(NORWALK, Ohio) — A Huron County man has been indicted on felony charges – including murder – in connection with the disappearance six years ago of his girlfriend, Amanda Dean, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
Frederick Reer, 40, of Collins, faces charges of murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Agents with the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Reer on Friday following his indictment and transported him to the Huron County jail, where he remains in custody. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Feb. 12 in Huron County Common Pleas Court.
Dean, a 36-year-old mother of four, was last seen on July 11, 2017, in Collins, a town just outside of Norwalk.
“So many memories won’t include Amanda, as her killer robbed these children of a life with their mother,” Yost said. “Her family deserves justice.”
The indictment, handed down by a Huron County grand jury, stems from an investigation led by BCI at the request of the Huron County Sheriff’s Office. The Huron County Common Pleas Court has appointed the Attorney General’s Office as special assistant to the Huron County prosecutor in the case.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – With two months until the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, TourismOhio today launched an all-new Total Solar Eclipse map to make planning for the event in Ohio even easier.
“We are excited to welcome eclipse enthusiasts to our great state,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “In Ohio, there’s far more to see and do beyond watching the solar eclipse. There are countless activities and destinations to explore. We encourage travelers to come early and state late for a full Heart of it All experience.”
The April 8 event will plunge parts of Ohio into total darkness for nearly 5 minutes as the moon passes between the sun and Earth. Several cities, including Dayton, Lima, Toledo, Findlay, Cleveland, and Akron, are in the path of totality. In total, 55 Ohio counties will experience at least a partial eclipse.
“From state agencies to our local partners, there are many Ohioans working together to ensure that visitors and residents have a safe an enjoyable experience in the Heart of it All,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development, which over sees the TourismOhio office. “With all there is to experience in Ohio, you can create an unforgettable weekend filled with memories your family will be talking about for years to come.”
The new interactive Total Solar Eclipse Map on Ohio.org helps visitors plan their trip to Ohio with places to watch the eclipse and an interactive list of viewing parties, festivals, and other events happening across the state.
“We’re so excited for the eclipse and to welcome visitors to Perrysburg and Wood County,” said Christine Best, Executive Director of Visit Perrysburg. “TourismOhio has provided us a great opportunity to bring awareness to our exciting eclipse events, like the Total Eclipse of the Burg, as well as the great places to check out around Perrysburg to eat and shop.”
The Total Solar Eclipse landing page also includes other ideas to create an out-of-this-world itinerary perfect for a long weekend—travelers can also go ‘to the moon and back’ along the Ohio Lunar Road Trip, or gaze up at the stars with the best spots in the state, and explore Ohio’s top-rated science museums with their families.
Visitors are encouraged to share their Ohio total solar eclipse memories and adventures on social media with #OhioTheHeartofitAll and #Eclipse2024.
Eclipse viewing at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson today announced the availability of $1 million in funding to support the work of law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute crimes of sexual assault in Ohio.
Funds awarded through the new Ohio Sexual Assault Investigations Grant Program can be used toward drug-facilitated sexual assault toxicology testing, sexual assault kit (SAK) testing, expert testimony, SAK storage upgrades, transportation/shipping costs, sexual assault investigations training, specialized DNA analysis, and other sexual assault investigation costs.
“Those who’ve committed sexual assault have no place in our communities,” said Governor DeWine. “The goal of this program is to help ensure that local law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to get offenders into custody as soon as possible.”
The Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is administering the Ohio Sexual Assault Investigations Grant Program. Agencies can submit reimbursement for sexual assault investigations connected to incidents that occurred on or after July 1, 2023.
APPLICATION: Ohio Sexual Assault Investigations Grant Program
Grant applications for the current fiscal year will be available through mid-June with additional funding slated to be released July 1, 2024. Individual grant amounts will depend on the number of qualifying entities that apply. Funding for the program was awarded by the Ohio General Assembly in the operating budget.
During his time as Ohio’s attorney general, Governor DeWine led a special initiative to test evidence from thousands of previously untested rape kits submitted by local law enforcement agencies in Ohio. Between 2011 and 2018, forensic scientists at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation analyzed nearly 14,000 old rape kits submitted by local law enforcement, resulting in the upload of more than 8,600 DNA profiles into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). At the time that testing was completed in 2018, those profiles had led to more than 5,000 DNA matches.
