Murder charges being sought against two youths accused in Hocking Hills State Park death

Hocking County prosecutor Benjamin E. Fickel has amended charges brought against two 16-year-old males in the alleged September 2nd homicide of 44-year-old Chillicothe photographer Victoria Shafer at Hocking Hills State Park.

In doing so, Fickel is also seeking to move the matter from the Hocking County Juvenile Court system to the adult Hocking County Common Pleas Court system. There the two youths would be tried as adults.

As a result also, Fickel named the two defendants: Jaden W. Churchheus and Jordan A. Buckley, both of Hocking County’s Logan. Each of the two accused youths remain incarcerated in the Multi-County Juvenile Detention Center in Lancaster.

Fickel’s new accusations for Churchheus and Buckley – made October 24th – includes the additional charge of murder, which is an Unclassified Felony punishable by up to life in prison.

Other new charges include Felonious Assault, a felony in the second degree and punishable by jail time from two to eight years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both; as well as Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony of the first degree and punishable by jail time of three to 11 years, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.

Churchheus has retained the service of Logan attorney Ryan Shepler while Buckley has done the same with Athens attorney K. Robert Toy. Both attorneys were in court on other matters at press time and thus were unable to comment.

Originally, the accused were charged in Hocking County Juvenile Court with Reckless Homicide, a felony of the third-degree, punishable by jail time of up to five years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

It is alleged the two youths caused a 74-pound, six-foot long log to strike and kill 44-year-old Shafer.

Investigators with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Hocking County Sheriffs Office say Schafer was standing about 75 feet below and on a staircase at Old Man’s Cave, located within 2,356-acre Hocking Hills State Park, when she was killed instantly by the log.

Hocking County assistant prosecutor Jorden E. Meadows said a preliminary probable cause hearing has been set for November 5th for both youths and before the Hocking County Juvenile Court.

Meadows said should the Hocking County Juvenile Court grant the prosecutor’s request, the case would than be turned over to the Hocking County Grand Jury for deliberation.

Asked how long that process would take, Meadows said “that’s hard to say.”

“We’ve never done this before,” she said.

Meadows said also the prosecutor's office was unaware of any prior criminal complaint of any nature involving either youth.

Working closely in the investigation with the Hocking County Sheriffs Department was the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Both entities are “wrapping up” their joint investigation, Meadows says.

“We appreciate the efforts of the investigators and support from the public over the past several weeks in seeking a resolution to this tragic incident,” also said Natural Resources Department Chief Of Communications Sarah Wickham.

“The case is now with the courts, and ODNR will continue being responsive to requests from the legal system as it proceeds.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

Going up: Ohio's to-date deer kill/harvest jumps eight percent over 2018 to-date number

Ohio’s archery hunters are helping to climb out of the deer-kill/harvest hole they found themselves in last season this time.

Based on to-date numbers supplied by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife, as of October 22nd, hunters have killed 21,263 white-tails. Last year the corresponding October 23rd to-date figure stood at 19,626 animals.

Thus, hunters have shot about eight percent more animal to-date this year. And looking at the week-to-week tally, the October 22nd figure likewise represents an increase deer kill of 5,994 animals over the previous October 15^th weekly to-date figure.

“It’s no surprise, even though we got off to a slow start this season, likely because of the warm weather,” said Mike Tonokovich, the Wildlife Division’s deer management administrator. “Last year, overall, really wasn’t a great deer-hunting year.”

Tonkovich said also that agency-compiled deer-hunting data showed that the average number of days a person spent in the woods “actually turned south” last year. From 2011 to 2015, Ohio hunters averaged 20 days pursuing deer. In 2018, that average fell to 15 days, Tonkovich said.

“So we’ll see if that is an anomaly at the end of this season,” Tonkovich said. “I will say that Ohio still ranks near the top in archery hunter participation, in large measure because of our liberalized crossbow hunting opportunities.”

In conjunction with this data, the number of Ohio deer hunters who said they archery hunted at least one day was 71 percent in 2018. However, that figure is down from the peak of 82 percent and as recorded in 2014, Tonkovich said.

“And quite honestly, I do not know why,” he said. “Aging out could a small part of it, or maybe it was just a bad season for many deer hunters. But I don’t want to read too much into this information, either.”

In looking at more detailed and localized data, about 50 of the state’s 88 counties have shown to-date increases of at least five percent each, also says Clint McCoy, the Wildlife Division’s lead deer biologist.

McCoy says as well that 13 counties have seen to-date declines of at least five percent. Meanwhile, 25 counties fall within the plus-minus five percent - “unchanged” deer kill/harvest – bracket, McCoy said.

