Alleged serial rapist wants prosecutor booted

SANDUSKY — Whose side is he on? That's the question the attorney for accused serial rapist McClain Durst asked of Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun.Port Clinton-based defense attorney Christopher Marcinko on Nov. 7 filed a motion on behalf of his client, Durst, who is charged with rape, to have Braun removed from the case and have a special prosecutor appointed in his stead.The reason, according to a memorandum to the court by Marcinko, is because Durst allegedly spoke with Braun "candidly" about the details of his rape case during a 30-minute meeting with Braun on July 4, 2016, while Braun was still in private practice. Braun would be elected Sandusky County prosecutor that November.Durst wrote in an affidavit that he met with Braun because he was "very unhappy" with his appointed attorney, and friends of his told him to speak with him."He told me he would be happy to take my case against (then-Sandusky County Prosecutor) Tom Stierwalt," Durst wrote.Braun said he has "no recollection" of meeting with Durst."Am I 1,000 percent convinced (I didn't meet with Durst)? No," he said. "(But) I can tell you I was in the middle of a political campaign at the time … I would not have met with him."Regardless, Braun supported Marcinko's motion and today filed a motion himself to have a special prosecutor appointed."Under the circumstances, it's better to get someone else involved," Braun said.If Sandusky County Common Pleas Judge John Dewey grants the request for a special prosecutor, it will likely delay Durst's trial, which was slated to begin next Tuesday, Nov. 14.More articles on McClain DurstReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterSandusky County prosecutor Tim Braun speaks during an interview following the arraignment of Daniel Myers at the Sandusky County Court of Common Pleas at Terra Community College in Fremont.McClain Durst walks out of the courtroom at the Norwalk Municipal Court on Friday, July 28, 2017.