UPDATE: Celeste-Fronsman Tortured & burned to death~Katrina Culberson & Monica Washington Plead Guilty~ Lafonse Dixon Found Guilty OF Aggravated Murder, Kidnapping & Aggravated Arson

By CHRISTINA NG (@ChristinaNg27)
Aug. 28, 2012
An Ohio woman who was tortured in a wooded area and left abandoned near a remote road has died after being in critical condition for two days, officials said.

The 29-year-old woman from Canton was discovered naked Sunday morning by a passing motorist on a Zanesville, Ohio, road with a rope around her neck and severe burns.

ABC News is not publishing the woman's name at this time since she was the victim of a rape.

"I have a woman right here. She's burned severely, she's been raped and she's been beat up," the distressed man told police in his 911 call. "She's got a rope around her neck, she's totally without clothes and she's severely burned."

The motorist told dispatchers that he had the woman lying in the grass and pleaded for them to send medics right away.

The woman could be heard in the background moaning in pain.

Despite the excruciating pain, authorities say, she was still able to talk to the motorist, medics and police about what happened.

"Obviously, when you put assault, rape and burn in the same sentence, it's very brutal," Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said at a news conference Monday, according to ABC News Columbus affiliate WSYX-TV.

The woman was transported by air to the burn unit at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University in Columbus. She suffered fourth-degree burns, as deep as the muscle and bone, as well as other injuries.

"This is one of the most gruesome things I've ever seen in 23 and a half years in law enforcement, as well as some of our detectives," Lutz said. "I can't imagine the pain this lady went through."

Officers discovered a crime scene in the wooded area near the road, but would not discuss what they found.

"This was not a random act," Lutz said. "There was a vehicle that we were looking for that interested us. We found that last night in the Canton area. There are some people of interest to us that we are currently looking for."

Although police say they have multiple persons of interest, no arrests have been made. An autopsy will be conducted as the investigation continues, authorities said.

"Our investigators are still working heavily in the northeast part of the state with the authorities up here on running down leads," Capt. Jeff LeCocq of the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office said today, "and the investigation is ongoing."

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How Horrific!!!!

Horrific is right! I can't imagine her pain. OMG!

OMG, that poor woman!!!

Notice I did not add on the title that she was a prostitute. No matter what she was, she did not deserve this. It's horrible!!!!

Wrap, I'm glad you didn't put that in the title, I don't think it should matter personally. When I read in titles about something like this and the word prostitute is right in the title, it's like they're saying she/he deserved it. JMOO.

As in Jaren Lockhart.

By Kathy Thompson, (Zanesville, Ohio) Times Recorder Updated 1d 12h ago

ADAMSVILLE, Ohio – A wooden cross on Ohio 208 stands in memory of Celeste Fronsman, the Ohio woman who was found burned and naked in the road Sunday with a rope around her neck.

The cross was put up by the central Ohio man, who found Fronsman on Sunday morning burned and beaten. The blanket, which now adorns the cross, was the one he used to cover Fronsman's nude body, offering her what little comfort he could.

"She was screaming that they were trying to kill her," the man said. "At first I thought it was someone playing a joke. I looked around to see if anyone else was there, but couldn't see anyone. That's when I made the first 911 call."

A horrific sight
The man, who the (Zanesville, Ohio) Times Recorder is not identifying, had just passed the roadway near intersection of Keys and Steel Hill roads about 15 minutes earlier, but hadn't seen her.

"I was thinking what a good life it is," he said. "It was a beautiful Sunday morning and I was on my way home picking up my family in time for church."

As he passed by on his way back through, the horribly burnt woman rose up from the road and flung herself onto the hood of his truck when he stopped.

"It was like something out of a horror show," he said.

Fronsman, 29, of Canton, Ohio, was last seen in Canton by her father Friday and had borrowed his truck, telling him she would return in a little while, according to WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio.

Then Fronsman was discovered in the remote area of Muskingum County, Ohio, and the truck was recovered in Canton later Sunday evening, according to authorities.

She died Tuesday from her injuries.

Fronsman was covered from head to toe with fourth-degree burns, the man said, her hair completely gone and her skin either falling off or just hanging on her body.

He was about halfway out of the truck when Fronsman flung herself at him, crying in agony.

A comforting angel

"I caught her and picked her up in my arms," the man said. "I told her I was going to lay her in the grass and knew then that God had put me there for her."

As the man laid Fronsman down in the grass, he said she kept crying for him to help her.

"I assured her that I wouldn't leave her, but I wanted to get the blanket out of the truck to cover her with," he said. "She didn't want to let go of my hand and she was gasping for air. Her skin was just hanging off her."

After getting the blanket and a bottle of Gatorade, the man gently held Fronsman's head so she could drink the Gatorade.

"She was still gasping for air, and I noticed that she had a 2-inch strap wrapped around her neck that had burned into her," he said. "I told her that I was going to loosen the strap so she could breathe better, but knew not to take it completely off because I knew the police would need it."

The will to live
Fronsman was in excruciating pain, he said, and kept asking him whether he had any morphine, so he made another 911 call.
Fronsman was able to tell him her name, age and where she lived, he said, but was extremely concerned that he was going to leave her.

