William Carman, Charged in 2021 Murder of Anorah Schostag, Goes on Trial in Ohio County
Emma Delk Trending
WHEELING -- Prosecutors in the murder trial of a Wheeling man said Monday that he killed a Mozart woman in 2021 to steal her drugs and money, with six different forms of evidence collected by the state to prove his guilt. Meanwhile, the defense attorney claimed his client was being used as a "patsy" by his ex-wife and framed for the crime.
The trial of William Ross Carman began Monday at the City-County Building. Carman faces charges of first degree murder, robbery, burglary and gross neglect of a child for the Sept. 17, 2021, murder of Anorah Schostag. Wheeling Police officers arrested him outside Schostag's South Frazier Street home after police arrived on the scene and discovered Schostag's body. Prosecutors claim that when Carman left the scene, he left his daughter and Schostag's son unattended at the house.
Ohio County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak explained to the jury that the state of West Virginia has collected six forms of evidence to prove William Carman's guilt, including "testimony, physical evidence, photographic evidence, video evidence, expert scientific evidence and expert forensic pathology medical evidence."
One form of evidence presented will be the weapons used to create the "31 external injuries" to Schostag's body, said Turak, and a gun that, while not used, Carman was carrying at the time of the murder. According to Turak, another form of evidence is that William Carman's DNA is "all over the crime scene."
"The combination of these forms of evidence will prove the brutally horrific murder the defendant committed and all his other crimes," stated Turak.
Turak then explained the motive for Carman to murder Schostag was to rob Schostag for both drugs and money, as jewelry and other items belonging to Schostag were found "bagged up and out of place" by Ryan Schostag, Anorah Schostag's brother, at the crime scene.
Turak added that they will also use the testimony of Roger Fink to prove Carman's guilt, as Fink was the last person to speak to Schostag before her death. Turak recounted the first call between the two at 11 a.m. was Schostag in tears saying she had been tied up and had a "gun held to her head." Schostag then texted Fink 30 minutes before her death, "I can't take much more trauma/drama today."
On why someone did not call the police after this "torture" of Schostag, Turak revealed that Schostag was a "doctor and a mother with a dark secret" as she was abusing drugs, including "methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana." Turak explained that Schostag did not call the police because she did not want them to find drugs in her house. Turak also said that Schostag's drugs were "what the defendant wanted."
"Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, drugs were the single, sole common denominator between Anorah Schostag, William Carman and Amanda Carman," added Turak.
Turak posited that Amanda Carman was how William Carman got access to drugs, as he harassed Amanda Carman into getting him more drugs. Amanda Carman then brought "all of this drama" into Schostag's life, said Turak, as once William Carman learned about his wife's "rich doctor friend," he wanted to take advantage of this.
"The evidence in this case is very, very clear," finished Turak. "And it is very disturbing."
Defense attorney Martin Sheehan told the jury his opening remarks that, while the state will be able to prove everything that happened in the murder "evidence-wise," there are too many "technical issues" surrounding the circumstances of Schostag's death.
Sheehan appealed to the jury that the state's theory that Carman committed the murder was "too simplistic." He added that one needs to look into more details surrounding the night of Sept. 17, 2021.
"I understand how the state has put it together," said Sheehan. "I'm just not sure the state has put it together correctly and beyond a reasonable doubt."
The main detail Sheehan asked jurors to consider is who was in the house at the time of the murder. With Schostag dead and the two children that were present unable to testify, the defense attorney explained that the truth of what happened that night falls upon Wililam Carman and Amanda Carman.
"I'm not going to make up facts or argue that little green men from Mars came down and killed Anorah Schostag," added Sheehan. "The reality is it's down to those two people."
Sheehan then argued that the adult in the house that killed Schostag was Amanda Carman because she had packed Schostag's car and bagged her jewelry up "ready to go, outside the house." He explained that Amanda Carman invited her husband to the house to frame him for the murder.
He added that Amanda Carman gave multiple conflicting statements to police after the murder as she reported a "masked man" killing Schostag in her first statement to the police.
"Now, she's going to tell you it was her husband," explained Sheehan. "Ultimately, we'll see there are these issues with Amanda's statements."
Wheeling Police Officer Rebecca Tobiczyk confirmed when questioned by Turak that she witnessed a man wearing a black mask fleeing the crime scene. Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger confirmed during questioning that this man was identified as Carman.
Tobiczyk also confirmed when questioned by Assistant Public Defender Nicholas Yovich that Ryan Schostag yelled at Amanda Carman when he arrived at the scene of the crime that this was "her fault."
The night of the murder, Sheehan explained that the Carmans and Schostag were "high as a kite" together, to the point where Amanda Carman was hallucinating. Sheehan cited that Schostag would be the one who had given them the drugs, as Amanda Carman was only visiting her friend, and William Carman was homeless at the time and unable to obtain them.
After Schostag's death, Sheehan said that William Carman was taken to the hospital instead of into custody because of a "serious cut" on his hand. Sheehan added that William Carman will explain in his testimony that Amanda Carman stabbed him because he pushed Schostag out of the way from Amanda Carman.
Sheehan then said that while William Carman did have a gun with him that night and that the prosecutor's evidence would corroborate this, he possessed the gun because they have "value in the streets" and he "wanted to trade the gun in for money." The gun had become a "red herring" in the trial, according to Sheehan, as Schostag had been brutally stabbed, not shot.
Sheehan said other circumstances surrounding Carman's possible presence around Schostag's house before her death, such as him hanging around the house the day beforehand, could be explained as him trying to find and contact Amanda Carman.
"Does William know that he has been set up by his now ex-wife to be a patsy in this particular deal?" finished Sheehan. "Probably not, but he knows what he knows, and that's what he's going to tell you."
"This is about if William has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If you have doubt, that's where we are."