Mahoning Valley Forum

 Was It Arson/Murder?



http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/30/3-dead-south-side-fire/ (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/30/3-dead-south-side-fire/)

http://wkbn.com/2015/03/30/3-dead-in-youngstown-fire/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/03/30/3-dead-in-youngstown-fire/)

http://interactives.wkbn.com/photomojo/gallery/18614 (http://interactives.wkbn.com/photomojo/gallery/18614)

One thing is sure and certain ... the trial for Robert Seman will have to be moved out of Mahoning County. There is no way that an impartial jury can be arrived at in Mahoning County.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/31/they-were-good-people/ (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/31/they-were-good-people/)
http://www.vindy.com/videos/2015/mar/30/3512/ (http://www.vindy.com/videos/2015/mar/30/3512/)
http://wkbn.com/2014/03/20/grand-jury-indicts-man-on-child-rape/ (http://wkbn.com/2014/03/20/grand-jury-indicts-man-on-child-rape/)
http://wkbn.com/2015/03/30/3-dead-in-youngstown-fire/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/03/30/3-dead-in-youngstown-fire/)

http://www.wfmj.com/story/28655881/autopsies-scheduled-for-three-victims-of-youngstown-house-fire (http://www.wfmj.com/story/28655881/autopsies-scheduled-for-three-victims-of-youngstown-house-fire)

TO SAD TO RESPOND :'( :'( :'(

Whether evidence is found or not, I strongly believe that man had the house torched to prevent the little girl from testifying against him.

http://wkbn.com/2015/03/31/terms-of-rape-suspects-trial-up-in-the-air/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/03/31/terms-of-rape-suspects-trial-up-in-the-air/)
http://wkbn.com/2015/03/31/family-dynamic-part-of-youngstown-fire-victims-rape-case/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/03/31/family-dynamic-part-of-youngstown-fire-victims-rape-case/)

 http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/31/youngstown-fire-victims-appeared-be-trying-get-out/?nw (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/mar/31/youngstown-fire-victims-appeared-be-trying-get-out/?nw)

The lowest of the low......

Source: Rape suspect had burns at court appearance
http://wytv.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/ (http://wytv.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/)

My father was a volunteer fireman back home, and when he came back from fires, he had to change his cloths, and mother had to wash them to get rid of the smoke smell, so if Semen torched the house, then obviously the crime lab was looking for clothing that has smoke smell. If the cloths worn at the fire were thrown into a laundry basket with other garments, traces of the smoke could transfer to them.
1. Seman had burns on his body when he went to court.
2. He took pains to cover the burns with make-up.
3. The burns were found on him after we was back in jail.

WKBN Video
http://wkbn.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/)

CRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEPYYYY

:o

Law enforcement agencies are furious about the amount of publicity the news media especially WKBN - WYTV have been giving this story, and have clamped down hard on all new information that they will give.

One of the investigators — Capt. Brad Blackburn, city police chief of detectives — even issued a statement saying that leaked details to the media of the investigation into the Monday fire that killed 10-year-old Corinne Gump and her grandparents William and Judith Schmidt are "hindering the investigation," as well as upsetting the family. - See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/apr/04/officials-tight-lipped-on-probe-into-fat/#sthash.GqoPdPv6.dpuf (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/apr/04/officials-tight-lipped-on-probe-into-fat/#sthash.GqoPdPv6.dpuf)

Blackburn said he cannot comment because of the ongoing investigation but added if he found out who leaked the information to the media, "I will have plenty to say." - See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/apr/04/officials-tight-lipped-on-probe-into-fat/#sthash.GqoPdPv6.dpuf (http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/apr/04/officials-tight-lipped-on-probe-into-fat/#sthash.GqoPdPv6.dpuf)

From WKBN-27
At this point, police said they will not comment any further on the Seman case, calling it an ongoing, active investigation. In fact, Youngstown Police Detective Capt. Brad Blackburn sent a statement Friday saying a report by WKBN on Thursday night about Seman's burns "is becoming a hindrance to the investigation and is causing a great deal of stress to the victims' family, who've already suffered more than I can fathom."

I'm fairly certain that this man killed these people so the child could not testify against him.
I'm also fairly certain that his girlfriend - the child's own mother - covered up his burns with her makeup.  Unless he keeps makeup at his house for himself.   ::)

I think that Capt. Blackburn is absolutely right about all the coverage of this story day after day after day on WKBN/WYTV. The media needs to give it a break, and let the police do their job. It's going to be hard for the man to get a fair trial in Mahoning County.

MATT HORN, WKBN NEWSEY: 'WHINE, WHINE, BAWL. BOOHOO, THOSE MEAN PEOPLE WOULDN'T ALLOW OUR CAMERA'S IN TO THE FIRE VICTIM'S FUNERAL. OH WOE IS ME, POOR PITYFUL ME! THOSE MEAN PEOPLE ARE VIOLATING MY RIGHT TO POKE MY NOSE INTO THEIR GRIEF!'

Quote from: Towntalk on April 04, 2015, 10:05:04 PM
I think that Capt. Blackburn is absolutely right about all the coverage of this story day after day after day on WKBN/WYTV. The media needs to give it a break, and let the police do their job. It's going to be hard for the man to get a fair trial in Mahoning County.

Why he singled out WKBN/WYTV is odd though.  It's been on WFMJ and in the Vindicator every day as well.

WKBN claimed that they were given the information "exclusively" as if they were the only station that was told about the burns.

http://wkbn.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/04/02/agents-search-green-township-home-of-rape-suspect/)

Does anyone know if the authorities asked any of the media for a news
blackout before all this happened?

Just curious.......I have read about cases where authorities have asked
for (and actually gotten) this type of cooperation until the investigation of a
crime was completed.......the public's right to know [every single detail
in real time] of the investigation should be outweighed by the police
authorities' need to be expedient in their investigation, the family's right
to be left alone in their time of grief, and the accused person's right to
a fair trial by an impartial jury.


:(

Unfortunately many in the media have the idea that they are gods and when they bark out their orders, the peons (police, judges) are expected to tremble with fear. The expression "they did not IMMEDIATELY respond" demonstrates their feeling of self importance.

I agree, Towntalk.....just seems like we don't have the calibre of journalists
that we used to....and sensationalism seems to be the overriding force behind
the motives of the media in so many cases nowadays.

I asked a member of the media this a few days ago. He said no, to his knowledge, a media blackout was never asked for.

Quote from: Towntalk on April 04, 2015, 11:17:02 PM
MATT HORN, WKBN NEWSEY: 'WHINE, WHINE, BAWL. BOOHOO, THOSE MEAN PEOPLE WOULDN'T ALLOW OUR CAMERA'S IN TO THE FIRE VICTIM'S FUNERAL. OH WOE IS ME, POOR PITYFUL ME! THOSE MEAN PEOPLE ARE VIOLATING MY RIGHT TO POKE MY NOSE INTO THEIR GRIEF!'

WHAT A ......HOLE

UPDATE

http://wkbn.com/2015/04/09/rape-suspect-charged-with-bribery/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/04/09/rape-suspect-charged-with-bribery/)