By Kathy Laird
The last two defendants in an aggravated burglary case that included restraining a mother and her children were sentenced on this week in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
Jacob W. Bayes, 31, of Mansfield, and Margaret Fife, 36, of Bucyrus, faced Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold to accept a plea deal for their roles in the crime.
Bayes pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated burglary and one count of domestic violence on Thursday. He appeared in court with his attorney Joel Spitzer.
Bayes and co-defendants Robert Hardesty and Fife broke into a home occupied by Gabrielle Martin and her three children with Bayes on Sept. 11, 2017. Angry and jealous of Martin’s new relationship, Bayes devised a plan to lure Martin out of the house, hold her hostage, kill her new boyfriend and then kill her. Hardesty knocked on the door to lure Martin outside. When she did not answer, Bayes kicked the door in and took Martin by force while Hardesty held her boyfriend at bay, unable to help her. Martin and Bayes’ young daughter hid in the closet as the events unfolded. According to police reports, Bayes told Martin he was going to make her watch him kill her boyfriend and then kill her. A neighbor heard the commotion and contacted the Crestline Police department.
“We are thankful for good Samaritans who called police, preventing this aggravated burglary from becoming a potential murder scene,” Assistant County Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said.
When officers arrived at Martin’s residence, both Hardesty and Bayes were still in the house, even though their lookout, Fife, had texted them to tell them the police were on their way.
During victim impact statements, the 12-year-old daughter of Martin and Bayes described her terror as she hid in the closet believing that these men were killing her mother.
Leuthold called her a “brave young woman.”
When Martin took her turn to speak, she turned towards Bayes.
“I gave you your children. I supported you. I provided a home for our family,” Martin said. “You lied and cheated on me. You were In and out of prison and I kept on forgiving you, hoping you would wake up and see what you had with your family and me.”
Martin then described how her daughter thought she was being killed and that they live with this nightmare every day.
“No, you didn’t kill my body on Sept. 11, but you killed my soul,” Martin said through tears.
Leuthold, obviously moved by Martin’s statement, told her not to blame herself.
Leuthold had the actual quotes from the police reports read into the record to make clear the severity of Bayes’ intentions that night.
As he sentenced Bayes to 13 years in prison, Leuthold said, “You have a lot to make up for but understand this, forgiveness may be down the road for you from them, but this court will not forget what you have done. Don’t come back into this county and ever think you can do this again.”
Bayes will receive credit for jail time served.
Fife pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary after she assisted Bayes and Hardesty as they broke into Martin’s home. She was sentenced to four years in prison
Fife was essentially the lookout and getaway driver.
Martin addressed Fife in court.
“You were my friend. My children thought of you as Aunt Margaret,” Martin said. “I have lost the father of my children, my best friend, and my children’s aunt. Yet you sit there and smile thinking this whole thing is funny. How can you do this to people you say are your family.”
Before sentencing, Leuthold asked both Prosecutor Hoovler and Attorney Tom Nicholson if they had anything to add. Hoovler pointed out to the court that Fife needed to understand that if she’s going to be in the presence of criminals and help them commit crimes, she will be charged too.
Nicholson asked the court to follow the agreed plea deal noting, “My client can’t seem to get a boyfriend unless he has an F-1 (first-degree felony) on his record.”
When asked if she had anything she wanted to say, Fife declined to comment.
Before handing down her sentence, Leuthold noted that he was moved by the victim impact statement and did not know that they knew one another prior to this event.
“I hope you realize Ms. Fife, that in this county we respect the second amendment and there’s a good possibility that if there had been a gun owner in the home, you all might be dead…and rightfully so,” Leuthold said.
Fife will receive credit for jail time served.
Hardesty was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Oct. 30.