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Murderer gets death sentence
TOLEDO -- A man convicted nearly three decades ago of abducting a woman riding her bicycle was sentenced to death Wednesday in the 2016 abduction and killing of a college student who was bicycling alone near her home. A Fulton County judge upheld a jury's death penalty recommendation for James Worley after they convicted him last month in the death of 20-year-old University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin. She was found dead in a cornfield three days after she was last seen two years ago in July. Prosecutors used DNA evidence to show that Worley and Joughin were both alongside a rural road where her bicycle was found, inside his barn near Delta, Ohio, and where her body was discovered.
Inmate who assaulted guard dies
CHILLICOTHE -- An inmate who attempted suicide following an assault on a prison guard has died. Ross County Prosecutor Matt Schmidt says inmate Byron Goodrich tried to hang himself in a cell at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville on Sunday after last week's attack on the guard. Goodrich broke a correctional officer's nose and wrist April 12 at Ross Correctional Institution and was subsequently transferred to Lucasville. Goodrich was taken off life support at a Columbus hospital on Wednesday after his organs were donated. The 30-year-old Goodrich was sentenced in February in Muskingum County to 35 years in prison on charges that included felonious assault and kidnapping.
School testing hits pause button
COLUMBUS -- Standardized testing has been placed on hold at some Ohio schools over login issues with the online system. A spokeswoman with the state Department of Education says officials learned Wednesday morning of an issue with American Institutes for Research, the vendor that distributes the tests. School district officials received emails around 9:30 a.m. saying there were problems for students logging in to take the tests and that students currently taking tests weren't affected.
Suspect arrested in Nevada
CARLIN, Nev. -- A suspect in an Ohio murder has been arrested in northeast Nevada after threatening to kill himself during a traffic stop in a small town along Interstate 80. Matthew Dempsey, 36, of Paulding, is wanted as a suspect in the killing of his 47-year-old girlfriend, Gina Mann. Her body was found Sunday in the garage at a home where they lived in Briceton, Ohio. An officer tried to stop Dempsey Tuesday for making an illegal turn, but he continued driving and pointed a rifle at his head before he was persuaded to surrender
Teen held in death of woman, 98
WADSWORTH -- A 17-year-old boy has been charged in Juvenile Court with aggravated murder in the death of a 98-year-old woman found by police inside a closet at her northeast Ohio home. The teen also was charged Tuesday in Medina County with aggravated burglary and abuse of a corpse in the death of Margaret Douglas. Her body was found April 9 after a relative asked police to check on her welfare. She had not been heard from since April 3. Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Douglas was strangled. The teen was arrested Monday after investigators found Douglas' wallet inside his family's home in Wadsworth.
Man pleads guilty in shooting
CLEVELAND -- A Cleveland man has pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of a Salvation Army worker who was going out to collect money at one of the charity's kettles. William Jones, 27, was charged in the Dec. 2 slaying of Jared Fier-Plesec. Investigators say Fier-Plesec was wearing his Salvation Army uniform and had stopped to discuss the Bible with someone when Jones shot him. Cleveland.com reports that the 27-year-old pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges including aggravated murder, avoiding the possibility of the death penalty. Sentencing is set for May 21. A cousin of Fier-Plesec says the deeply religious 21-year-old likely would have objected to giving Jones the death penalty.
Woman hurt at fair gets $1.8M
NEWARK -- A woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a thrill ride accident at last year's Ohio State Fair will receive $1.8 million. A judge this week approved the settlement that calls for the ride's owner, Amusements of America, and two private inspection companies to pay Jennifer Lambert's legal fees and medical expenses. The settlement includes a trust to pay for ongoing care for Lambert, who remains in a long-term care facility. Lambert will get $1.1 million and the remainder will pay attorneys and other expenses. She was 18 when a carriage on the Fire Ball ride broke apart last July, killing a teenager and seriously injuring her and three others. The family of the man who died has reached a proposed $1.3 million settlement.
Akron ups age to buy tobacco
AKRON -- Akron is joining a list of Ohio cities that require people buying tobacco products to be at least 21 years old. City Council members voted in support of the measure Monday night. The new law says businesses that sell tobacco products to underage customers will first get a warning. A $500 fine will be imposed for a second violation and a $1,000 fine for a third offense. Mayor Dan Horrigan says the legislation puts Akron "on the right side of history." Councilmen Bob Hoch and Donnie Kammer voted against the measure. They say the issue should be decided by state or federal legislators or through a statewide ballot initiative. Nine other Ohio cities have passed similar laws, including Cleveland and Columbus.