Arson and murder trial to begin Monday

Mar. 11—Nearly two years ago, firefighters extinguished an apartment fire and found the body of Dustin C. Doran, who died of injuries not caused by the blaze. Hours later, Clinton Police arrested an acquaintance of his in an unrelated incident, but he reportedly had Doran's billfold, was wearing Doran's white Air Jordan shoes, had hand injuries and his hat smelled like smoke.

Trevor Allan Jeorge Ward, 32, of Clinton is charged with first-degree murder a Class A felony, and first-degree arson, a Class B felony. Accused of killing Doran on March 26, 2022, and starting a fire in Doran's apartment at 78 31st Ave. N, Clinton, Ward is scheduled to go to trial next week.

Ward's jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday, March 18, in the Clinton County Courthouse before District Court Judge Tamra Roberts. The trial is expected to last five days.

Ward is represented by attorneys Theresa Sampson Brown and Steven J. Drahozal. The prosecution is by Assistant State Attorney General Frank Severino Jr. and Clinton County Attorney Michael L. Wolf.

A hearing was held last week to consider various pre-trial motions that involved the admissibility of drug use and past convictions of Ward and witnesses. Prosecution contended its only references to such things would be to support a narrative timeline that shows Ward and Doran knew each other from time in a drug rehabilitation facility together. Once out, Doran got an apartment and Ward was staying there at the time of the alleged murder.

Defense, for it's part, referenced the idea that the alleged murder was committed by someone else.

According to court documents, police said the shoes Ward was wearing when arrested were the same that investigators saw in a social media post made by Doran on Jan. 17, 2022 and that were missing from the fire scene.. The post has a picture of the red and white Air Jordans with a caption tht said, "My new jays! In my new apartment."