“This new grant program is another example of Governor DeWine’s commitment to helping law enforcement get dangerous criminals off the streets,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson. “The work of investigators is critical toward stopping future attacks and getting justice for survivors.”
By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and develops technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus police officers have been arrested on federal charges alleging they stole multiple kilograms of cocaine and provided it to others to sell.
John Castillo, 31, of Grove City, and Joel M. Mefford, 34, of London, Ohio, were arrested today and appeared in federal court this afternoon, at which point their cases were unsealed.
According to Mefford’s indictment, in February 2020, he was investigating a drug crime and unlawfully gained access to a detached garage belonging to the subject of the investigation. It is alleged Mefford, without a warrant, discovered two kilograms of cocaine in the rafters of the garage. Mefford allegedly unlawfully seized one of the kilograms and left the other to be found during the execution of a search warrant the next morning. The defendant allegedly gave the stolen narcotics to an individual to sell.
Joel M. Mefford
Similarly, in February and March 2020, Mefford was investigating drug-trafficking activity at houses on Ambleside Drive and Kilbourne Avenue in Columbus. On March 7, 2020, the officer allegedly took a bag containing multiple kilograms of cocaine from the house on Ambleside Drive and arrested an individual there. He then allegedly traveled to the house on Kilbourne Avenue and removed a kilogram of cocaine. That same day, it is alleged Mefford turned in one kilogram of cocaine to evidence and stole the other kilograms to be sold.
It is further alleged that Mefford stole 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Columbus police property room in April 2020, replacing it with fake cocaine.
Mefford also allegedly deposited more than $72,000 in cash derived from the cocaine sales into his personal bank account.
Castillo’s indictment alleges that in February 2021, Castillo took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a house on North Everett Avenue and did not turn it into evidence. He allegedly planted two additional kilograms of cocaine for law enforcement discovery later that day at the house. The 10 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly stored in another person’s basement before they were given to another individual to sell.
John Castillo
Castillo and Mefford are charged in separate indictments with possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, a federal crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Mefford is also charged with money laundering and two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Zrinka Dilber, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
COLUMBUS –Members of the Ohio General Assembly and Pennsylvania Senate met in Columbus yesterday for a joint committee hearing to discuss energy reliability, sustainability, and affordability, announced House Public Utilities Chairman Dick Stein (R-Norwalk).
The hearing included testimony from PJM, the organization that manages the mid-Atlantic power grid, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and other energy industry experts.
“These hearings are intended to elevate the urgency of lost generation through the early forced retirement of our existing fossil fuel fleet and the rapidly growing need for additional, affordable generation,” said Stein. “I hope that together, government at all levels will work to solve this upcoming crisis to avoid a life-threatening catastrophic failure to our grid.”
The committee consisted of two panels that focused on state and national energy impacts and another that focused on consumer and generational impacts.
“Grid stability requires a diverse energy portfolio and actions taken by any one state can have resounding and immediate impacts on neighboring states,” said Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Loyalsock Township). “I’m thankful to our neighbors in Ohio for recognizing the urgency of this issue and joining with me to proactively protect our region’s families and businesses from catastrophic rolling blackouts and skyrocketing costs.”
“The time is now to plan for the future of our ever-expanding energy needs. As a member of the Public Utilities Committee, we must be proactive in protecting Ohioans and our nation from unplanned power outages,” said Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana County). “Our energy grid should increase in diversity to create a more sustainable future and avoid grid failure.”
“Fostering cross-state collaboration, the Joint Public Utilities Committee is a hub for shared knowledge and cooperative efforts. In addressing the energy needs of both states, this alliance paves the way for a resilient and sustainable future that is beneficial to communities on both sides of the border, especially when federal policies are limiting the PJM Interconnection,” said Rep. Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville). “A special thanks to Chairman Stein for his instrumental role in putting together this event, uniting legislators and initiatives for a brighter energy future.”
“Ohio has a booming economy, and this fact means we need reliable resources to power our businesses and homes,” said Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin). “Our goal and objective are to get the facts and understand them so we can enact good, strong energy policy so all Ohioans can keep the lights on. We also need to stand up for ourselves against rushed energy policies at all levels that do not correlate with our needs and wants.”
(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost vowed to get answers for the state’s lawsuit against Norfolk Southern in the absence of a full statement of facts from the primary investigating agency.
