Delaware Police Detective David McQuigg, investigator in Saturday’s stabbing of senior Anthony Peddle, received a search warrant Monday morning for a smart phone and other electronic devices that may contain evidence related to the crime.
The warrant, signed by Detective McQuigg, says that the devices in question belong to a Delaware resident who matched the physical description of Peddle’s assailant and with whom Peddle had “a long-standing feud.”
The warrant also says that an Ohio Wesleyan student had seen the person of interest less than an hour before the incident occurred and that he was wearing a green hoodie; witness descriptions of the assailant said he wore “a blue or green hoodie.”
The student declined to comment.
At this time the person of interest has not been charged with a crime and no suspects have been named in the incident. The incident has been classified as a felonious assault and the case remains open and under investigation.
As senior class president, Peddle was scheduled to speak at commencement Sunday May 11. Vice President Aara Ramesh said she did not know if Peddle plans to speak at commencement or not. If Peddle cannot speak, she will take his place during the commencement ceremony.
“My hope is that Anthony will be able to make it; he has been working on this speech for months and deserves something nice after this terrible incident,” Ramesh said.
Ramesh said that in times like these, seniors should remember that OWU has taught them to be strong and resilient.
Sophomore Jerry Lherrison, vice president of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs and a member of the Greek community, said WCSA would like to extend its “warmest wishes” to Peddle and the members of Chi Phi.
” I know without a doubt that Anthony has (a) strong support system from both the Class of 2014 and the OWU community as a whole,” Lherrison said.
Following the news that Peddle had been attacked, the Chaplain’s Office and Counseling Services made themselves available to students, particularly members of Chi Phi.
“In times of crisis or tragedy, we strive to be a supportive presence, someone students can simply sit with quietly or provide a few words of encouragement and peace,” said Associate Chaplain Lisa Ho.
Following the attack, University Chaplain Jon Powers met with Peddle and his family at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center while Associate Chaplain Chad Johns supported the other members of Chi Phi. Johns, a graduate of the Class of 2002, is a member of Chi Phi fraternity. Ho stayed in touch with Peddle via phone, and he was visited by other chaplains as well.
Powers said the brightest point he’d seen following the attack was after Peddle’s surgery, when Powers “saw the sparkle in his eye again.”
He also credited seeing what he called “the outpouring of the mature care of people in the community.”
“People stepped up and took care of each other,” Powers said. “It illustrates how strong we are.”
Ho said she was inspired by seeing community members change their Facebook profile pictures to ones of them with Peddle.
“I observed the very best of Ohio Wesleyan displayed in the very worst of circumstances,” she said. “Everyone from the Chi Phi brothers, to Public Safety, to the administration has reached out to Anthony during this time.”
At 5:02 p.m., University President Rock Jones sent an email to the Ohio Wesleyan community on this morning’s stabbing, including the name of the victim – senior Anthony Peddle of Chi Phi – and that he is in “good spirits.” The text is below:
Dear Members of the OWU Family,
I am writing to update you about senior Anthony Peddle, who was injured this morning at the Chi Phi fraternity house. I have visited with him and his family in Columbus, and I am pleased to report that he is in good spirits. He has undergone surgery for injuries to his hand, and he is recovering. I share this news with his approval.
I also write to thank everyone who has worked, and continues to work, to support the Chi Phi brothers and other affected students. This long thank-you list includes the Delaware City Police Department, which continues to investigate the incident. The Police Department was instrumental in securing the house, located more than a half mile from campus, and in helping the University to determine that a campuswide lockdown was not required.
Thanks also to the OWU staff from Student Affairs, Residence Life, Public Safety, and the Chaplainâs Office who helped to feed and counsel students at the Chi Phi house this morning and who worked with faculty to rearrange final exams for those unable to take scheduled tests. It is during such times that OWU shows the true quality of its character and the depth and breadth of the care and support we have for one another.
The health and safety of our students is of vital importance. In addition to the immediate, on-site counseling provided at Chi Phi, we will have Counseling Services and Chaplainâs Office representatives available from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for anyone who wishes assistance. They also will be available during regular hours throughout exam week. To support a safe and secure environment, OWU Public Safety officers continue to patrol campus 24/7 and to encourage everyone to share issues and concerns whenever they arise.
As you know, incidents such as this are rare, and they impact us deeply when they occur. They make us especially thankful for each other and the supportive Delaware community. We will continue to remain in close contact with Anthony and his family to help with whatever needs arise. Thank you again for all you do to make Ohio Wesleyan a family and a home.
