ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AP) – Prosecutors in eastern Ohio say a man observed how a woman moaned after he and two others beat, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
Opening statements Tuesday in the death-penalty case against LaFonse Dixon included gruesome images, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Dixon, 34, has pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and arson in the death of Celeste Fronsman.
A driver found Fronsman, 29, northeast of Zanesville in August 2012. The Canton woman had been severely burned and had a strap around her neck. She died two days later.
Two women arrested with Dixon have pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors told the jury Fronsman’s death was an act of revenge. Defense attorneys said it was the outcome of a disagreement between prostitutes carried out by the women who have confessed.