KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (Court TV) – After just under two hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 found Geoffrey Paschel guilty on all counts:
Geoffrey Paschel, 44, was convicted of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and interference with emergency calls on October 7, 2021. Judge Kyle Hixson revoked the reality TV star’s bond, ordered him into custody and set a sentencing hearing for Dec. 3, 2021. (Knox County Sheriff’s Office)
Count One: Guilty of aggravated kidnapping
Count Two: Guilty of domestic violence
Count Three: Guilty of interference with an emergency call
The judge immediately revoked Pachel’s bail and remanded the former reality TV star into the custody of the Knox County Sheriff, where he will remain until sentencing. Paschel’s sentencing date was scheduled for February 2022.
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ORIGINAL STORY
A former reality TV cast member is on trial for an alleged domestic dispute incident involving his ex-girlfriend.
Geoffrey Ian Paschel became a social media sensation after appearing on the hit TLC show ‘90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days.‘ The father of seven is accused of physically assaulting his then-girlfriend on June 9, 2019. According to an affidavit, the victim claims an intoxicated Paschel “grabbed her by the neck and slammed her head against a wall several times” before throwing her to the ground. The woman fled to a neighbor’s home, where police found her when they arrived.
Officers noted visible injuries, including “a large raised bruise on (her) forehead and abrasions on her elbows and knees.” A paramedic at the scene reportedly said she “displayed common signs of a concussion.”
Authorities said when they confronted Paschel, he claimed the woman’s injuries were self-inflicted. He was initially taken into custody without incident, but according to the affidavit, he “attempted to kick out the windows of the patrol vehicle.”
>>>READ MORE: Reality star’s fiancée relives alleged attack: “He was too strong”
Paschel was ultimately charged with kidnapping, domestic assault, interference with an emergency call, and vandalism.
After fans learned of the charges, they petitioned TLC to remove him, and he was dropped from the ‘Tell All’ show, which reunites all the featured couples at the end of the season.
Since his arrest, Paschel has made several statements and videos stating many of his ex-wives and former girlfriends are conspiring against him.
The disgraced reality star has gone through many custody battles over the years. He has two grown sons with his first wife, an eight-year-old son with his second wife, and a five-year-old son with his third wife, with whom he is locked in a bitter custody dispute since their separation in 2017.
Paschel also had a fourth child with his ex, a son named Kazhem. The 13-month-old tragically died after a seizure caused him to be put into a medically induced coma on life support. Paschel opened up about how he held his son as doctors “pulled the plug” on the Season 4 premiere of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, according to In Touch Weekly.
While he was evasive about the timing, he acknowledged he was communicating with his co-star and now-fiancé, Varya. He traveled to Russia to visit her in July of 2019, shortly after the alleged domestic violence incident took place.
The trial of TN v. Geoffrey Paschel was originally slated to begin Oct. 2020, however, the trial was delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.
DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 2 – 10/7/21
- Defendant Geoffrey Paschel takes the stand in his own defense
DAY 1 – 10/6/21
- Prosecution rests after calling 3 witnesses: The victim, the neighbor who made the 911 call and the patrol officer who responded to the incident
- In the state’s opening, prosecutor Heather Good described in detail the brutality of the fight between the couple, including the many times she claims the defendant banged her head into stairs and walls
- The 911 bodycam footage was partially redacted, but showed both the victim right after the incident and the defendant, shirtless with visible scratches explaining that she attacked him
DAY 1 – 10/7/21
- Rebuttal Witness – Kristen Wilson Chapman: When asked about what photos were deleted from her phone by the defendant, Wilson replied, “I’m not sure if I can say this, but photos of marks he put on me in the past.”
- Having now addressed priors in front of the jury, the defense attorney loudly objected. Outside the presence of the jury, Isaacs demanded a mistrial.
- Judge Hixon storms out to deliberate and returns to rule that either the jury believes him or her, regardless of the statement from the victim.
- Closing arguments are powerful. The prosecution focuses on the photos and the nonsensical explanation of the defendant.
- The defense focuses on how much they drank and how her wounds didn’t appear to be bad enough to justify the story put on by the prosecution. The defense also stressed there was no motive.
- After deliberating for nearly 2 hours, a jury of 12 found the defendant guilty of all counts
- WATCH: 10/7/21 ‘Dose of Reality’ for ’90 Day Fiancé’ Star – Court TV
Court TV’s Ivy Brown, Grace Wong and Janet McGowan have contributed to this report.