“This anniversary fuels so many emotions, and it’s understandable to want to bring this despairing chapter to a close,” Yost said. “But rushing matters would be a disservice to the community, as we still need answers to so many questions. Those answers will help us ensure that tragedies like this don’t happen again in Ohio or elsewhere.”
Disaster struck East Palestine a year ago on Feb. 3, the night that the Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in eastern Columbiana County, triggering the chemicals to release into the soil, water and atmosphere, and forcing the evacuation of thousands of area residents.
“There are whispers of a settlement being worked out to bring this tragedy to an end – and make no mistake, we all want closure on this avoidable disaster,” Yost said. “But I cannot, in good conscience, agree to a settlement without a detailed understanding of what happened, who is responsible, and how we avoid other communities like East Palestine from being victims to this type of incident. No responsible person should want a rush to judgment in the form of a settlement without having all the facts. It would be irresponsible.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the derailment but has yet to issue its completed findings.
In March, the Attorney General filed a 58-count federal lawsuit seeking to hold Norfolk Southern financially responsible for the derailment. Yost is anticipating the NTSB findings in hopes that they answer crucial questions regarding:
Details of the inspection, maintenance and use of the rail car on which the bearing failed.
What responsibilities the owners and shipper of the failed bearing car and the cars containing hazardous materials had to Norfolk Southern.
The criteria for the placement, inspection, and type of wayside safety equipment and detectors.
Were changes made to the system to make it more efficient.
Whether Norfolk Southern safety monitoring equipment was adequate.
Whether adjusted heat detection could have prevented the accident.
How the cars containing vinyl chloride were maintained and equipped with safety equipment.
Whether aluminum safety valves (rather than steel valves) had an effect.
Factors that went into the ‘vent and burn’ decision regarding the cars containing hazardous materials.
The team representing Ohio in the litigation met recently with Norfolk Southern to learn more details of the incident, noting that the railroad was cooperative. Still, many questions remain.
“The health and safety of the people of East Palestine, along with the restoration and maintenance of the surrounding environment, continue to be our top priorities,” Yost said. “No measure of time will impede the state’s desire to do right for the community now, and for many years to come.”
Yost added: I am committed to getting the people of East Palestine the answers and appropriate compensation they deserve, however long that takes.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Indian national pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to running a dark web narcotics conspiracy that moved hundreds of kilograms and tens of thousands of pills of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multi-million-dollar drug enterprise. According to the DEA, this case involves the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure in DEA history; the defendant has forfeited cryptocurrency accounts that ultimately became worth $150 million.
Specifically, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Singh created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces such as Silk Road 1, Silk Road 2, Alpha Bay, Hansa and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine and Tramadol.
Customers ordered controlled substances from Singh using the vendor sites and by paying with cryptocurrency. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of controlled substances from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services.
From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including one in Columbus. Other distribution cells were in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota and Washington. Individuals in those distribution cells received drug shipments from overseas and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Singh was arrested in London in April 2019 and the government secured his extradition to the United States in 2023. Singh is one of eight defendants who were members of this drug trafficking organization who have been convicted of drug trafficking charges throughout the United States.
“In the Singh organization’s drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name ‘Liston’ and signed off with the signature phrase, ‘I’m still dancing.’ Today, with Banmeet Singh’s plea of guilty, the dance is over,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
“Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency, demonstrates that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate U.S. law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partners, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.”
“Banmeet Singh is designated as a Consolidated Priority Target, which makes him one of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “He is responsible for shipping massive quantities of deadly drugs throughout the United States, mostly purchased on the internet and sent through the mail. His criminal enterprise has caused untold suffering to perhaps tens of thousands of people throughout the country. Along with our global network of law enforcement partners, the investigation into his associates will continue, wherever they operate, until the threat to our communities has been stopped.”
Parker, Argentieri and Greene were joined by Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS’ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office, Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Pittsburgh Division, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Upper Arlington Police Chief Steve Farmer, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center in announcing today’s guilty plea.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Central Authority (UKCA) provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the UK.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Indian national pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to running a dark web narcotics conspiracy that moved hundreds of kilograms and tens of thousands of pills of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multi-million-dollar drug enterprise. According to the DEA, this case involves the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure in DEA history; the defendant has forfeited cryptocurrency accounts that ultimately became worth $150 million.
