Trio gets prison time in attempted murder of a Sharon woman
Apr. 18—MERCER — Three people accused of conspiring to kill a Sharon woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in the shooting.
Thomas Emil Shank, 37, Cory Michael Blough, 18, and Kiwi S. Minich, 17, all of Sharon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder of the first degree. Shank and Minich received 6 to 12 years in prison and Blough received 5 to 10 years in prison in the Sept. 19 shooting of Ivory Daniels.
Police said Blough shot Daniels in the face. She was treated for her injury and survived.
A witness testified at the preliminary hearing that Minich and Blough were at her home in Sharon talking about killing Daniels.
The witness said Minich and Blough came to her home Sept. 14 because they were interested in getting a pet for Minich. The witness said that Minich wanted Daniels dead. The witness said Blough did not play a big part in the discussion, which lasted 40 minutes to an hour.
The witness said after she found out about the shooting, she reached out to Daniels, then called the police.
Sharon Detective Sgt. Ryan Chmura testified that he spoke to Shank about four times during the investigation. Shank ultimately said there was a conspiracy to eliminate Ivory Daniels and he was to unplug the security camera. Shank said they discussed different ways to kill her: slice her throat, give her pills or shoot her, Chmura said.
Chmura testified that Blough admitted to stealing his father's gun and using it to shoot Daniels.
Blough told Chmura that Minich let him into the house and directed him to a bedroom where Daniels was sleeping. Blough shot her in the face. Shank's role was to unplug the security camera and be in bed when the shooting was to happen.
Police responded at 2:06 a.m. Sept. 19 to Shank's and Minich's residence for a woman who had been shot in the face, according to a criminal complaint.
Daniels, who owns the home, is Shank's ex-girlfriend, police said. Daniels told police that she and Shank were separated but still lived in the same house. She said she was seeing someone else.
Daniels said Shank has fits of rage and is verbally and physically abusive. She said there were incidents in which she had feared for her life, and she believed Shank was going to harm her, police said.
Police said Blough told police he entered the house and shot the victim in the face and fled with the gun. Minich accompanied Blough to the house, let him in and directed him to the victim's bedroom where Daniels was sleeping, police said. Blough then shot Daniels in the face and Minich pushed Blough out of the home.
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