"I just kept holding her hand and soothing her," he said. "I kept telling her there was no way I'd leave her and then we prayed together."

For the next few minutes, he said the two were silent — deeply praying.

For more than 20 minutes, the man comforted the tortured woman.

When the Adamsville Volunteer Fire Department and EMS squad arrived, he said they looked shocked to see her condition, but immediately began trying to place her on a stretcher.

"She was so badly burnt, her skin kept coming off and they couldn't get her on," he said. "But God bless her, her will to live was so strong, she picked herself up off the ground and placed herself on the stretcher."

He praised the emergency personnel who came to the scene.

"Everyone who came to the scene that day was so professional," he said. "The EMS crew, the deputies and the crew from MedFlight. They were so kind and good to her. I'm so thankful for all of them. I just wished she hadn't been in so much pain. I'm very sorry she passed away."

With God's help
Fronsman died Tuesday afternoon at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University in Columbus. An autopsy has been ordered, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said.

Lutz is not releasing many details as to how or why Fronsman ended up in the condition she did near the Tri-Valley Wildlife Area. He has said a crime scene about one-fourth of a mile from where Fronsman was discovered on Steel Hill Road was discovered. Officials believe that is where she was set on fire. Evidence was collected from that area.

Evidence from the truck also is being analyzed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Lutz has said there are several people of interest law enforcement are interviewing. Detectives from his office have been in the Canton area since Sunday.

The man who helped Fronsman that day said it has completely changed his life.

He said he remains in shock from that morning. Although he decided to speak with the Times Recorder to tell everyone about Fornsman's bravery, he is hoping the media does not seek him out.

He doesn't believe he's a hero. He doesn't think he did anything out of the ordinary.

"I did what God directed me to do," he said. "The sheriff's office and EMS people, they're the heroes. They serve us every day."
He said he erected the cross to signify that "something great happened there." The flowers are to prove to her that she was beautiful.
"I just can't get over that she was able to drag herself that far and wait for a car to come along," he said. "Her will was so strong. I just know that now she's out of pain and in a better place."

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This is one of the most horrifying things I have ever read. God Bless this man!!

Just what you said Wrap. OMG!!

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A young woman was charged with murder Friday in the gruesome death of a woman found covered in burns and wailing in agony on the side of a rural Ohio road last weekend.

In addition to aggravated murder, 20-year-old Katrina Marie Culberson of Canton was charged with kidnapping and aggravated arson in the death of 29-year-old Celeste Fronsman, according to the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office. It's unclear whether Culberson has an attorney.
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CANTON —
Celeste E. Fronsman was left for dead in a secluded part of Muskingum County, an hour from her Canton home.

Her alleged killer lived just across town.

On Friday, authorities in Zanesville charged Katrina M. Culberson, 20, of 424 17th St. SE, with aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated arson in connection with Fronsman’s death.

Canton police and Muskingum County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Culberson Wednesday on an unrelated theft warrant.

Sheriff Matthew Lutz wouldn’t comment on whether Culberson is alleged to have acted alone, nor would he discuss who Fronsman was with or where she was before her death.

James Fronsman said his 29-year-old daughter left in his pickup with a girlfriend around 6 a.m. Aug. 24 and never returned. The truck was found parked at McDonald’s at 112 Dueber Ave. SW.

On Sunday morning, a passerby called 911 after finding Fronsman naked, beaten and severely burned. She died Tuesday at a Columbus hospital.

Franklin County Coroner Dr. Jan Gorniak has ruled Fronsman’s death a homicide but hasn’t determined the cause. The coroner said Fronsman had burns over three-fourths of her body.

Earlier reports said Fronsman was raped. Lutz wouldn’t release any information regarding that allegation, but rape is not one of the charges against Culberson.

Culberson and Fronsman knew each other but the sheriff wouldn’t discuss their relationship or a possible motive, saying only, “This wasn’t random.”

Investigators are trying to contact other “people of interest,” the sheriff said.

Local court records show that Culberson has been convicted of several misdemeanors, including criminal trespass, soliciting for prostitution and obstructing official business since 2010.

The theft warrant accuses her of stealing a purse from a disabled woman at a Walmart store earlier this month.

Fronsman also had a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for soliciting for prostitution.
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OMG, I cannot imagine the pain that this woman went through. I agree with you and raine about it not making a difference what she was, she was still a human being and did not deserve this at all.

A twenty year old woman is involved in this. MOO, but it sounds like she has a drug problem, with the theft of a disabled lady's purse earlier this month also.

Franklin County Coroner Dr. Jan Gorniak has ruled Fronsman’s death a homicide but hasn’t determined the cause. The coroner said Fronsman had burns over three-fourths of her body.

WTH??? It's pretty obvious how she died!

Culberson and Fronsman knew each other but the sheriff wouldn’t discuss their relationship or a possible motive, saying only, “This wasn’t random.”

Maybe they were in the same profession? They are not charging Culberson for rape so evidently, there was at least one male involved.

