HAMILTON, Ohio (Court TV) — A man convicted of killing his longtime girlfriend by stabbing her 55 times had to watch the verdict and participate in his sentencing from another room after repeated outbursts in the courtroom.
FILE – Toby Madden (Ohio Dept. of Corrections)
Toby Madden was convicted of murder and felonious assault charges in the Oct. 2022 death of Rachelle Brewsaugh. The 50-year-old victim had been stabbed in the chest, abdomen, head, back, knees, arms, shoulders, and hands.
Madden was sentenced immediately following the verdict to 15 years to life with an added 10 years, meaning he will not be eligible for parole for 25 years.
The couple had been together for 27 years at the time of Brewsaugh’s death. According to documents obtained by Court TV, neighbors reported that the couple had only moved into the house where Brewsaugh died a week before her death.
Madden, who had pleaded not guilty, told police that someone else killed Brewsaugh because the couple had confiscated drugs and there was a bounty on Madden’s head. Court records show that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office caught Madden with a suitcase of 316 grams of methamphetamine in Sept. 2021. He wasn’t indicted on the drug charge until Nov. 2022, shortly after he was arrested for Brewsaugh’s murder.
Madden, now 54, was already serving a prison sentence of 11-16.5 years on the drug charge involving the suitcase of meth. He took the stand in his defense at that trial.
Madden asked to represent himself at the murder trial, but a judge denied that request twice. The defendant, who has gone through at least six defense attorneys in the 23 months the case has been pending, has reportedly been disruptive in court. Back in March, Madden had to be forcibly removed from the courtroom after he threatened to assault his attorney.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 5 – 9/27/24
- Toby Madden complained about his defense attorney to the judge before the day’s proceedings began.
- The prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments.
- Toby Madden was removed from the courtroom after yelling at the jury about evidence following the prosecution’s rebuttal closing argument.
- The jury convicted Madden, and the judge sentenced him to 25 years to life in prison.
DAY 4 – 9/26/24
- A detective who helped process the crime scene compared cuts made in the victim’s shirt to a broken blade attachment of a pocket knife – the shape of the cuts in the cloth appeared to match the oddly shaped blade.
- The suspected murder weapon (a pocket knife) was tested for blood and DNA – no blood was found on the knife. Detective testified that it appeared to have been washed.
- Detective Doug Trenum used a chemical to test for the presence of blood on a gray shirt, and green vest believed to be worn by the defendant at the time of the murder, both articles reacted positively to the presence of blood.
- Trenum swabbed several areas on the shirt and vest for further DNA testing.
- A DNA analyst confirmed the samples obtained from the defendant’s clothing were Rachelle Brewsaugh’s blood.
- On cross Defense noted Defendant’s DNA was not found in the fingernail clippings of the victim and no blood was found on the knife.
- The Defendant’s cousin Tania Cook testified she heard the defendant threaten more than once to ‘cut off the victim’s head and put it in her mother’s lap so the whole family would suffer.’
DAY 3 – 9/25/24
- Forensic pathologist Dr. Russell Uptegrove testified that Rachelle Brewsaugh, the defendant’s longtime girlfriend died from multiple stab wounds, some penetrating her heart, lung and liver.
- Uptegrove displayed a picture of the victim at autopsy that was so shocking someone in the gallery shouted ‘Bastard!’ prompting the judge to admonish the spectators in the gallery to leave the courtroom if they could not control their emotions (9:30).
- Uptegrove testified the wounds were consistent with being caused by a small foldable knife.
- Detective Doug Trenum testified that he processed a Swiss Army pocket Knife found in a black backpack from the victim’s house. He observed that a piece had broken off one of the blades and there was indication that the knife had been washed.
- WATCH: Stabbed 55 Times Murder Trial: Jury Sees Murder Weapon Up Close
- Detective Trenum also lifted what he suspected to be blood stains from the defendant’s green vest, and the bathroom sink. His testing of red stains in the bathroom sink tested positive for human blood.
- He photographed the defendant at police headquarters, he observed numerous abrasions and scratches to his arm, chest and back.
- Defendant addressed judge to complain he hasn’t been able to shower in four days because the jail won’t let him. Judge responded by telling the defendant she had no control over the jail.
DAY 2 – 9/24/24
- Prosecutors play video of the defendant’s meltdown for jurors during testimony of the lead detective who said he heard the defendant tell his daughter, he was ‘responsible for what happened’ to her mother, that he ‘didn’t mean it,’ and begged her not to ‘hate him.’
- Defendant Toby Madden breaks down several times the most obvious display of emotion coming when prosecutors show a photo of his girlfriend’s blood-soaked body splayed across the floor covered in stab wounds.
- A patrol officer said she pulled the defendant from the body of Rachelle Brewsaugh after she walked in on him performing CPR when she was clearly dead.
- A neighbor testified she heard a scream coming from Rachelle Brewsaugh’s home while she was on her porch a few hours after she saw her sister’s grandson leave for school at 8:15 AM.
- Detective Robert Horton said the defendant was distraught and crying when he interviewed him on the day of the murder.
- Photographs he took of the defendant on the same day of the murder show scratches and redness on the defendant’s forearms and his chest.
- Defendant told him that he woke up and found his girlfriend – and told him there were 3 guys that the detective needed to go find
- WATCH: Toby Madden’s Neighbor Says She was Scared of Him
DAY 1 – 9/23/24
- Defendant has an emotional meltdown and says ‘I’m sorry’ to his daughter for the murder of her mother.
- Judge warns defendant that she will have him removed from the courtroom if there is another outburst.
- Prosecutor tells the jury in opening statement that the defendant apologized for the murder before they took their seats, telling them the defendant made a stabbing motion with his hand in front of an entire courtroom full of witnesses.
- Prosecutor suggests the hand motion references how the victim was killed – stabbed 55 times.
- Defense Attorney asks the judge to allow his client to watch the trial from somewhere other than the courtroom given his fragile emotional state upon seeing his family.
- WATCH: OH v. Toby Madden: Daughter of Defendant and Victim Testifies