The Delaware Police Department has issued a press release on the stabbing incident that occurred at approximately 3:36 this morning. From DPD:
Police Investigate Overnight Stabbing Incident
DELAWAREÂ – The Delaware Police Department in currently on scene investigating a stabbing incident at Chi Phi Fraternity house, 216 N. Franklin Street, Delaware.
The Delaware County Communications Center received a call at approximately 3:36 am requesting police and medical assistance for a reported stabbing. When officers arrived, they discovered an injured adult Ohio Wesleyan University student. The student was airlifted to the Ohio State University Medical Center for treatment.
An investigation is ongoing; police continue to interview the victim and witnesses to identify potential suspects.
Here is the initial email from Public Safety and the University:
Delaware City Police are investigating the stabbing of an Ohio Wesleyan student inside the Chi Phi fraternity house at 216 North Franklin Street. The student has been transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for treatment. No condition is available at this time.The incident occurred at 3:36 a.m. today. Witnesses report seeing a male suspect in either a blue or green hoodie who fled on foot. There is no sign of a forced entry. No one else was injured, and no additional details are available at this time.Ohio Wesleyan is cooperating in the investigation. The University will provide an update when additional details are known.
Bishop Softball is back in action and ready to take on NCAC tournament play.
Coach Cassie Cunningham said she expects to see the girls working hard in practice and always showing good sportsmanship.
âI expect them to hold each other to a higher standard on and off the field so we can achieve things together,â Cunningham said. âI expect each of our athletes to discover and develop leadership strength and use it to make everyone else on the team better. I expect them to always keep the team first and their individual success second.â
The season record to date is 10-5.
Danielle Haley, the team has established several short-term goals to help them achieve their main goal: the conference tournament.
âWe make little goals so that we focus on the process and take this season one step at a time instead of just focusing on one huge goal and putting too much pressure on ourselves,â Haley said.
Sophomore Lilly Gresh agreed, and added she has high expectations for the team.
âAs a whole, we work incredibly hard and we have put in the work to be successful,â she said.
âI know that my team is very capable of achieving great things and being very successful this season. We have proven that we are a force to be reckoned with in and out of conference, and I expect that this yearâs team will be one to be remembered and will make a name for Ohio Wesleyan Softball.â
Ohio Wesleyan zoology professor Jed Burtt fills out part of a Delaware Police Department report about the accident involving him and two OWU freshmen Monday evening. The students, Gabriela Colmenares and Hector Rueda, were released from Grant Medical Center and Grady Memorial Hospital late Monday night.
Updated Nov. 5, 2013, 9:06 p.m.
By Noah Manskar
Editor-in-Chief
Two Ohio Wesleyan students have been released from hospitalization after being struck by a car Monday evening.
Freshmen Gabriela Colmenares and Hector Rueda were hit crossing Liberty Street going east toward Rowland Avenue at 6:07 p.m., according to the Delaware Police Department crash report. The driver was OWU zoology professor Jed Burtt.
The report said Rueda was sent to Grady Memorial Hospital after sustaining non-incapacitating injuries; his witness statement said he was released later that night.
First responders took Colmenares to Grant Medical Center in Columbus to have her âincapacitatingâ injuries treated. Freshman Andrew Stock, Ruedaâs roommate, said she was also released from the hospital late last night.
Burtt said he had turned onto Liberty Street from Park Avenue and âwasnât going very fast.â
Burttâs witness statement said the left front bumper of his car struck Colmenares, sending her âdiagonally across the hood, hitting her head on the windshield.â
In her witness statement in the police report, senior Lauren Foote said the car hit Ruedaâs knee and knocked him to the ground.
Rueda and Colmenares declined comment at the time of publication, as they continue to recover from their injuries.
Burtt said he did not see Rueda or Colmenares when they collided in front of Welch Hall, where he was on his way to conduct a review session for his students.
Because the Delaware Fire Department station was adjacent to the scene, Burtt said medics arrived around the same time he exited his vehicle. It was then he saw Rueda and picked up his glasses so they wouldnât be stepped on or crushed by an ambulance.
âI had too much adrenaline running through my system to be able to really help very well,â Burtt said. âIt was pretty terrifyingâŚpretty awful.â
Ruedaâs witness report said Burtt told him he was âso sorry.â
Senior Samantha Rammaha called DPD after she heard about the incident. She said she saw people walking away from the scene when she arrived.
âI called it in because I wanted to make sure that they got help and were okay,â she said.
Director of Public Safety Robert Wood said there have one or two cases of students being struck by cars annually in his eight years at OWU. He said several students were injured near Liberty and Rowland nine or 10 years ago.