Praying For Faith wrote:OMG, I cannot imagine the pain that this woman went through. I agree with you and raine about it not making a difference what she was, she was still a human being and did not deserve this at all.

A twenty year old woman is involved in this. MOO, but it sounds like she has a drug problem, with the theft of a disabled lady's purse earlier this month also.

I think you're right, PFF. My take is they were both prostitutes and most likely on drugs and MAY have had a pimp who helped murder her. This is just my take at this time and subject to change.

CANTON -- Celeste Fronsman took two quick, deep breaths Tuesday afternoon and slipped away.

To her family in Canton, she always will be the granddaughter who never failed to tell her grandparents she loved them. She was the sister who engaged in tickling wars. She was a mother who loved her daughter.

To the residents across the region, she has become not just a victim of a horrific crime, but a woman who lived up to her name, which means heavenly.

Sarah Gulosh sat Tuesday at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, talking quietly to her big sister, remembering Fronsman's unique laugh and her once-beautiful long hair.

"We just kept telling her how much we loved her and that she wouldn't be in any more pain," Gulosh said.

Fronsman, 29, was found by a passing motorist Sunday in the middle of a state road in the Tri-Valley Recreation Area. She was burnt, beaten and said she had been raped. How she got there remains under investigation by the Muskingum County Sheriff's office.

Fronsman's family forever will be grateful to the man who stopped his truck that morning and gave her comfort and care until emergency medical personnel arrived and she was flown to Columbus.

"We just want to thank him so much," Gulosh said. "Who knows what would have happened to her if he hadn't come along?"

The Rev. Larry Hinkle of the Louisville United Methodist Church in Louisville, Ohio, believes the man was sent by God.

Hinkle, who has known Fronsman and her family for years, said his heart stopped Sunday night when he first learned a Canton woman had been found on the road.

"I'd had Celeste on my mind a lot, and my first thought was her," he said. "I just prayed it wasn't."

"Celeste has had so many hardships in her family, and we've all been praying for her to be surrounded by angels," Hinkle said. "She was that day."

Hinkle said there were so many people in her life that wanted to love and care for her.

"But her hardships and issues seemed to overtake her life at times," he said.

Hinkle will conduct a private family service for Fronsman in the near future.

With Fronsman at peace and out of pain, the family is concentrating on remembering her as the loving and caring woman she was.

Fronsman was good-hearted and loved her family with her entire being, her sister said.

"She never once talked to our grandparents that she didn't tell them how much she loved them and that they meant everything to her," Gulosh said.

Fronsman’s difficulties included the deaths of 2-year-old daughter Jordyn in 2005 and mother Debborah in 2009.

Those losses tortured her and contributed to Fronsman's legal problems. Court records show she had been arrested on drugs and prostitution charges.

"When her daughter died, that really brought her down," Gulosh said. "And then when Mom died, she had another setback. The devil made her do things she knew she shouldn't. We always told her she needed to stop what she was doing and ask God for forgiveness. But she loved God, and she told us she had asked him for forgiveness. And it just means so much to us that the man who found her prayed with her."

Gulosh said no matter what legal issues or problems her sister had, "she was a good person."

Gulosh remembers the pair fighting like normal sisters, sharing the same bed when they were little and having tickling wars.

"She was fun," Gulosh said. "I remember when she'd have her friends over, and we'd all be in the bedroom. They'd be listening to music and putting on makeup. They'd all laugh."

"She loved to listen to R&B music and dance," Gulosh said. "She was always happy when she listened to music."

Fronsman enjoyed doing "girlie" things -- dressing up and putting on makeup.

And, she had a strong will, which likely was how she was able to drag herself a quarter-mile through brush and weeds from the crime scene to the road that morning, her skin falling off, her head bald and burned. Fronsman put herself in the stretcher because EMS personnel couldn't pick her up without hurting her.

"She was a fighter," Gulosh said. "She was a strong woman, but one with a heart of gold."
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This story just keeps getting more sad!

It sure does. OMG, her daughter died at 2? How I wonder???

1 charged in woman’s brutal killing
Suspect, 20, accused of kidnapping, aggravated murder, aggravated arson

By Laura Arenschield
The Columbus Dispatch Saturday September 1, 2012 2:12 PM

Katrina Marie Culberson, from near Canton, knew the victim, police said. More arrests could follow.

A Canton-area woman was charged yesterday in the death of Celeste Fronsman, who was found naked and burned in the middle of a rural Muskingum County road last weekend.

Katrina Marie Culberson, 20, was arrested on Wednesday in Canton on an unrelated felony warrant. She was charged yesterday with aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated arson in connection with Fronsman’s death after Muskingum County Prosecutor Mike Haddox reviewed the case. She is still in the Stark County jail.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said detectives are still looking to interview other people and said it was “very possible” that additional arrests are forthcoming.

Fronsman, 29, was still conscious when a passing driver found her on a road near Adamsville early Sunday. A rope was tied around her neck, and second-, third- and fourth-degree burns covered much of her body. Detectives think she had been raped.

She was flown to Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where she died two days later.

Lutz said detectives think Fronsman, also of Canton, and Culberson knew each another, but he would not say how.

