Press Releases

Aug 16 2021

Defendant:

Autopsy Report Released for Ma'Khia Bryant
The autopsy report of Ma’Khia Bryant was released today by the office of Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz. Earlier this summer, this matter was assigned to Special Prosecutors H. Tim Merkle and Gary Shroyer as the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney serves as legal cou...
Jul 30 2021

Defendant:

Serial Bank Robber; Repeat Violent Offender Sentenced
Mario Cunningham of Columbus was sentenced July 30th, 2021 as a result of being convicted of four counts of robbery after a rash of bank robberies in 2018, with an added specification due to being a repeat violent offender. Cunningham, 45, robbed a Heartland Bank on 2 November...
Jul 27 2021

Defendant:

Columbus City Council Partners with County Commissioners on Gun Violence Reduction Initiative
Columbus City Council unanimously approved a grant in the amount of $200,000.00 for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. This ordinance authorized the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a grant agreement with the Franklin County Board of Commissioner...
Jul 07 2021

Defendant:

Officer Involved Shooting Deaths Referred to Franklin County Prosecutor
The Ohio Attorney General has referred the officer involved shooting deaths of Ma’Khia Bryant and Andrew Teague to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The matters will be presented to a Grand Jury for review. The Ma’Khia Bryant matter is being assigned to Special Prosecut...
Jun 23 2021

Defendant:

Two Convicted in Gang-Related Crimes
Two Columbus men were convicted following a 17-day jury trial on Monday, June 21st of Participating in a Criminal Gang along with several other felony crimes. Specifically, the jury convicted Shon D. Gardner, Jr., 21, and Jermaine Lamar Lathon, 28, of actively participating in...
Jun 08 2021

Defendant:

Special Prosecutors Appointed in Casey Goodson, Jr. Matter
The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney has filed the necessary documents to appoint H. Tim Merkle and Gary S. Shroyer as Special Prosecutors to assist the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation and prosecution of matters involving the shooting death of Ca...
May 25 2021

Defendant:

Guilty Plea & Sentencings in Murder-for-Hire Case
Abraham Shears pleaded guilty to murder Monday morning in a September 2019 murder-for-hire case. Shears, 53, hired Donte Slash, 24, who then murdered John Clinedinst, a Columbus City Schools bus driver. The court sentenced Shears to the mandatory 15 years to life in prison. Th...
May 14 2021

Defendant:

Marion Cunningham Trial
Mario Cunningham of Columbus was found guilty yesterday on four counts of robbery after a rash of bank robberies in 2018 with an added specification as a result of being a repeat violent offender. Cunningham, 45, robbed a Heartland Bank on November 2nd, 2018, threatening the e...
May 11 2021

Defendant:

Prosecutor Tyack Statement on Retirement of Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown
I would like to extend my gratitude to Commissioner Marilyn Brown and wish her well at the announcement of her impending retirement. Commissioner Brown was elected to her role with the Board of Commissioners in 2006, and has won re-election three times. She additionally served...
May 06 2021

Defendant:

Devon Bias Found Guilty in Trial
Devon Bias, 35, appeared in court on of two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder last week, in addition to three counts of felonious assault, and improperly discharging of a firearm into a habitation. The two counts of murder were for the deaths of two individ...

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