Wood said PS and DPD will likely collaborate on potential âsafety enhancementsâ to the intersection, which has no yield signs or speed bumps.
âThatâs a city street, so itâs actually up to the city, and they have to go by the traffic code there, but Iâm sure weâll be taking a look at it to see if thereâs anything we can add to reduce the risk of it happening again,â he said.
DPD Sgt. Ramon Diaz said he worked with OWU officials on pedestrian safety, an issue in all kinds of schools, as a day shift officer. He said many pedestrians think they have ownership of the entire street once they step into a crosswalk, but the Ohio Revised Code says pedestrians only have the right of way in one lane at a time.
Diaz and Wood said the fact that itâs getting dark earlier since daylight savings time ended may have contributed to the accident. Diaz encouraged students to use caution when crossing streets.
âYou can be 100 percent right, but if you still get struck by a car, itâs not a good place to be,â he said.
Assistent Ohio Wesleyan football coach Keith Rucker, pictured here in an Arizona Cardinals jersey, played for five teams in his seven-year NFL career. Photos from Keith Rucker
By Taylor Smith
Sports Editor
When Keith Rucker first arrived to Ohio Wesleyan in January of 1989, he knew he was getting another chance to play football; but his main goal was to earn his degree and live up to the promise he made his mom.
Little did he know by the time he graduated, he would make NCAA history in more than one sport and be on his way to the National Football League.
Rucker is currently in his second season with Ohio Wesleyan football as the teamâs special teams coordinator and defensive line coach. He returns to the Battling Bishops after spending 13 years coaching high school football in the Cincinnati area, which followed seven years in the NFL.
While attending OWU, Rucker made a name for himself in the athletics department. Besides being a three-time All-American in football and one of the âmost dominantâ defensive players the school has ever seen, he also participated in track and field as a thrower, winning four national championships while being named an All-American seven times.
Rucker found Ohio Wesleyan and then-head coach Mike Hollway with the help of his brother, and transferred soon after from a junior college back home in Illinois, which he attended for a year.
Rucker originally attended and played football for Eastern Michigan University, but because of some âpoor choices,â he ended up losing his football scholarship.
Athletic Director Roger Ingles was a member of the football staff as the teamâs wide receiver and tight end coach when Rucker made his first visit to campus. He recalls the coaches were expecting him, but didnât know his size alone was enough catch everyoneâs attention.
âWeâre sitting in his (Hollwayâs) office and all I remember is it was like someone turned the lights out because he walked in front of the doorway and he had to duck sideways to get in,â Ingles said. âAnd he came in, and the first thing I knew someone was in the hallway because I saw coach Hollwayâs eyes get real big. I turn around and I saw this guy and I think this canât be who he is talking about.â
Rucker was one of the biggest to play the game at the Division III levelâmeasuring six feet, four inches and weighing 350 pounds, he was the largest defensive threat every time he stepped on the field while in college.
New school, new challenges
When Rucker attended Eastern Michigan, his world was football and football only. It was acceptable to miss class, he said, and the only thing he had to worry about was attending practice and gamesâhe didnât have to be responsible for much else. Rucker said he faced favorable changes once at Ohio Wesleyan.
âI liked the small campus atmosphere,â he said. âThe academic setting was what was really impressive with me. On my first day at Eastern Michigan I walked into a lecture hall with 350 kids and the professor, I never saw his face, all he did was write on the chalkboard the whole time.
âBeing here I knew it was going to be a big time management, had to be very organized. Being in a small campus environment with 20 to 35 kids in a classroom helped me regain that focus that I had in high school. I knew I was going to be held accountable.â
Former track and field coach Marv Frye said when he first met Rucker, he knew the future All-American would face new differences in his academic campaign, but his mental outlook on things would be his best tool.
âI think he had some doubts in himself, but he has always had an upbeat attitude,â Frye said. âHe was now (at) a tougher school than before; he knew he had a challenge ahead of him.â
Subtitle Related to Track
Although he had gone back to school to earn a degree and to enjoy another opportunity to play football, it didnât take long for the track and field coaches to find Rucker and get him on the team; and he just saw it as another activity to keep him occupied.
âThose guys (the coaches) took me in and saw something that I had and I could bring to the programâŚ,â Rucker said. âCoach Frye talked me into coming out for track. It gave me something to do other than just academics and there wasnât much to do in a small town as it was a lot less developed than it is now.
