Marion man convicted of trying to kill police officer with machete to be sentenced Aug. 31
The sentencing hearing for a man convicted of trying to kill a Marion police officer with a machete has been delayed until the end of August.
A jury in Marion County Common Pleas Court returned guilty verdicts on four of the five charges originally filed against Teddy G. Thomas III, 32, Marion, at the end of a three-day trial on July 27. The jury found him guilty of one count of attempt to commit murder, a first-degree felony; one count of felonious assault, a first-degree felony; one count of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of inducing panic, a fourth-degree felony. The first two charges he was convicted of each have a repeat violent offender specification attached to them.
The jury returned a not guilty verdict on one count of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony. However, the jury chose instead to return a guilty verdict on the lesser included offense of burglary.
Thomas was accused of attempting to hit Marion Police Officer Caleb Rector with a machete during law enforcement's response to a domestic violence incident on Feb. 12, 2022, at a residence on Fies Avenue on the west end of the city. A woman with whom Thomas has three children and their oldest son called authorities to report that Thomas had attacked her, leaving her with bruises and swelling on her head. He also kicked her in the abdomen.
The sentencing hearing in that case had been scheduled for Monday, but defense attorney David Johnson and Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan each requested more time to compile information related to a hearing in the repeat violent offender specifications.
Judge Matthew P. Frericks granted their request and scheduled a hearing on that matter along with the sentencing hearing for Aug. 31. He informed them briefs related to the hearing on the repeat violent offender specification must be filed with his office by Aug. 28.
Grogan said the repeat violent offender specifications will apply to the attempted murder, felonious assault, and burglary charges of which Thomas was found guilty. Depending on the outcome of the hearing, he said Thomas could face an additional 20 years in prison.
Thomas remains incarcerated at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion.
Sentencing in unrelated case
Judge Frericks did pass sentence on Thomas in relation to a separate court case on Monday.
At trial, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on both felonious assault charges, but found Thomas guilty of domestic violence.
In his recommendation for a 180-day jail sentence, Grogan told the judge that the elder Thomas suffered lacerations to his head "which required sutures and left a permanent scar" at the hands of the younger Thomas during the incident. Grogan said the 180-day sentence "would be appropriate" for crime and asked that Thomas be given credit for the time he's already served.
Judge Frericks sentenced Thomas to 180 days in jail with credit for 180 days of time served for the jury's guilty verdict on the domestic violence charge.
Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion man convicted of attempted murder to be sentenced Aug. 31
