BUCYRUS—Brian Russell Jr., 29, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to an amended murder charge in the death of Brian Cole of Bucyrus last April.
According to allegations, the Bucyrus Police Department received a call to do a welfare check on Cole but did not receive an answer at the door and left the home.
The next day Russell himself and two other callers requested another welfare check.
Officers responded, and when there was no answer at the door, they forced their way into the residence and found Cole deceased from an obvious assault. Russell and his girlfriend were staying in the residence at the time.
According to Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall, the preliminary autopsy report from the Toledo Medical Examiner offered early findings.
Crall estimated that Cole suffered at least 16 blows.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold accepted an agreed-upon plea negotiation.
Russell pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree punishable with up to 11 years in prison, one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony punishable with up to eight years in prison, and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony punishable with up to 36 months in prison.
Judge Leuthold gave Russell 11 years in prison on the manslaughter charge, eight years in prison on the felonious assault charge, and 12 months in prison for the tampering with evidence charge, for a total of 20 years in prison.
Because Russell’s conviction falls under the Reagan Tokes law, the Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has the power to increase Russell’s sentence by up to 51/2 years based on security risks and behavior.