âI went out for track and the rest is history for how that went. But it also helped me get into better shape in order to still want to go out for football, so thatâs how I got back into football.â
Rucker had thrown in high school so it wasnât new to him, but he joined during the indoor season, which he had never experienced. That didnât prove much of a challenge to him, though–he qualified for indoor nationals in the shot put on his first throw at his first meet.
âI threw it and they marked it, but they wouldnât move the marker,â he said. âI was like, âwhat are they doing?â This was just something I was doing for fun and it kind of helped me to be organized. Coach Cornell comes over and says, âCongratulations kid, you just qualified to go to nationals,â and Iâm like, âOkay.â It was nothing big; I was having fun and I went on form there.â
Ruckerâs national bid came to no surprise for his coaches. Frye said he knew it would happen; it was only a matter of when. There was also the issue of no one in the conference being able to challenge him.
âWe expected him to do it; the question was, âHow good is he going to be and how much can he improve?ââ Frye said. âNormally nationals is a different experience, you have to feel comfortable. No one challenged him in the NCAC, nationals was a different atmosphere altogether.â
Rucker went on to earn fifth at nationals that year. His junior year he won shot put at indoor nationals and shot put and discus at outdoors. Rucker said competing at nationals was just like any other meet to him, he was just having fun. It was also about the people he met there.
âIt was the same group of 16 or 20 guys at nationals; it became like a big inter-competition at nationals,â he said. âWe always got together and hung out, the coaches would go and the players would go. Those relationships Iâve built 20 some years, and I still have them. It was a friendly rivalry. Weâd push each other and compete and then when it was over weâd go grab a bite to eat.â
Rucker said competing in track and field, football and basketball, which he only did his senior year, was always fun. It gave him something to do in addition keeping up with his schoolwork and student teaching as he worked toward his career.
Rucker said he never felt stress to perform as he was always having fun. The only time he said he felt any pressure was after he won three championships his junior year.
However, Rucker never had the chance to defend his titles, as he was preoccupied with other tasks at hand.
Something, something, Football
Rucker became one of the best-known names in Division III football. The combination of his size and his attitude on the field made Rucker a force that all opposing teams noticed and respected. His coaches noticed his talent immediately and knew he had potential.
âHe was a physical inside presence,â said Pate Delany, the OWU football teamâs defensive coordinator. âHe is a remarkable athlete, go down and watch him play racquetball. Still today, you can tell why he was an NFL talent, because of how great of an athlete he was.
âHe played basketball here, he ran track just for fun, I think, or to look at girls. He has remarkable flexibility and he played hard⌠Keith probably was the most dominant Division III lineman in the history of Division III.â
Rucker was the teamâs defensive tackle, lead run stopper and center of an already great defensive line. During the 1989 season, the defense held opposing teams to 189 yards rushing for the season, just 18.9 yards a game.
Rucker had received his first NFL offer by his junior yearâthe San Francisco 49ers invited him to join their practice squad. Rucker said after much debate and conversation with his brother, he decided to return to Ohio Wesleyan for his senior season.
That senior year may have made all the difference for the rest of his college career.
Rucker was named an All-American for the third year in a row and was invited to play in the Hula Bowl, the college senior all-star game, in Hawaii. He was the first Division III player to be invited to the event, which usually pulls the top 100 seniors from the Division I level.
The first play of the game, Rucker made a sack.
He followed up the performance by being one of the 310 players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. There he continued to impress scouts, running a time of 4.9 seconds for the 40-yard dash, respectable for a player his size.
Despite getting calls from multiple NFL teams leading up to the draft, Rucker was not selected. Not to be disappointed, he talked to his agent who said multiple teams contacted him and were looking into him as a free agent.
Rucker headed back to Ohio Wesleyan not knowing whether he would get the chance to play in the NFL. Rucker said when he pulled off of Route 23 onto Sandusky Street, there was sign that said, âKeith Rucker is a Cardinal.â His initial thought was, âdid I miss myself get drafted?â
Without any knowledge of the agreement, Ruckerâs agent signed him with the Arizona Cardinals. He had determined the offer to be his best bet at getting into the NFL.
Although short on credits to earn his degree, Rucker earned the right to walk at graduation, which he passed up on as he had to report to Phoenix, Ariz., for mini-camp.
As a rookie heading into training camp, Rucker said he sat sixth on the depth chart at his position. Several weeks later, after the final preseason game, Rucker said he and his teammates waited in their hotel for a call as to whether or not they made the cut.
Rucker said after four hours of waiting, he finally decided to call his position coach to see when the cutting process would be over and if he made it.
