After more than a year of delays and court wrangling, 81-year-old Ezra Wright of Lucasville is finally set to face a jury later this month on 12 counts of child rape. His trial is scheduled to begin November 24 in Scioto County Common Pleas Court and is expected to last three days.
You may remember Wright’s name from July of 2024, when a Scioto County Grand Jury handed down the shocking indictments. Investigators accused Wright of sexually assaulting a child over a two-year period roughly three decades ago.
Arrest Drama Unfolds in Lucasville
When deputies went to arrest Wright last year, his wife Carolyn Wright, 80, told officers he wasn’t home and had “gone fishing.” Deputies didn’t buy it. They stayed nearby and later spotted a van leaving the property. After stopping the vehicle, the passengers confirmed Wright was still inside the house.
Fearing the elderly couple might harm themselves, deputies forced entry and found both hiding in a bedroom. Wright was arrested on the spot, and Carolyn Wright was also taken into custody.
Court Battles and Delays
Wright was declared indigent, and the county’s indigent support fund covered his bail. Judge Howard Harcha set bond at $100,000, requiring Wright to wear an ankle monitor, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and report to the probation department.
His original January 2025 trial date was postponed after his attorney filed a motion demanding access to the names of everyone who had ever treated the alleged victim—doctors, counselors, or psychiatrists. The court ruled that such disclosure would violate the victim’s rights and denied the motion.
With those legal hurdles cleared, the case is now moving forward toward trial.
Two Defendants, One Case
The Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office has also asked the court to consolidate the cases of Ezra and Carolyn Wright, arguing that the same witnesses will be called in both proceedings. Mrs. Wright faces obstruction of justice charges for allegedly lying to deputies and trying to shield her husband from arrest.
A Case 30 Years in the Making
Though the alleged abuse dates back nearly three decades, prosecutors say justice delayed doesn’t mean justice denied. The community will be watching closely as the long-awaited trial of Ezra Wright finally begins—yet another disturbing allegation of child sexual abuse in a county that has seen far too many cases of this kind.