Murder trial gets underway

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WILMINGTON — The trial of a Sabina man charged with the murder of a Washington C.H. man is underway.

On Monday in Clinton County Common Pleas Court, the prosecution and defense questioned potential jury members as part of the jury selection process in the case against Phillip Haley. This was the first day of a scheduled five-day trial.

Haley, currently incarcerated in the Clinton County Jail, is accused of fatally shooting 23-year-old Zachary Parrott in December 2021 at the S.R. 729 residence of Haley’s estranged wife in Sabina. Haley faces six charges including two counts of alleged aggravated murder, two counts of alleged murder, one count of trespassing, and one count of felonious assault — each with a weapons specification.

Clinton County Prosecutor Andrew McCoy asked potential jurors about analyzing and judging facts and details presented to them.

“You will not be asked to judge people’s worth. You will not be asked to dole out punishments. But you will be asked to judge the testimony and the facts and make a judgment as a group on what has and has not been proven,” said McCoy.

According to court documents, Haley’s estranged wife, Kari, had invited Parrott, a co-worker of hers, and a mutual friend to her house to play board games.

Kari was showing Parrott around her house when Phillip Haley entered the residence. The affidavit notes that the suspect hadn’t lived at the house since November, and he was living in his truck.

The suspect “came running up the stairs and began yelling at Zachary Parrott,” the affidavit states. Philip Haley reportedly told Parrott to leave the house, which he agreed to do.

As Parrott was getting ready to leave, a fight broke out, and Phillip Haley reportedly assaulted both Parrott and Kari Haley.

Parrott and Phillip Haley began to fight, which led to the upstairs bathroom. Gunshots were heard and Parrott was found on the bathroom floor bleeding from two bullet wounds. Parrott was declared dead by the Sabina Fire Department, according to reports.

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