Both women, though, had a history of being tangled up with the law.

Culberson had been arrested for soliciting prostitution, burglary, theft and a handful of charges related to driving without a license, Stark County court records show.

Fronsman had been convicted of soliciting prostitution a handful of times in the past 10 years. Her court records include more than 20 charges since 2002 and include possessing cocaine, domestic violence and motor vehicle theft.

Lutz said the prostitution charges “could be” a connection between Culberson and Fronsman.

“We’re not releasing any details on that,” he said. “The only thing that we’ve released is that they knew each other.”

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CANTON —
Investigators have made a second arrest tied to the slaying of a Canton woman found beaten and burned in Muskingum County, according to Stark County Jail records.

Lamonica J. Washington, 24, of 901 Sixth St. SW, was arrested Monday afternoon by Canton police.

Stark Jail records indicate she is on a “courtesy hold” for Muskingum County investigators. Washington was picked up on a misdemeanor charge drug possession that was filed by Canton police.

But jail records show she is expected to be charged by Muskingum authorities on counts of aggravated murder, aggravated arson and kidnapping from Muskingum County.

Washington is the second woman charged in the death of Celeste Fronsman, a 29-year-old Canton woman found beaten and badly burned in Muskingum County.

A passerby found her Aug. 26 and Fronsman died two days later. The coroner has said she suffered burns to 70 to 80 percent of her body.

Katrina M. Culberson, 20, of 424 17th St. SE, was charged last week with aggravated murder, aggravated arson and kidnapping in connection with Fronsman’s death.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matthew Lutz on Tuesday declined to answer questions about Washington, saying his detectives still are working the case and “we anticipate having some more information to release today. Anything more right now could hinder us as we look for people of interest.”
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Two more people have been charged in connection with burning a woman and leaving her for dead in the middle of a Muskingum County road.

According to the Zanesville Times Recorder, Monica J. Washington, 24, and Lafonse Darney Dixon, 33, of Canton were charged with one count each of murder with two death specifications, one count of kidnapping and one count of aggravated arson.

Washington also was charged with possessing drug paraphernalia after she was found to have a glass pipe for smoking crack cocaine in her show.

Katrina Marie Culberson, 20, faced the same charges on Friday.

Celeste Fronsman, 29, was found burned with a rope around her neck along state Route 208 near Steel Hill Road, between Dresden and Adamsville, on Aug. 26.

Fronsman was taken to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where she died.
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Seems that there is some messed up stuff going on in Muskingum County. I just posted this earlier today.

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This poor woman. I would love to know just what their motive was..not that it in any way, shape or form excuses what they did to her!

I totally understand what you mean. However you have to keep in mind that if you understand a twisted mind like this you'll probably go insane yourself.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A man and two women helped kidnap Celeste Fronsman and burn her alive in the woods in rural Muskingum County, authorities say.

More than a week after Fronsman, 29, of Canton, was found clinging to life on a road near Adamsville, those three are in the Stark County jail facing charges that could give each the death penalty if they’re convicted.

Muskingum County Prosecutor Mike Haddox filed aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated arson charges yesterday against Monica Jean Washington, 24, and LaFonse Darney Dixon, 33. Katrina Marie Culberson, 20, was arrested last week and charged with the same offenses on Friday.

Sheriff Matt Lutz said his investigation is now focused on Washington, Dixon and Culberson, who are from the Canton area. He wouldn’t reveal how they might have known one another or Fronsman.

“It’s just too sensitive a case right now to divulge any information,” Lutz said.

A passing motorist found Fronsman along Rt. 208 on Aug. 26. She had been burned so badly that the driver at first didn’t realize she was human. She was still conscious and told her rescuer that she’d been beaten and raped. There was a strap around her neck.

Fronsman had apparently crawled out of the woods, where detectives found what they think was a crime scene, to the road some 1,500 feet away.

She died two days later at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. A preliminary autopsy didn’t pinpoint a cause of death but did determine that Fronsman had second-, third- and fourth-degree burns over nearly 80 percent of her body.

Court records show that those accused in Fronsman’s death have all had trouble with the law. Dixon’s convictions include cocaine possession, carrying a weapon as a felon and endangering children. The state prison system charged him with escape, theft and possession of drugs while he was behind bars.

Washington has been arrested twice for disorderly conduct, records show, and was picked up in Canton on Monday on a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. Culberson has been arrested for soliciting prostitution, burglary and theft. Fronsman also had a history of prostitution and drug arrests.

Lutz said his detectives have spent days and nights in Canton, navigating an unfamiliar city that’s a departure from the rural county they know so well. Still, he said, he’s confident in the three arrests and the case the county is building against Dixon, Washington and Culberson.

“Does that mean there’s not a lot of work to do? No,” he said. “Does that mean there could be new things that develop? It does. ... There’s always going to be unanswered questions.”
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There's photos of the three alleged murderers at the link, can't copy.

I w/be in Canton for about a week on Sat. I am sure this w/be all over the local news.

This is one of the most horrific cases I've ever heard. There is no excuse for what these sub-humans did to this poor girl!!