Specifically, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Singh created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces such as Silk Road 1, Silk Road 2, Alpha Bay, Hansa and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine and Tramadol.
Customers ordered controlled substances from Singh using the vendor sites and by paying with cryptocurrency. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of controlled substances from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services.
From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including one in Columbus. Other distribution cells were in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota and Washington. Individuals in those distribution cells received drug shipments from overseas and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Singh was arrested in London in April 2019 and the government secured his extradition to the United States in 2023. Singh is one of eight defendants who were members of this drug trafficking organization who have been convicted of drug trafficking charges throughout the United States.
“In the Singh organization’s drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name ‘Liston’ and signed off with the signature phrase, ‘I’m still dancing.’ Today, with Banmeet Singh’s plea of guilty, the dance is over,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
“Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency, demonstrates that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate U.S. law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partners, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.”
“Banmeet Singh is designated as a Consolidated Priority Target, which makes him one of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “He is responsible for shipping massive quantities of deadly drugs throughout the United States, mostly purchased on the internet and sent through the mail. His criminal enterprise has caused untold suffering to perhaps tens of thousands of people throughout the country. Along with our global network of law enforcement partners, the investigation into his associates will continue, wherever they operate, until the threat to our communities has been stopped.”
Parker, Argentieri and Greene were joined by Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS’ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office, Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Pittsburgh Division, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Upper Arlington Police Chief Steve Farmer, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center in announcing today’s guilty plea.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Central Authority (UKCA) provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the UK.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
(AKRON, Ohio) — Armed with a cutting-edge facial reconstruction of a John Doe whose remains were found in Akron eight years ago, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Summit County Medical Examiner Dr. Lisa Kohler today renewed a public call for help in identifying the man.
Under a partnership between the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and The Ohio State University, experts in forensic art and 3D imaging created the photo-realistic renderings in hopes that someone recognizes the man and comes forward with information that could help identify him.
“You’re given a name on your first day, and it should live on after your last day,” Yost said. “Help us do right by this man: If his face looks familiar, please tell us what you know.”
The technology shows what a person may have looked like at different ages and with different features, including eye color, skin tone and hairstyle – a technique that increases the chances of someone recognizing the person.
“I am hopeful that the variety of digital images created with this new technology will help us to identify this person and allow us to give his family closure regarding his whereabouts,” Dr. Kohler said. “I am grateful to all the people involved in this process for their ongoing support in helping us to resolve this case.”
The digital reconstruction is one of several created recently by BCI and OSU’s Office of Academic Affairs Digital Learning and the university’s Advance Computing Center for the Arts and Design. In this case, the images were based on 3D scans of a clay model sculpted in 2017 by BCI’s forensic artist.
The case dates to Jan. 8, 2016, when a passerby found the man’s skull on a sidewalk outside a burned-out house at 1345 Marcy St. in Akron. Investigators located more of the man’s remains inside the abandoned home.
Burn marks suggest that the remains had been at the address since at least 2012, when a fire damaged the structure. Along with the remains, authorities recovered clothing, a belt, shoes, keys and part of a dental appliance.
The man is believed to have been Caucasian, 5 feet 9 inches tall, and between 30 and 55 years old. His cause of death is unknown, and investigators are unsure how his skull ended up on the sidewalk.
Anyone with information about the case should contact BCI at 740-845-2406 or the Akron Police Department at 330-375-2490.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, together with state Reps. Brian Stewart and Phil Plummer and Executive Director Lou Tobin of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, today announced the introduction of legislation to permit the use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method for carrying out the death penalty.
The bill is aimed at kickstarting the state’s stalled capital-punishment system.
“There must be accountability for offenders convicted of the most heinous crimes and prisoners who continue to flout the law behind bars,” Yost said. “The pursuit of justice is a journey, and closure remains elusive for victims’ families until a sentence is fully executed. Ensuring that the consequences align with the severity of an offense is essential to providing solace to grieving relatives.”
Nitrogen hypoxia drew national attention last week when Alabama used this method to carry out the death sentence of murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith – the first state to employ nitrogen, a colorless and odorless gas, in an execution. With this procedure, a condemned inmate breathes only nitrogen, leading to oxygen deprivation, which results in rapid unconsciousness and death.
Ohio last carried out an execution by lethal injection on July 18, 2018, more than five years ago. Multiple reprieves have been granted, in part due to the reluctance of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide lethal injection drugs to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for executions.
