Chris Cathcart Trial Begins for 1995 Robbery, Murder

The trial of Chris Cathcart, accused in the 1995 robbery and murder of Larry Loose at the former Pacific CrabHouse Restaurant in Maumee, began with prosecutors presenting evidence that Cathcart was responsible for the fatal shooting. However, they also suggested that Cathcart's accomplice, Jamie Madrigal, was the one who actually pulled the trigger. Madrigal is not charged in the case, while Cathcart faces charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. The trial is expected to shed light on the events of that fateful night, when two masked gunmen entered the restaurant and shots were fired, killing Loose and injuring a bartender, Craig Tammarine.

Key Takeaways:

• Prosecutors accused Chris Cathcart of being responsible for the death of Larry Loose, but also implicated his accomplice, Jamie Madrigal, as the actual shooter.
• Madrigal was working as a dishwasher at the restaurant on the night of the robbery but had called in sick, while Cathcart had been fired recently.
• A dishwasher, Khary Phenix, testified that he allowed Cathcart and Madrigal into the restaurant through a back door and had joined in planning the robbery, receiving compensation in exchange for his help.
• Phenix pleaded guilty to obstructing justice for lying to investigators, and his testimony is expected to be crucial in the trial.
• Cathcart was previously convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the shooting death of Misty Fisher during a robbery at a South Toledo KFC in 1996.
• Cathcart was also sentenced to death for aggravated murder, but his conviction was overturned on appeal, and a new trial is scheduled for August.
• The trial has been 11 years in the making, with investigators interviewing new witnesses and revisiting old leads after a 10-year anniversary rekindled media interest in the case, leading to a new indictment for Cathcart.

Statistics:

• The robbery occurred on April 30, 1995, at approximately 10:30 p.m.
• Larry Loose, 55, was shot once in the head and killed.
• Craig Tammarine, a bartender, was shot in the leg but survived.
• The trial is expected to continue with testimony from multiple witnesses, including other employees who were present during the robbery.
• Chris Cathcart is 33 years old and faces charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping for the 1995 robbery and murder of Larry Loose.

Sources:

• The Blade, Toledo, Ohio, by Mark Reiter, Jun. 13 (year not specified).