My take from the above pic:

pimp, hooker (thought it was a man at first), hooker.

I thought it was a man at first too! Yes I agree with your take on them.
How did you get those photos here, for the life of me I couldn't!

I uploaded it on PB. There was a tiny icon and I clicked on it and there were the pics, so I took a chance and copied/pasted and it worked.

Darn! I tried to upload to Photo Bucket too but I sure didn't see the icon you did! Thanks!

Celeste Fronsman was abducted and brutally tortured before she was set on fire to burn alive. The 29-year-old woman died just days later, but not before she could drag herself around 1,500 feet from the scene of the brutal attack. If it weren't for that she wouldn't have been discovered by the motorist who happened upon her fatally injured body. Now there have been arrests and two of the people believed responsible for this gruesome death are women!

Lafonse Dixon, Monica Washington and Katrina Culberson were arrested and charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping and arson. While police are refusing to clarify on how the suspects knew their alleged victim, it's known that Katrina Culberson is a prostitute. It was earlier reported that Celeste Fronsman was a known prostitute.

As speculated in an earlier Gather News story, is it possible that this murder is related to human trafficking? In a similar case, Carina Saunders was tortured alive and then ultimately dismembered all because of a crime ring that was beginning to focus on human trafficking. This rape and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] torture of the 29-year-old woman seems way over the top and horrific.

Never thought about it being a sex trafficking ring. Hmmm. Not surprised about Katrina being a prostitute.

3 Accused In Burning Death Of Canton Woman Held On $500,000 Bond Each

Friday September 7, 2012 12:49 PM
UPDATED: Friday September 7, 2012 1:35 PM

ZANESVILLE, Ohio - Three people accused of burning and leaving a woman for dead in the middle of a Muskingum County road faced a judge on Friday.

Monica J. Washington, 24, Lafonse Darney Dixon, 33, and Katrina Marie Culberson, 20, are accused of killing Celeste Fonsman in August.

The three were being held in the Muskingum County Jail on $500,000 bond each.

Fronsman, 29, was found burned with a rope around her neck along state Route 208 near Steel Hill Road, between Dresden and Adamsville, on Aug. 26. She was taken to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where she died.

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I have to agree with both of you that she middle woman does look like a man. I think you are right about the pimp, prostitute and prostitute. More will be coming on this story, I am sure of it.

Am in Canton and this was on the news earlier..they have not released why these 3 were arrested or what their motive was...playing it close to the vest.

Remember the good things Celeste Fronsman did and was
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The case of the third person arrested in Celeste Fronsman's death went before a Muskingum County Grand Jury Wednesday.

33-year-old LaFonse Dixon, of Canton, was indicted on one count each of aggravated murder with two death specifications, kidnapping and aggravated arson, Prosecutor Mike Haddox says Dixon is also facing other charges.

"In addition he was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder," said Haddox.

Haddox describes how the case will move forward.

"There'll be a trial date set at sometime in the future, although typically death specification cases kind of have a longer track if you will than normal felony cases so it may be several months before we actually have any trial dates."

Dixon is scheduled for arraignment next Wednesday where he will enter a plea to the charges against him.
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LaFonse Dixon pleads not guilty in murder of Celeste Fronsman
Times Recorder / Chris Crook
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LaFonse D. Dixon Jr and his attorneys, Larry Thomas, left, and Isabella Dixon, listen during Dixon's arraignment Wednesday. Dixon is charged with several counts, including murder with a death penalty specification, in the death of Celeste Fronsman in August.

By Shane Hoover
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Sep 19, 2012 @ 11:38 AM
Last update Sep 19, 2012 @ 04:29 PM

ZANESVILLE —
A Canton man completely denies that he killed, or conspired to a kill, a woman found burned and beaten by the side of a rural Muskingum County road, defense attorneys said Wednesday.

LaFonse D. Dixon Jr., 33, of 1427 Homer Ave. NW, appeared in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court, where he pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder with two death specifications, kidnapping, aggravated arson, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.

“Obviously something happened, but he’s saying ‘I didn’t do it, I wasn’t there,’” said defense attorney Isabella Dixon, who is not related to her client.

Co-defendants Monica J. Washington, 24, of 901 Sixth St. SW, and Katrina M. Culberson, 20, of 424 17th St. SE, pleaded not guilty last week to aggravated murder with two death specifications, kidnapping and aggravated arson.

All three could get the death penalty if convicted of killing Celeste Fronsman, 29, of Canton.

A passerby found Fronsman on Aug. 26. She died two days later at a hospital, having suffered burns to 80 percent of her body, according to authorities.

The indictment states LaFonse D. Dixon Jr. began conspiring with Culberson on Aug. 21 to commit kidnapping and aggravated murder.

Isabella Dixon and fellow defense attorney Larry Thomas said they are waiting to see what evidence prosecutors might have against their client.

“All we have are the allegations at this point,” Thomas said.

Thomas and Dixon said their client knew Fronsman and Culberson, but didn’t know Washington well.

Fronsman and Culberson were both convicted of prostitution, and LaFonse Dixon’s record includes convictions for drug possession and a weapon violation, according to Stark County court records.