Among the significant to-date gainers are Lucas County – up 44 percent (164 deer to-date this year verses 114 deer to-date in 2018); Belmont County – up 37 percent (224 deer verses 164 deer); and Hocking County – up 35 percent (314 deer verses 232 deer).

In that “unchanged” to-date category, says McCoy are such counties as Ashtabula (637 to-date deer this year verses 598 deer to-date in 2018); Erie – (identical 127 deer); and Harrison (297 deer verses 277 deer).

Among the significant to-date decliners are Lawrence County – down 31 percent (105 deer to-date this year verses 152 deer to-date in 2018); Union County – down 22 percent (110 deer verses 142 deer); and Scioto County – down 16 percent (161 deer verses 191 deer), McCoy says.

Still, overall, McCoy says Ohio’s to-date deer kill/harvest is “So far, so good.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com

SW Ohio man gets one week in prison for each of 200 illegal dumped scrap tires

Ronald Ison, 37, of Hillsboro in Highland County, will have the next four years to think about the consequences of dumping more than 200 scrap tires at various locations, including at the 3,465-acre Rocky Fork State Park and the 5,090-acre Paint Creek Wildlife Area.

Ison ultimately pleaded guilty to seven counts of illegal open dumping of scrap tires and one count of illegal transportation of scrap tires following an intensive multi-jurisdictional investigation. Ison also had to pay $730 to the local solid waste district for the cleanup cost.

Thus, Ison’s sentence October 17th by Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky A. Coss amounts to serving about one week in prison for each tire he illegally pitched.

The severity of Ison’s sentence stunned even officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife who were expecting jail time of about 60 days plus perhaps some community service.

The Wildlife Division worked the case after officers with the agency in Highland County were getting tips of tires scrap tires repeatedly being dumped along rural roads, said both Michele Welsh, law enforcement supervisor for the agency’s District Five (southwest Ohio) Office in Xenia, and her boss, Ken Fitz, the Wildlife Division’s law enforcement administrator in Columbus.

“We were fully impressed with that sentence,” Welsh said. “It should send a loud and clear message to others thinking of doing the same thing.”

Working closely with the Wildlife Division were officials with the Ohio Attorney General Office’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Environmental Enforcement Unit. It was Ohio Attorney General David Yost’s staff with this section that prosecuted the case against Ison.

Welsh, Fitz and Yost said Ison collected the tires from a junk yard dealer who was closing his business, making several trips to assemble about 20 to 30 tires at a time and then illegally pitching them from his pick-up truck. The illegal activity began in October 2017, the three law enforcement officials all said.

“There were seven dump sites,” Welsh said. “The junk yard dealer did say that had he known the tires were going to be dumped illegally he’d never had hired Ison.”

Welsh said also the junk yard dealer will not be charged as his involvement did not include any illegal activity.

Yost said the situation was so acute that in one instance, some of the tires Ison had discarded on a Paint Township roadway had “disabled a school bus that was transporting children, causing them to arrive late for school.”

“This guy created a public safety hazard, trashed the public’s land and then forced the public to foot the bill to clean up his mess,” Yost said. “This is where the rubber meets the road.”

Fitz says that while the Ison’s case involves a large quantity of illegally disposed material, such dumping is by no means rare. Wildlife Division technicians are all too frequently called upon to clean up trash that people toss along roadways bisecting wildlife areas, Fitz says.

“Usually it’s household goods and general trash, and we do investigate them all,” Fitz said. “But the issue can be a real problem at some of our wildlife areas.”

Welsh said also the problem seems to become more acute toward cities and larger communities where people are less inclined to drive some distance to a rural enclave to illegally dispose of their trash and junk.

“But this was the worst case I’ve seen in 10 to 15 years; it’s magnitude was huge,” Welsh said.

To help thwart illegal dumping the Wildlife Division works closely with its local and state law enforcement and environmental counterparts, Fitz said.

The agency also utilizes various strategies designed to record, investigate and ultimately capture those individuals engaged in such criminal activity, Fitz says as well.

“Our officers have made some really good cases,” Fitz said. 

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@Gmail.com

Extension asked in case against two youths for alleged homicide at Hocking Hills State Park

The Hocking County, Ohio, prosecutor’s office requested an extension October 16th in the matter of charges brought against two 16-year-old males in the alleged homicide of a 44-year-old Chilicothe woman at Hocking Hills State Park.

Unnamed because they are youths, the pair is alleged to have caused a 74-pound, six-foot-long log to strike Victoria Schafer, who was standing about 75 feet below and on a staircase at Old Man’s Cave, located within 2,356-acre Hocking Hills State Park.

Schafer was in the process of photographing several other youths for their graduation pictures when she was struck and killed instantly by the log, investigators with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Hocking County Sheriffs Department said.

