The night before an Akron man shot his wife, police responded to a call at the couple’s Goodyear Heights home.
Phillip Battle and his wife, Anita Heard, said they thought they heard voices upstairs. Officers looked but found no one in the home and left.
Battle called 911 the next morning and told police he had accidentally shot his wife. When officers arrived, they found Heard lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head. They also saw bullet holes throughout the house with paper towels stuck in the holes. The television also had a bullet hole in it.
This is the strange set of events that Summit County prosecutors say happened last October, culminating in Heard being shot. She later died from the injury.
Battle, 52, pleaded guilty under an agreement with prosecutors Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter and several other charges related to the Oct. 12 shooting, and a brief car chase he led police on when they attempted to arrest him.
Prosecutors are recommending Battle receive 14 years in prison. He will be sentenced at 9 a.m. Feb. 22 by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Paul Gallagher. He faces up to 21 years in prison.
Summit County Assistant Prosecutor Joe Dangelo said this will give enough time for Heard’s two children to make arrangements to attend the sentencing. Both live out of state. Her children agreed with the plea deal.
The shooting happened on the morning of Oct. 12 at the couple’s home on Johnland Avenue. Heard, 58, was transported to Summa Akron City Hospital, where she died Nov. 14.
Police arrested Battle after a brief car chase. He was initially located on South Arlington Street near Seventh Avenue, about 2 miles southwest of his home.
Battle’s trial was scheduled for Feb. 23.
Battle, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification, domestic violence, tampering with evidence and failure to comply with the signal of a police officer. Prosecutors dismissed the remaining charges against him, which included murder.
Prosecutors said they felt confident a jury likely would find Battle guilty of involuntary manslaughter but thought murder would be tougher to prove because this charge requires intent. They said they don’t think Battle meant to kill his wife.
Don Hicks, Battle’s attorney, declined comment until the sentencing.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.