As for the exact nature of their client’s relationship with Culberson, who has been described in some media reports as LaFonse Dixon’s girlfriend, the attorneys said they didn’t know.

In an interview with the Zanesville Times Recorder newspaper, Dixon denied any involvement, saying he was with family and friends when Fronsman was killed.

But Culberson told the same newspaper that she, Washington and Dixon all had a part in Fronsman’s death. This makes no sense. Culberson pleads not guilty but says the above??????

The defense attorneys said they can’t follow up on the alibi information until prosecutors provide a timeline of events.

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Last week, Katrina Culberson of Canton admitted to taking part in the death of Celeste Fronsman.

By way of her confession, the 21-year-old avoided the death penalty, but life for Culberson really ended the day she decided to help someone kidnap, rape, burn and kill Fronsman, who died on Aug. 28.

As a result of her plea, Culberson, a known prostitute, will testify against fellow suspects Monica J. Washington and LaFonse D. Dixon Jr.

Every now and then, we’re harshly reminded that there’s a parallel universe in which young women and girls are immersed in a dead-end life, where the only options are addiction, debasement and death.

We think it’s funny when people dress up for Halloween as pimps. We’re entertained by musicians who boast of “big pimpin’.” We wax romantic at the premise of “Pretty Woman.”

But it all ignores a pathology that consigns a woman to abuse and wretchedness, where even a child’s innocence is considered a marketable commodity.

Let’s call it what it is — human trafficking, the 21st century’s version of slavery — and prostitution is its life’s blood.

Because of Ohio’s geography and its interstate network, we’ve become a superconductor for human trafficking.

The pimps who drive prostitutes like Culberson are sociopaths who can feign love and protection while stripping their victims of any semblance of humanity, compassion or self- preservation.

Culberson and Fronsman reportedly ran the streets together, but there’s no such thing as a BFF on the streets.

Culberson accused Fronsman of stealing $350 from her and publicly threatened to kill her. Fronsman denied taking the money. Even if she did, no one deserves such an end.

In court, Culberson seemed almost relieved to be brought to justice, saying that she wanted to recover her humanity.

We see women like Culberson and Fronsman on streets every day. We see them from the safety of our cars, and our reactions to them land somewhere between contempt and pity.

But we also should find ourselves wondering how someone’s daughter gets to such a place.

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ZANESVILLE -- In the end, Celeste Fronsman got the last word.

Her friends, Frank Vaughns and Howard Cammon, said the Canton woman may have been tortured and tormented in the last horrifying moments of her life, but ultimately, she showed strength.

"She drug herself from the spot they thought was going to be her grave, found the strength to make it to the road and with God's grace told authorities who did this to her," Vaughns said. "Celeste got the last word."

Vaughns and Cammon, also of Canton, traveled to Zanesville on Wednesday to sit in a courtroom and watch one of Fronsman's accused killers -- Katrina Culberson -- admit to her role in Fronsman's death.

Culberson, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of kidnapping in connection with Fronsman's death. She is facing the possibility of life in prison, because her plea agreement ruled out the death penalty.

Monica Washington, 24, and LaFonse Dixon, 33, both from Canton, also are charged in the case and still could face the death penalty if convicted as charged.

Vaughns and Cammon spoke of Fronsman's strength in the final, tormenting days of her life as she suffered through being beaten and burned. They also spoke of the nature of the relationship between the two women.

They described Fronsman as being misunderstood, and a victim of the more dominant Culberson.

When it comes to Culberson, Vaughns had two words to sum her up -- "pure evil."

"Celeste had a heart of gold. Did she have problems? Yes. But she wasn't a fighter," Vaughns said after Wednesday's hearing. "She was a very misunderstood young woman who seemed to take the wrong advice from the wrong people."

Cammon said Fronsman spent many days and nights at his home, trying to stop using drugs or just needing a place to rest.

"But K.C. (as Culberson likes to be called) was always after her," Cammon said, "and we don't know why, but Celeste would listen to K.C."

Cammon and Vaughns said Culberson abused Fronsman, blackening her eyes, punching her and even threatening to kill her.

"K.C. even came to my house looking for Celeste the week they took Celeste," Cammon said. "She was running all over my house, screaming for Celeste. The woman wanted to control Celeste in every way, and Celeste thought they were friends."

Alternately crying, staring straight ahead or shaking in court Wednesday, Culberson told Muskingum County Common Pleas Judge Kelly Cottrill she is "scared" and a little "confused" by the events since Aug. 26.

That's the day authorities say Fronsman was beaten, choked and set on fire just off Ohio 208 in the Tri-Valley Recreational Area in Muskingum County.

Law enforcement officials are not divulging details into how Fronsman arrived in Muskingum County.

She was discovered by a passing motorist, badly beaten and burned. She died two days later at the OSU Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

After what Muskingum County Prosecutor Michael Haddox called "extensive plea negotiations," Culberson signed a plea agreement just one month after Fronsman was discovered and the death penalty specification was removed from her charges.

