Top 10 stories: Mack convicted of murder after lengthy trial; Lex, Shelby open new schools

The News Journal is counting down the year's top stories. Today we look back at the opening of new schools at two districts and the biggest trial this county has seen in a number of years.

2. New schools for Lexington and Shelby

School started a little later than usual for Lexington and Shelby, but the wait was well worth it.

Both districts opened new schools on the day after Labor Day. Lexington has a building for grades 7-12, while Shelby has a new Pre-K-8 school.

Shelby Superintendent Tim Tarvin and Jeremy Secrist, his counterpart at Lexington, are thrilled with the results.

"The community as a whole is extremely happy with the new Pre-K-8 building and the entire campus, which includes our new athletic complex," Tarvin said. "Staff and students are ecstatic to be in the new building with its beautiful spaces and state-of-the-art technology.

Secrist said, "It was extremely exciting to start the year on time and to be in this beautiful new facility that the Lexington community agreed to pay for in November of 2018. I stated in early fall that it would take us a year to 'live' in the building, to begin to understand its possibilities, to grasp how the space will impact our daily activities, curriculum, policies and procedures and to make it feel like 'home.'''

Lexington voters approved 8.6-mill bond issue

District voters in Lexington approved an 8.6-mill bond issue for $55.95 million in 2018, with plans to replace the five buildings with two new ones. A Pre-K-6 building will be the next project in the coming years.

Lexington participated in the Expedited Local Partnership Program to get started on the combined junior/senior high school.

While the school opened on time, construction workers continued to be on site to finish some parts of the project. The front parking lot to the school was completed after Thanksgiving break.

"The building, while new and beautiful, finally has the feel of being lived in," Secrist said. "We are putting up our halls of fame, trophies and plaques, and we have been able to host a couple of community events and holiday music concerts.

"The final piece of making this place feel like home is being able to open it up to the community, and we are so excited about many more opportunities to host events and get parents, families and members of our community into this beautiful facility that has been provided to our students."

At Shelby, all students are now on one campus, which was a major goal of administrators. The high school opened in 2013.

Shelby collaborated with OFCC on new school

The district got the new school in a collaboration with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission that didn't require voter approval.

Residents did not have to contribute any money to the Pre-K-8 school project.

As in Lexington, construction work continued after the school opened. Students in grades 6-8 attended the middle school portion of the old building at the start of the school year.

They moved into the new portion in October, after which the district hosted a community celebration.

In addition to the new school, Shelby christened a new football stadium in the third week of the season after saying goodbye to venerable Skiles Field.

The Whippet Athletic Complex includes a new track, fields for baseball and softball and tennis courts.

"Wonderful things are happening in the city of Shelby, and the school district is just one aspect of the progress being made community-wide," Tarvin said. "The future of Shelby is bright, and the school district is thrilled and proud to be a part of it."

1. John Mack Jr. murder trial

John Mack Jr.'s trial, which started in late October and continued until almost Thanksgiving, was probably the area's biggest case since the trial of serial killer Shawn Grate in 2018.

Mack, 45, was convicted on all 17 charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with the death of his on- and off-again girlfriend Melinda Davis.

Brent Robinson, Richland County common pleas judge, sentenced Mack to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 20½ years.

"There is no effective rehabilitation that can be done with Mr. Mack," the judge said at sentencing. "I don't think it's possible."

An all-woman jury deliberated for 4½ hours before returning with guilty verdicts. They were offered counseling after the trial because of its traumatic nature.

Melinda Davis disappeared Feb. 25, 2021, and was never seen alive again

The case dated to Feb. 25, 2021, when Davis, 33, of Shelby, disappeared. She went to Mack's residence in the 500 block of Cliffside Drive to retrieve some personal items.

Davis was never seen alive again.

Her brutally beaten nude body was recovered on March 14, more than two weeks later, in the trunk of her car in an apartment complex on the western side of Columbus. The apartment complex was within walking distance of Mack's job at J.B. Hunt, where he worked as a truck driver.

Mack beat Davis to death. He is 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, while Davis was 5-1 and 133 pounds. According to an autopsy, the cause of death was blunt force trauma. Davis suffered a broken neck and bleeding on her brain.

Mack did himself no favors by testifying in a surprise move. On the witness stand, he made up a story, including an ex-girlfriend and son who apparently do not exist. Investigators could find no evidence of either of them.

Mack said the ex-girlfriend brawled with a jealous Davis.

"With his obnoxious testimony, he has demonstrated zero remorse for his actions," said Jodie Schumacher, first assistant prosecutor, at the sentencing hearing.

Before imposing sentence, Robinson said he believed Mack planned the murder by telling his niece, who was staying with him at the time, not be be home on Feb. 25.

"This is one of the most difficult cases that I've dealt with," the judge said. "Melinda suffered horrendous physical injuries at the hands of the defendant. She was literally beaten to death."

Following the sentencing, the sheriff's office hosted a press conference. Prosecutor Gary Bishop called the trial "one of the most complex litigation cases in the history of Richland County."

Sheriff Steve Sheldon provided evidence of that, saying the case involved 17 agencies and 7,000 hours of investigation.

Mack is an inmate at Allen Correctional Institution. He plans to appeal his conviction.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

Twitter: @MNJCaudill

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Murder trial makes headlines; Shelby and Lexington open new schools