proof to find Frost guilty of murder.But they did find him guilty of involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification and possessing weapons under a disability after the prosecution successfully argued he shouldn't have owned a firearm because he was predisposed to have a drug addiction."We're happy we got this outcome and the family of Curtis Gibbs is happy with it," said prosecutor Kaitlin Klucas, who is second cousins with the defense attorney.The prosecution was especially pleased with the verdict given the unusual circumstances of the case. Frost shot Gibbs, 44, in the hallway outside Frost's Bellevue apartment as they left his residence in July 2018. Both men had guns and fired off shots."The case wasn't a typical murder trial. There was self-defense argument you don't usually see," Gerber said. "The victim did have a gun and two shots were fired, but (Frost) fired 10 times hitting Curtis with seven bullets and grazing him with three. There was clearly evidence presented at the trial that the defendant instigated an argument that led to this."Gerber said given those facts he believed the outcome was fair. The prosecution also thanked the jury for their attention and dedication to their duty during the trial. There's a potential of up to 14 years in prison for the charges and gun specification, Gerber added.Judge John Dewey hasn't scheduled a date for sentencing and ordered Frost's bond be continued in the Sandusky County jail. Frost's attorneys couldn't immediately be reached for comment.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.