Staff report
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The man charged with four homicides in Bucyrus that were discovered Sept. 1 and 2 will answer those charges next week in Common Pleas Court.
Donald Hoffman’s arraignment on a 21-count indictment handed down by the Crawford County Grand Jury on Sept. 8 is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. Sept. 15. Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall has indicated he will pursue the death penalty if Hoffman is convicted in the deaths of Billy Jack Chatman, Freelin Hensley, Gerald Smith and Darrell Lewis.
The indictment against Hoffman includes charges for aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felonious assault, and abuse of a corpse.
Hoffman’s bond set in Municipal Court by Judge Sean Leuthold on Sept. 4 is $10 million, $2.5 million in the deaths of each man. Leuthold also appointed Richland County attorney Rolf Whitney to represent Hoffman.
The Bucyrus Police Department is continuing its investigation, however no other arrests have been made and no other suspects have been named.