Zachary Gross thought he could get away with it. By blaming his own dog, he really thought he could scalp his own girlfriend alive and still avoid jail time.
Thankfully, the jury saw right through his ridiculous story.
According to Cincinnati.com, the whole ordeal began in September 2015, when Gross saw a photo on Facebook of his girlfriend in a park with her son that another man posted.
“It was about rage, obsession and jealousy,” Boone County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Leanne Beck told jurors during closing arguments Thursday. “When Gross had her pinned down on his bedroom floor, that rage escalated.”
The attack reportedly happened at Gross’ trailer in Deer Trace and left Marilyn Stanley, then 26, with absolutely horrific injuries.
In court, Beck described the gruesome attack, in which one of Stanley’s ears was ripped off by Gross’ pit bull, named “Capone.”
Detectives believe Gross also used a knife to slice off Stanley’s scalp before punching her repeatedly in the face "until she was unrecognizable.”
Stanley later testified in court that she grabbed the knife in self-defense, as Gross dragged her into the bedroom.
However, Gross’ attorney, Brian Newman, said during closing arguments that it was Gross who actually acted in self-defense that fateful night.
In fact, Newman claimed that Gross and Stanley never even fought that night, arguing instead that the dog, and only the dog, attacked Stanley.
Newman also pointed out that Stanley did not remember being cut in the scalp by Gross.
"If somebody took a knife and cut my scalp off, I'd remember it," he said.
But, according to prosecutors, after Gross allegedly sliced Stanley’s scalp, he told her: “You’re bald now. Who’s going to want you, now?”
According to Beck, a trauma surgeon testified in court that linear cuts across Stanley's head "were more consistent with a knife" than a dog.
Beck also revealed that Gross did not call 911, nor did he take Stanley to the hospital after she was attacked.
Instead, Gross dumped Stanley several houses away from her mother’s home and forced her to walk the rest of the way.
“Marilyn used her strength to walk past four houses to get to her mom,” Beck told jurors, “so she could live.”
According to Cincinnati.com, Stanley had severed an artery and was bleeding everywhere.
On Thursday, when the jury found Gross guilty of first-degree assault, Gross said he chose to go to trial because “there was so much said in the media about the case that was untrue.”
“Marilyn never said I cut her hair off. Marilyn never said I told my dog to attack her,” he told jurors. “I feel horrible for what happened.”
Beck fought back, saying Gross had “scalped another human being alive” and later threw Stanley on the street “like a piece of trash.”
