Crawford prosecutor: Number of murders in county escalate in post-pandemic society

The number of murders in Crawford County has increased, according to Prosecutor Matthew Crall, citing society’s inability to resolve issues in the post pandemic world.

Top homicides and homicide trials in Crawford County in 2023 were.

Sean Cassaro’s case

The murder of Sean Cassaro, a local CPA who was doing tax work for some of the businesses in the community, shook Bucyrus in the beginning of the year. Cassaro, 46, died following a fight on Tiffin Street early Jan. 22.

Thomas Brown, Bucyrus, 49, a financial adviser at Spreng Capital Management, was arrested in connection with the death of Cassaro and indicted on charges including murder and involuntary manslaughter., according to records from the Crawford County Clerk of Courts.

The person who called 911 was Rochelle Leonhardt. Cassaro was found lying face-down in the driveway, unresponsive, and was pronounced dead by Bucyrus Fire/EMS, according to the police. A coroner later ruled that Cassaro died of strangulation.

Interviewing the witness, officers discovered there had been a physical altercation between the victim and Brown, and Brown had left the scene in his vehicle.

Brown pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, and his lawyer called it "a textbook self-defense case," noting Brown had been punched in the face and had a stab wound to the leg.

The prosecution disagreed, arguing Brown started the fight. Crall said the state's evidence against Brown is "very strong," stating alcohol was one of the major factors in the case.

After a night of drinking, Brown went to the home on Tiffin Street and had a conversation with the property owner, who was Cassaro's girlfriend, in a car. Cassaro arrived and found Brown and his girlfriend talking, "and there was an altercation that occurred there," Crall said.

Brown was released on a $50,000 cash bond. The trial is scheduled to be held later in the coming year.

Michael ‘Mikey’ Benedict’s case

In 2023, three people were sentenced for causing the death of Michael Benedict, 40, who was found unconscious by Crestline police following up on a 911 call shortly after 2:20 a.m. Oct. 10, 2021. Benedict died Nov. 4, 2021.

On Oct. 10, 2021, at a bar in Crestline, Benedict and his friends got into an argument with people including Jacqueline "Jackie" Dawn Montgomery, 44, Crestline, her husband, Tim Montgomery, 50, Crestline, and a neighbor, Cameron Davis, 32, Crestline.

The group of friends had been drinking and a bartender eventually had stopped serving alcohol to some of the individuals, and eventually told them to leave the establishment.

Outside, an argument escalated to some shoving. Benedict shoved Montgomery when she tried to keep the men apart, and she shoved him back, according to police reports. He shoved her again, making contact with her face, and she fell backward, hurting her wrist in the process.

The police were called and sent everyone home, promising to investigate the case. Davis and the Montgomerys headed toward North Wiley, but saw Benedict on Union Street. Davis said he walked over to talk with him, but the two ended up fighting, according to court reports.

Davis said he walked away, but Tim Montgomery started beating Benedict. Initially Davis said it was only him beating Benedict, but once he realized Benedict was in a grave condition, he agreed to collaborate with authorities.

Each faced three murder charges.

Davis testified he agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and obstruction of justice and would receive a 20-year sentence, with the possibility of judicial release in 10 years.

Jackie Montgomery was found guilty by a jury on one charge of violent felony murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Tim Montgomery, Jackie's husband, was found guilty on two murder charges in a trial that ended Feb. 9. He was found not guilty of aggravated murder. He has been sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

Cynthia Jo Heath’s case

In another 2023 case, Robert Pinyerd, 41, Crestline, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering Cynthia Jo Heath of Crestline in February 2022. Heath, 47, died of three gunshot wounds to the head.

Heath was found dead in her home in Crestline Feb. 24, 2022. Pinyerd, who had been living with Heath and her 9-year-old daughter, was arrested the following day at a laundromat on Glessner Avenue in Mansfield.

Cindy Heath's older daughter, Haylee James, 30, testified during Pinyerd's trial, telling jurors how she found her mother dead on the floor of her home, her head surrounded by blood.

In addition to the gunshot wounds to her head, Heath had defensive wounds on the back of each hand and the back of the right wrist, her nose had been fractured, and there was a wound on the back of one elbow.

Heath was in the process of divorce with her husband and was in an on-again-off-again relationship with Pinyerd and communicated her fear of him earlier to her friends.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Three homicides make headlines in Crawford County in 2023