Three suspects in Michael 'Mikey' Benedict beating death face multiple murder charges
The three suspects in the beating death of Michael "Mikey" Benedict each face life in prison after been indicted on multiple murder charges.
Cameron Everett Davis, 31; Timothy W. Montgomery, 49; and Jacqueline Dawn Montgomery, 43; all of Crestline, were arraigned in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday, Prosecutor Matt Crall said Tuesday morning.
"The court plans on assuring the public that this serious matter will be dealt with in a very serious way," he said.
Each of the three has been indicted by a Crawford County grand jury on a charge of aggravated murder and two different murder counts, he explained. Each charge is unclassified felony.
"In each of these, we also put 'or aided and abetted the others' in doing this," he said.
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Prosecutor explains charges
Aggravated murder is the "top non-death-penalty" charge in Ohio, Crall explained. Under Ohio law, it's defined as causing a death "purposefully, with prior calculation and design," he said. It is punishable by life in prison and up to a $25,000 fine.
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The two murder charges cite different sections of Ohio's criminal code. The first alleges each suspect did "purposefully cause the death of another." It's punishable by life in prison. The second relates to "causing the death of another as a proximate result of an offender committing or attempting to commit an offense of violence, in this case, felonious assault," Crall said.
"That's the offense of murder in a different section in the code of murder," he said." It's still an unclassified felony punishable by up to life in prison. The main difference is they have parole eligibility — that's not saying they're going to get parole — after 15 years."
Each suspect also faces a charge of felonious assault, a second-degree felony punishable by up to eight years in prison.
A jury could convict the suspects on all three murder counts, Crall explained.
"That would be a determination for the jury; however, it's only one set of conduct ... sentencing would be up to the judge," he said.
Bond remains $1 million for each, Crall said.
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Benedict died Nov. 4
Benedict, a 40-year-old Crawford County native, was found unconscious by Crestline police investigating a 911 report of a beating shortly after 2:20 a.m. Oct. 10.
Family members reported Benedict died and was revived at the scene, on Union Street between Wiley and Clink streets, then again after being taken to Avita Health System-Galion Hospital.
He was flown to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center for additional treatment. On Oct. 22, family members announced doctors had determined Benedict had suffered irreversible damage to three portions of his brain. He was moved to hospice care a few days later, and died there on Nov. 4.
The father of six lived in Carey with his longtime girlfriend, Taszia Waaland, though he had been staying with his mother, Karen Murr, in Bucyrus at the time of the beating.
After being charged with felonious assault, the Montgomerys were released on bail — angering Benedict's friends and family members, who have had multiple rallies and protests demanding "Justice for Mikey."
Within hours of Benedict's death, Crestline police took the Montgomerys into custody again on murder charges. Later that day, they had an initial appearance in Crawford County Municipal Court, where Judge Shane Leuthold set bond at $1 million for each.
With the indictment, the case moves into Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
ggoble@gannett.com
419-521-7263
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Suspects in Crestline beating death face multiple murder charges