But the agreement stands only if Culberson cooperates completely with law enforcement, Haddox said, including testifying against Dixon and Washington, taking a polygraph test and not having any further contact with Washington, Dixon or anyone else who might be involved in the case.

"There remains the option that if this agreement is void at any time, we're back to the original indictment," Haddox said.

Haddox told Cottrill his office is recommending for Culberson life in prison on the murder charge, 11 years --the maximum sentence -- for the aggravated arson charge and 11 years -- the maximum sentence -- for the kidnapping charge. All should run consecutively, Haddox said.

Cottrill has other options in sentencing. He could give Culberson a life sentence with parole possible in 20, 25 or 30 years.

Culberson told the Times Recorder in an exclusive jailhouse interview this month she and Fronsman were good friends -- to the point Culberson had tried to get Fronsman off the streets where she was working as a prostitute and get a "higher level of clientele."

But Cammon and Vaughns think differently.

"K.C. is an abuser," Vaughns said. "She and the rest are devils."

Vaughns said he was surprised to hear Dixon is a suspect in the murder.

"Fonse has always been a pretty decent guy," Vaughns said. "I've known his family and him forever. I just never thought he'd have something like this in him. But if he's guilty, he's guilty."

Dixon, who also spoke with the Times Recorder just after his transfer to Muskingum County, has denied being involved or being in the county at the time of Fronsman's death.

Dixon has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder with two death penalty specifications, kidnapping and aggravated arson, and conspiracy to kidnapping and aggravated murder.

Washington has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder with two death penalty specifications, aggravated arson and kidnapping.

Dixon and Washington are being held in the Muskingum County Jail on $5 million bonds.
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All three of these "people" must be sociopaths. There are a lot more walking the street than we realize. I read something like one in 25 people are sociopaths. Doesn't mean they are all killers, but they could kill and not feel guilty about it. I hope these people are put away forever.
joan+20

What a horrible story - and its true what the report said from Canton - those woman and girls - many of them are literally slaves to their pimps and human trafficking is a huge problem. We make a lot of other countries and their treatment of women - we need to concentrate on whats going on right here in front of us.

So very true what you said Artgal, every single word.

Monica Washington, one of three people charged in the August murder of Celeste Fronsman, has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated arson in Muskingum County. Prosecutor Mike Haddox removed the death-penalty specification in exchange for her plea on Monday.

Fronsman, 29, of Canton, was found on Aug. 26 naked and severely burned from head to toe, pleading for help by a man driving near a wooded area northeast of Zanesville. She died two days later at the Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Washington, along with LaFonse Dixon and Katrina Culberson, all three from the Canton area, were arrested and indicted a month later, all charged with aggravated murder with death penalty specifications, kidnapping and aggravated arson. Dixon also faces additional counts of conspiracy to kidnapping and conspiracy to murder.

Culberson accepted a similar plea agreement in September.

Sentencing for both will take place after Dixon’s case concludes. His trial is scheduled to begin July 19.
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Monica Washington

Thanks, Raine! This case is simply HORRIFIC!

Aug. 24, 2013



ZANESVILLE — The first time Troy Kilpatrick saw Celeste Fronsman, she was about 8 or 9 years old, traveling with the Louisville High School football team on the way to a Friday night game. Kilpatrick was on the team, and Fronsman’s grandmother drove the bus, so Fronsman liked to ride along.

Years later, after Kilpatrick served in the U.S. Air Force and moved to Canton, he found Fronsman had moved there, too. They started hanging out and became friends, going to movies, the park or fishing together, Kilpatrick said.

Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary since Fronsman was killed, and not a day goes by Kilpatrick doesn’t think of her, he said. She was kind, thoughtful, and had “the most beautiful dark eyes I’d ever seen,” he said.

Fronsman, 29, was found Aug. 26, 2012, in the middle of Ohio 208 near the Tri-Valley Recreation area. She was burned, beaten and reportedly raped, and she died two days later from her injuries.

People always talk about how Fronsman is in a better place, reunited with her mom, who died in 2009, and her then-2-year-old daughter, who died in 2005. Kilpatrick believes that, and he’s happy for his friend, he said. But he also knows the world is a little less beautiful without Fronsman in it.

Kilpatrick still lives in Canton, and sometimes, he forgets Fronsman is gone, he said. His phone will ring, and he’ll think for just a second that it’s her, calling him just to talk like she always did. Or he’ll go for a walk and think about how the two of them used to go hiking together. Or he’ll go fishing and be reminded how Fronsman never liked to put the worm on the hook or take the fish off.
“The pain just never really seems to go away,” he said. There’s “an emptiness without her here.”

