Henry Borges Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in December 2020 Shooting Death of Ricky Rittenberry

Posted on 3/30/2023

Defendant:

Henry Borges pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification in the 2020 shooting death of Ricky Rittenberry. He also pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a weapon while under detention.

He was immediately sentenced to the recommended sentence of 18 to 23½ years in prison, broken down as follows:
• 11 to 16½ years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, plus 3 years for the gun specification, for a total of 14 to 19½ years
• 2 years for the possession of a weapon under disability, a third-degree felony (from a previous conviction)
• 2 years for the possession of a weapon while under detention, a third-degree felony

Borges, 39, has been in jail since Dec. 30, 2020, giving him 819 days of jail credit.

Borges, whose last known address was Reynoldsburg, was charged with murder in the Dec. 1, 2020, shooting death of Rittenberry, 60. The shooting happened in the area of 641 Racine Ave. in Columbus’ Hilltop neighborhood. Borges was also charged with possession of a weapon under disability.

On Sept. 22, 2021, while in the Franklin County jail awaiting trial, Borges was found with a homemade knife and charged with possession of a weapon while under detention.

In September 2022, Borges was on trial for the murder and weapons under disability charges. The jury convicted him on the weapons charge but was not able to reach a verdict on the murder charge.

Borges’ retrial on the murder charge began March 27. Just before the first witness was scheduled to testify on March 28, Borges entered guilty pleas to resolve both cases. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a 3-year firearm specification. (He had already been convicted on the weapon while under disability charge.) He also pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon under detention.

Mark Wodarcyk and Rob Doersam, both assistant prosecuting attorneys with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, prosecuted the case against Borges.