Prosecution of Richard and Kasey Klein

Court testimony Tuesday morning laid out the prosecutions case in the trial of Richard and Kasey Klein in the deaths of Ayden Cecil and Anthony Tullius.

Testimony came from Falls Township Fire Department Volunteer Cody Johnson. Johnson was on a rescue boat combing the river for the two boys.

"As we were heading we saw a contrasting color on the westbound shore. We investigated and found a small child floating in water," said Johnson.

The body was that of Ayden Cecil. Johnson noted it seemed the body had been in the water for some time due to a ring of muddy substance around his mouth. Two fisherman at Ellis that day said they spoke to Richard Klein twice.

"He just asked if I saw any kids near the water,"Chris Griffiths. "He didn’t seem concerned."

Steve Pletcher added, "Mr. Griffiths and I got talking and he was talking kids we didn’t realize small kids. We thought 12 years old out for adventure."

Griffiths did state when Klein returned later he did seem more concerned and mentioned trying to call 9-1-1, but he never saw Kasey or Richard searching for the children. Two bloodhounds tracked a scent.

"He went along the lock wall and then when reaching the lock wall there was a steep drop off. He came from there and went toward the boat ramp because it couldn’t go anywhere else," said Lt. Pete Fisher with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office.

Doctor Perry Kailis from the Muskingum County Coroner’s Office and Jeffrey Lee from the Licking County Coroner both said that upon examining the body of Ayden that he died of accidental drowning and was a healthy boy.