State v. Neyland (Slip Opinion)

{¶ 1} This is an appeal as of right by defendant-appellant, Calvin Neyland Jr. A jury convicted him of the aggravated murders of Douglas Smith and Thomas Lazar, and it recommended the sentence of death on each count of murder. The trial court accepted those recommendations and sentenced Neyland accordingly.

I. Trial Evidence

A. State’s case

{¶ 2} Evidence introduced at trial showed that Neyland began working as a truck driver for Liberty Transportation Company in Perrysburg, Ohio, in July 2006.

{¶ 3} Beginning in March 2007, Neyland was cited several times for falsifying his driver’s logs and for…