Canton man expected to get 18 years to life for killing boxer in 2022

CANTON ‒ Shaun M. Cunningham is expected to be sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for the 2022 shooting death of Travis L. Charles.

Jurors found him guilty of murder and felonious assault on Friday morning following a trial that began Monday before Stark County Common Pleas Judge Chryssa Hartnett. He was also found guilty of using a gun in the crimes.

Cunningham, 49, was charged in connection with the death of the 31-year-old professional boxer on Oct. 25, 2022. Charles was shot in the back of the head.

A murder conviction in Ohio brings a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 15 years for murder. A mandatory three-year sentence for the gun specification means he won't be eligible for release until he has served 18 years. The prison time for felonious assault is expected to be ordered to be served at the same time as the murder sentence since both crimes occurred as part of the same conduct.

What happened to Travis L. Charles?

In closing arguments on Thursday, Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Megan Starrett said there is no dispute that Cunningham shot Charles at the defendant's home in the 1200 block of 16th Street NW in Canton. Charles had gone there to pick up his child, but was unsuccessful. He was shot when he was leaving the home, Starrett said.

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Defense attorney Rick Pitinii argued that Cunningham shot Charles in self-defense. He said his client feared for his life because he was using an ileostomy bag to collect intestinal waste, and a punch from Charles could have sent toxins back into his body with fatal consequences.

Addressing the defendant's claim of self defense, Starrett said neighbors sitting at their bedroom window heard no threat of violence.

She said that when Charles went to Cunningham's house, he knocked on the door and asked for his child,

"Shaun says, 'No,' shuts the door," Starrett said. She said Charles became angry, banged on the door and kicked it once. She said a 911 call recording played for the jury showed that Cunningham was angry, too.

"He was furious. He had his gun ready," the prosecutor said. "His testimony is he got that gun before Travis even got there. He's not afraid of Travis. He said he wasn't in fear. He was not scared when he was in that house."

Starrett said Charles left to go to his car, which was parked behind the house.

She said Cunningham's wife called 911 to say Charles was lying in the yard.

"She doesn't say, 'Travis is threatening to kill everybody.' You know what she does say, though? She says, 'You need to get here before my husband does something.' Not before Travis does something, before Shaun Cunningham does something. And you know what? He did do something. He opens that door and he shoots Travis in the back of the head."

Travis Charles didn't have a gun; Shaun Cunningham did

Starrett said the victim had no weapon.

Pitinii, the defense attorney, asked jurors to put themselves in Cunningham's place, with the knowledge that he had at the time of the incident. He said Cunningham knew Charles was a professional boxer who could have killed him with a punch.

"He doesn't need to be armed to cause him great bodily (harm)," Pitinii said.

The defense attorney said his client had the right to defend himself in his own home.

"This is all about standing your ground," Pitinii said. "We all have the right to do exactly what happened here. We all have the right to stand our ground. He was in his home."

He said Cunningham had no way to know Charles was unarmed. He said Charles kicked the door of the home and cracked the door jamb.

"We'll never know Travis's side of the story because Shaun has silenced him for life," Starrett said.

After the verdict, Stark County Prosecutor Kyle L. Stone issued this statement: “Children unnecessarily lost their father at the hands of Mr. Cunningham. We believed he was guilty and we (are) grateful to the jury for affirming what we knew was right. Justice has been served on behalf of Mr. Charles and his family."

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.

On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Shaun Cunningham convicted of murdering Travis Charles in Canton