A caring friend
Fronsman’s story is not for the faint of heart. She was torn up by her daughter’s and then her mom’s death, and that led to a lot of her problems, Kilpatrick said. She was arrested several times on drug and prostitution charges, according to court records, but Kilpatrick wishes people could see past that.
He describes Fronsman as caring and easy to talk to. He remembers four years ago when he broke his rib, and Fronsman insisted he go to the doctor. He was being stubborn and didn’t think he was hurt that badly, but Fronsman insisted, he said. Then, she went to the hospital with him and called and checked in every day.
Now, the memories such as that are the ones Kilpatrick treasures like gold. He still has a ticket stub from a movie he and Fronsman saw together in 2010. It was “The Law Abiding Citizen,” and it wasn’t even that good, Kilpatrick said, but he remembers going with Fronsman, and that’s what makes it special.
The last time Kilpatrick saw Fronsman was two weeks before she died. He was at work, and it was a long, busy day, he said. He hadn’t gotten lunch yet, and he didn’t think he was going to have time. The next thing he knew, Fronsman showed up with a 6-inch pizza sub, his favorite. She had to borrow a car to drive to Subway and then to his work, but she did it to make sure he wasn’t hungry, Kilpatrick said.
“That’s just the type of person Celeste was. She thought of everyone else,” he said.

Pending trial
Kilpatrick found out about Fronsman’s death in stages. His first inkling was when he read in the local paper that a Canton woman had been assaulted in Muskingum County. There were no names, but Kilpatrick remembers thinking how sad that was, he said.
Then, he started seeing chatter on Facebook, and he saw reports the woman had been in her dad’s truck. Kilpatrick knew Fronsman used her dad’s truck a lot, so he started wondering, he said.
Then, he heard a recording of the 911 call from the scene, and that’s when he got that sinking feeling, he said.
“It just sounded like her voice (in the background),” he said. “I didn’t know exactly it was her, but I just really had a bad feeling. ... The next thing, when they confirmed it, it was like I already kind of knew, but the shock was just horrible.”
Shortly after Fronsman’s death, three suspects were arrested. Two, Monica J. Washington and Katrina Culberson, have since pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, kidnapping and arson. The third, Lafonse Dixon, awaits trial.
As part of the plea deals, the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for Washington and life in prison with no parole for Culberson. With Dixon, though, prosecutors will seek the death penalty, according to Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch.
Jury selection in Dixon’s trial is scheduled to start Sept. 27.
Kilpatrick follows the case closely in the news, but he doesn’t think he’ll go to the trial, he said. He knows there are some details about what happened he doesn’t want to hear.
Kilpatrick didn’t know Dixon or Washington, but he’d met Culberson a few times, he said. She’d even been to his house. She was always nice, and Fronsman introduced her as her best friend, Kilpatrick said.
“I had a killer in my house. Kind of makes by blood run cold now,” he said.

A fighter
When she stumbled into the road Aug. 26, 2012, Fronsman was naked and screaming that people were trying to kill her. She was covered head to toe with fourth-degree burns, her hair was completely gone, and her skin was either falling off or just hanging from the body.
Still, she was able to hang on long enough to tell officials who had done it, and to Kilpatrick, that’s yet another testament to her strength.
“That was the amazing thing. She was able to survive all that and actually nail the people that did that to her,” he said.
On Facebook, there’s a group called Rest in Peace Celeste Fronsman. The page was initially set up by some Muskingum County residents who didn’t know Fronsman but were inspired by her strength. Kilpatrick is a member, and sometimes he’ll visit the page and leave a message for his friend, he said.
“I stopped by today and left another stuffed animal and a note for you,” he posted June 13. “I miss you more than words can ever express. I know that you are looking down on us from Heaven with that beautiful smile of yours. RIP Celeste.”

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Case timeline

Aug. 26, 2012: Celeste Fronsman, 29, is found in the middle of Ohio 208, near the Tri-Valley recreation area. She was beaten, burned and reportedly raped.
Aug. 28, 2012: Fronsman succumbs to her injuries, dying at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University.
Sept. 5, 2012: Katrina Culberson and Monica Washington are indicted for aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated arson.
Sept. 12, 2012: Lafonse Dixon is indicted for aggravated murder, kidnapping, aggravated arson and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Sept. 13, 2012: Culberson and Washington plead not guilty.
Sept. 20, 2012: Dixon pleads not guilty.
Sept. 26, 2012: Culberson changes her plea to guilty. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agree to drop the death penalty as an option and recommend life in prison with no parole.
March 18, 2013: Washington changes her plea to guilty, with the death penalty also being dropped as an option for her. Prosecutors will recommend life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
Coming Sept. 27: Jury selection to being for Dixon’s trial. Prosecutors have said they will pursue the death penalty.

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August 28 2013

As prosecutors prepare for a high profile murder case, friends remember a Canton woman who died two days after being found badly beaten and burned. A wooden cross marks the spot where a passerby found Celeste Fronsman last August 26th. She had crawled to the edge of Ohio 208 near Steel Hill Road after being set on fire. Fronsman died two days later in a case that shocked rural Muskingum county. "It ranks right up there for our area as one of the most severe deaths," said Muskingum Sheriff Matt Lutz. Katrina Culberson and Monica Washington pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, aggravated arson and kidnapping. Lafonse Dixon faces trial in late September and could face the death penalty if convicted. He denied involvement in the crime during a jailhouse interview with ABC6/FOX28 last year. "No I had nothing to do with Celeste Fronsman in no possible way. If I'm guilty of anything I'm guilty of selling drugs that's it," said Dixon. The Muskingum Sheriff's office will have additional staff on hand for Dixon's trial next month.


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