Attorney General Yost hopes that nitrogen — widely available and easily sourced — can break the impasse of unavailability of drugs for lethal injection.
Under the new legislation — sponsored in the House by Stewart, R-Ashville, and Plummer, R-Dayton — manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors that provide lethal injection drugs to the state would receive indefinite confidentiality, instead of the current two-year confidentiality. Suppliers of nitrogen for executions would receive similar confidentiality.
“As long as capital punishment remains the law in Ohio, the law should be followed – and duly enacted sentences should be carried out to give victims’ families the justice and finality they deserve,” Stewart said. “Providing an additional method for carrying out capital punishments is necessary to ensure Ohio can continue to impose these sentences in response to the most heinous crimes committed in our state.”
Added Plummer: “By using nitrogen hypoxia, we are giving the system an additional resource for holding accountable those who have committed heinous crimes. It is time that we stop postponing executions and give the families of victims the closure that they deserve.”
Tobin echoed those thoughts.
“We will continue to work to ensure that the death penalty is fair, that it is accurate, and that defendants receive the due process that they deserve,” he said. “We want fairness and justice for the victims also. This legislation is about providing closure for victims and for their families.”
Yost highlighted shortcomings in the state’s capital-punishment system in the “2022 Capital Crimes Report,” released last year. An annual mandate under state law, the report provides a procedural history and other details on every case resulting in a death sentence since 1981, the year Ohio reinstated the death penalty.
From 1981 to Jan. 30, 2024, a total of 336 criminals convicted in Ohio received a combined 341 death sentences, the report said. Only 56 sentences — one in six — have been carried out.
In releasing the report, Yost emphasized the need to broaden the death-penalty conversation and give a voice to victims’ families. Among those he has engaged in the discussion is Norman Stout, husband of Mary Jane Stout, who was murdered by David Stumpf during a May 1984 robbery near the couple’s home in New Concord, Ohio.
The Stouts allowed Stumpf and Clyde Wesley into their home to use their phone. While Wesley ransacked the house, Stumpf shot Mr. Stout twice in the head, leaving him seriously wounded, and then shot Mrs. Stout four times, killing her.
Mr. Stout, now 93, has been seeking justice for his wife for nearly four decades, only to see Stumpf’s execution postponed several times. Mr. Stout has said he plans to witness Stumpf’s execution — currently scheduled for Aug. 13, 2024 — but he worries that his advanced age might preclude him from seeing justice prevail.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – With two months until the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, TourismOhio today launched an all-new Total Solar Eclipse map to make planning for the event in Ohio even easier.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson today announced the availability of $1 million in funding to support the work of law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute crimes of sexual assault in Ohio.
According to Mefford’s indictment, in February 2020, he was investigating a drug crime and unlawfully gained access to a detached garage belonging to the subject of the investigation. It is alleged Mefford, without a warrant, discovered two kilograms of cocaine in the rafters of the garage. Mefford allegedly unlawfully seized one of the kilograms and left the other to be found during the execution of a search warrant the next morning. The defendant allegedly gave the stolen narcotics to an individual to sell.
Castillo’s indictment alleges that in February 2021, Castillo took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a house on North Everett Avenue and did not turn it into evidence. He allegedly planted two additional kilograms of cocaine for law enforcement discovery later that day at the house. The 10 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly stored in another person’s basement before they were given to another individual to sell.
COLUMBUS –Members of the Ohio General Assembly and Pennsylvania Senate met in Columbus yesterday for a joint committee hearing to discuss energy reliability, sustainability, and affordability, announced House Public Utilities Chairman Dick Stein (R-Norwalk).
Joe Lyons •
February 10, 2024
(NORWALK, Ohio) — A Huron County man has been indicted on felony charges – including murder – in connection with the disappearance six years ago of his girlfriend, Amanda Dean, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Indian national pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to running a dark web narcotics conspiracy that moved hundreds of kilograms and tens of thousands of pills of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multi-million-dollar drug enterprise. According to the DEA, this case involves the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure in DEA history; the defendant has forfeited cryptocurrency accounts that ultimately became worth $150 million.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, together with state Reps. Brian Stewart and Phil Plummer and Executive Director Lou Tobin of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, today announced the introduction of legislation to permit the use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method for carrying out the death penalty.