All his coach had to say was, âWell if you havenât received a call by now⌠guess that means youâve made the team.â
The first few weeks of the regular season had its ups and downs for Rucker. He said he played two snaps in his first game on the field-blocking unit, was cut the night before the second game and ended up watching that game from his house.
The next week he was resigned a couple days before the Cardinals played the Washington Redskins. He recorded eight tackles and two sacks, and one week later they rearranged the entire defense to accommodate Rucker as a starter.
Over the next seven seasons Rucker played for the Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs; he was a regular starter in his time with the Cardinals and Bengals.
Rucker said seven years into his NFL career, after not getting much playing time in his latter seasons and going through a divorce, he decided to retire.
The player becomes the coach
Following his retirement, Rucker decided to go back to school. He returned to Ohio Wesleyan to coach the football team and finish his degree.
After receiving his diploma, he moved to Cincinnati to be with his family and take a high school football assistant coaching position.
He said coaching is one of the things he has enjoyed most about his entire experience, which came full circle last year when he returned to Ohio Wesleyan football when head coach Tom Watts took the helm.
âThereâs a lot that I have enjoyed, but the biggest thing for me is to pass on that knowledge and those skills that I worked so hard to master to guys that when I was at the level theyâre at now, didnât have a clue,â Rucker said. âIâm teaching them, and to watch them get it, that âah-haâ moment, you see the eyes light up and the (light) bulb go off. Thatâs the biggest thing for me.â
Being a celebrity on campus, Watts said Rucker brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the Bishopsâ football program. With hard work, dedication, organization and being a community and family man, he makes an impact.
âObviously the players have a lot of respect for Keith, because heâs been at all levels,â Watts said. âNot only has he played at Ohio Wesleyan, heâs played in the NFL, heâs coached high school football, heâs coaching our kids, so he has a lot of experience behind his years.
âHe is a very good teacher and mentor. I think because people see him as a big guy, they think heâs a loud guy, but heâs not like that at all. He is very patient with the kids and he definitely has their respect or everything that he does.â
Junior defensive end Brok Gould said he is a good person with a great personality who is always fun to be around and can make the guys laugh.
âI think that his experience of football in his career has helped him to become the great coach he is today and he will continue to help young athletes learn the values that go along with the game,â he said.
Sophomore nose tackle Dominic Wilson said Rucker, or âRuckâ as they like to call him, is like a second father to him and the rest of the defensive line. He said Rucker has knowledge and passion for the game and makes practice fun, yet is diligent when it comes down to business.
âBut don’t let his fun, laid-back nature fool you. Coach Ruck tells it like it is,â Wilson said. âIf you missed an assignment or didn’t play your role during a game, he’s quick to tell you that you messed up but will give you tips on how to utilize your own personal strengths to be better on the next go-round.
âIt’s rare that he raises his voice, and the criticism that he gives you is genuine. He’s always about uplifting us and making us better players and men in the future. Those characteristics explain why I have no problem going to battle for him.â
That is exactly what Rucker is trying to doâmake better players and men out of those he coaches. Rucker said one of the things he enjoys the most is sharing his stories from his time as a Bishop.
â(T)hatâs something Iâll have forever,â he said. âAnd trying to get them to understand to relish in the moments theyâre going through with each other, because these guys have formed a bond for the rest of their lives. Those stories and that camaraderie I like to share because I want them to understand that this is just not a walk; this is a journey, and youâre taking it with a bunch of guys, and some of you are taking the same steps.
âYouâre going to share it for the rest of your life, and youâll end up telling your kids about it. Itâs more so about the relationships you build here and I like to share that with them.â
Coaching and being a father has become Ruckerâs priority in life. Itâs not known how much longer he will stay with the Bishops or if he will try to move up in the college coaching world. But he is here, and that is all that matters to the team for now.
Delaney said he thinks Rucker has done a great job coaching his players.
âHe makes them accountable and heâs fun,â he said. âHe laughs and jokes with them. The kids really like him a lot, and weâre lucky to have him.â
Frye has seen Rucker grow from the first time he stepped foot on campus. He said he is a joy to be around, always has a positive attitude and is willing to do anything asked of him.
âI think his upbeatness is reflecting in his coaching career,â he said. âThe kids like him, respect him and enjoy him. Itâs been a real pleasure to have him as an athlete and now as a friend.â
If Rucker could sum up his athletic experience at Ohio Wesleyan in a few words, he would say, âIt was fun and we made it fun.
âThe academics are the number one reason to be here, but the athletics add so much more to that academic experience,â he said.
