CLEVELAND -- The death of beloved teacher Melinda Pleskovic is a case that devastated the Strongsville community.
The trial for Jeffrey Scullin is slated to begin Wednesday, but attorneys were in court again Tuesday fighting for his confession to be thrown out amid claims it was coerced.
Common Pleas Court Judge Pamela Barker denied the defense's motion to suppress that evidence. You can watch her decision in the player below:
Scullin, 21, is charged with aggravated murder in Pleskovic’s death. She was murdered inside their home on Blazing Star Drive nearly one year ago on Oct. 23, 2017. She was shot and stabbed to death.
The hearing, which began Friday, continued Monday and Tuesday as Scullin's attorneys argued detectives were out of line in their questioning when Scullin was in custody.
The defense argued that Strongsville police detectives threatened Scullin with the death penalty. Video showed to the court from the interrogation showed a detective telling Scullin he'd be charged for premeditated murder, which does not exist in the state of Ohio. The detective went on to say that premeditated murder convictions result in the death penalty.
Scullin's attorneys also questioned search methods used by officers when Scullin's two cars and cell phone were searched. Sweatpants containing his DNA and Pleskovic's blood were found in a car belonging to Scullin's parents. A blood-stained knife and a revolver with Scullin's DNA were also found inside his vehicles.
The defense claimed that Scullin's vehicles were searched without probable cause, though officers at the scene recorded video of Scullin consenting to a search of his truck and anything inside it.
Judge Barker stated that the search warrant that was obtained for Scullin's home covered his vehicles as well.
Pleskovic, 49, was a sixth grade teacher at Strongsville Middle School. Scullin has a child with Pleskovic's daughter and the two were due to be married on Oct. 28, 2017. Instead, Scullin served as a pallbearer at Pleskovic's funeral that day, which was prior to his arrest.
Here are highlights from that video, which was recorded on Halloween 2017 -- days after the murder happened:
Investigator 1: We have the knife. It has your DNA on it and it has her blood on it. So how is that possible?"
Scullin: I don't know.
Investigator 2: Jeff, listen to me. We've investigated this for many, many hours now and we've come across a lot of untruths that you've told us. Lots of lies. OK, things that you've told us that just don't pan out. While we're sitting in this room right now, is the time to stop that. It's time to stop with not being truthful. Listen, you're going to look back at this as your opportunity to talk to us. Put all the fabrication that's going on up in that head of yours right now, and let's just get to what happened that day. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Scullin: I understand what you're saying, but I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
*As the interrogation continues, the investigators repeatedly ask him to come clean. Scullin continues to deny any involvement.*
Investigator 2: Listen, you can go a long ways to helping your family understand things by being truthful with us now. That's the best thing you have to offer at this point is helping the family have some understanding because you caused the death of Melinda. We know that you did it. Don't keep this locked up in your head. Tell us what happened. Jeff, tell me right now. What happened that day? What happened between you and Melinda? Get it off your chest?
Scullin: I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
Investigator 2: Melinda's death was caused by somebody that knew her. It was caused by someone in her circle, and, um, it was you.
Scullin: I didn't hurt anybody. I didn't do anything.
Investigator 2: I don't believe you intended to. I really don't. While we have investigated this, we've learned a lot about you as well. I don't know that you're a bad person, but something happened that day that really got you upset. What did Melinda do that got you so upset?
Scullin: Nothing. We didn't talk that much. We talked more about the baby than anything.
Investigator 2: What happened that day that got you upset?
Scullin: Nothing.
Investigator 2: Think. You know.
Investigator 1: Did Melinda come home to see you something you shouldn't be doing?
Scullin: What would I have been doing? Nothing. I was sitting on the couch with the baby. What I always do.
Investigator 2: Jeff, all I can tell you is you're being charged with Melinda's death. As this case progresses, people are gonna look and see if you are cooperative.
Investigator 1: You know what they're going to look at Jeff? It's one thing to make a mistake and something spirals out of control. But you know what people are going to look at the most and remember? They want to know why and did the person show remorse.
Scullin: I never hurt her.
Investigator 1: We don't have the why. Nobody's gonna understand, and you certainly haven't shown any remorse. ...
*The interrogation continues with continual denials from Scullin.*
Investigator 2: Jeff, you have a baby now. You're a grown man, OK. Grown men take responsibility for their actions.
Scullin: I didn't do this!
Investigator 2: But you did. We wouldn't have put you in handcuffs here and charged you with this until we're certain.
Scullin: I did not do this.
*After several minutes, one of the investigators steps out of the room.*
Investigator 2: Jeff, I'm just gonna sit here for a bit and let you think about this, OK? You're not in a good situation, I understand that.
Scullin: I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
Investigator 2: The physical evidence is gonna show that you did, Jeff.
Scullin: I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
*The other investigator re-joins the interrogation again after several minutes go by with photos connected to the crime -- including a picture of Scullin's daughter.*
Investigator 1: Do you want to see her ever again?
Scullin: I do.
Investigator 1: Let me make this very clear to you, how you can help this situation. Let me make it as clear as can be, and then we're gonna walk out of this room and you're never gonna have the chance again. Tell us what happened, why it happened. We want to know why it happened. I have to go out to your family and tell them. Don't make me go out there and say you're a monster and you're a bad guy. Do you want to see her again because when this comes to day-of sentencing, you're not gonna get any breaks at all. You know why? Because you're gonna keep it inside you. Do you want to see her again? This is your opportunity to see her again. If not, you're not gonna see her again.
Scullin: I had her all day.
Investigator 1: Do you know what the difference is between pre-meditated murder and aggravated murder is?
Scullin: No.
Investigator 1: I feel you that planned this from the get-go. ... How do you want to make this better? Do you want to see her grow up or not?
Scullin: I do.
Investigator 1: I'll tell you right now, we're gonna go after the pre-meditated murder. Do you know what happens with that? The death sentence. You're not gonna be around very long. Do you want that or do you want to do the right thing to see her?
Scullin: I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
Investigator 1: You just made your choice. You made your choice. Do not blame anybody but yourself. Jeff, we sit across from people all the time. I'm not judging you based on what happened. I like to know what happened so you could help everybody heal. Stop being selfish. If you think that we're making this stuff up, we're not. This is your chance to help everybody. Help yourself. Be selfish. Help yourself. Do you want to get out of jail or no?
Scullin: I didn't do anything. I left. I left.
The video concludes with Scullin being escorted out of the room in complete denial of any connection to the crime.