Both youths are from Logan, also in Hocking County. They each were charged October 10th with reckless homicide. The charge is a third-degree felony and carries with it a fine of up to $10,000, jail time of up to five years, or both.

During a Hocking County Juvenile Court appearance the afternoon of October 11th, the two defendants each entered a plea of “denial” to the charges. In Ohio’s juvenile court system, youths do not enter pleas of guilty/not-guilty.

Subsequently, the two youths were remanded to the Multi-County Juvenile Detention Center in Lancaster where they remain.

An additional hearing is scheduled – tentatively set for October 22nd – in the Hocking County Juvenile Court though the Hocking County prosecutor’s office requested an extension, says assistant prosecutor Jorden Meadows.

“We are still collecting evidence pending (possible) further charges,” Meadows said.

Meadows says she also intends to discuss with Hocking County prosecutor Benjamin E. Fickel the possibility of transfering the charges to adult criminal court jurisdiction rather than keeping them in the juvenile court system.

That discussion is likely to occur within the next couple of days, Meadows said.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk4@gmail.com
JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Ohio pro-2A group uses turn-about fund-raiser with Beta O'Rourke's anti-AR rant

An Ohio-based pro-Second Amendment group is employing a clever turn-about catchphrase to combat Democratic Party presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s infamous “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15!” rant.

The Buckeye Firearms Association is hosting a “Hell, yes, we’re going to raffle off an AR-15” on-line raffle. Tickets cost $25 each and a maximum of one thousand tickets are to be sold.

The Association noted in its press release as to how “There are millions of law-abiding Americans who believe in something called the Second Amendment.’’

“And not only are we NOT going to let you take our AR-15s, we're NOT going to let you become President. Because anyone who would seek to so brazenly infringe on our rights doesn't deserve our votes.

“Furthermore, in honor of your visit to Ohio for the Oct. 15 CNN / New York Times Democrat presidential debate, we're going to raffle off a locally-manufactured AR-15. Are we serious?

"HELL, YES WE'RE GOING TO RAFFLE OFF AN AR-15!"

Up for grabs is a Faxon Firearms FX-5500 Ultralight AR-15 in 5.56 NATO with a 16" Barrel, weighing in at just 4.95 lbs. It includes a permanently attached 3-Port muzzle brake which meets the NFA 16" minimum barrel length requirement, 13” Streamline carbon fiber handguard, and a lightweight bolt carrier group.

Also included is a Franklin Armory binary trigger, a Magpul 60-round magazine, and 2 Mapgul PMAG Gen3 40-round magazines.

“Other goodies” include a Trijicon reflex sight, 300 Rounds of Federal ammo, a 5.11 back pack and rifle case, plus a "Brothers in Arms" shirt, some Black Rifle Coffee, and a couple mugs” with our warmest sentiments,” the release says.

The entire prize adds up to a retail value of $2,875.

Proceeds support Buckeye Firearms Association and Buckeye Firearms Foundation, “which will work tirelessly to relegate you and your condescending, radical, un-American ideas to the dustbin of history.”

The winning number will be determined by the Ohio Lottery’s Pick 3 drawing. You may purchase as many tickets as you want.

The raffle will end when all tickets are sold. The drawing date will be announced after the raffle has been officially closed. 

See complete rules and terms at the bottom of this page. Only Ohio residents age 21 and older may participate.

For further information, visit the group’s web site at www.buckeyefirearms.org.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

Jfrischk@Gmail.com

Details emerge on Hocking Hills State Park homicide charges with ODNR safety first agenda

(This breaking story is likely to be amended as further details and information becomes available. - Jeffrey L. Frischkorn)

A pair of 16-year-old males were each charged October 10th with reckless homicide in the September 2nd death of Victoria Schafer of Chillicothe after allegedly causing a 74-pound, six-foot long log to strike and kill the 44-year-old woman.

Investigators say Schafer was standing about 75 feet below and on a staircase at Old Man’s Cave, located within 2,356-acre Hocking Hills State Park, when she was killed instantly by the log.

The youths are from Logan in Hocking County. They were unnamed at press time due to their age and disposition of the case within the juvenile court system.

A charge of reckless homicide is the third-degree felony and carries with it a fine of up to $10,000, jail time of up to five years, or both. The charges may change, officials associated with the case have said as well.

In a statement made October 11th, Hocking County Prosecutor Benjamin E. Fickel said that three days earlier a tip from a caller was received by the Souther Ohio Crime Stoppers that “indicated that the one of the juveniles sent text messages to a classmate stating he had did (sic) something serious at the park with another juvenile.”

“Further investigation by (the Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office led them to the two juveniles in custody, who admitted that they were involved in forcing the log over the cliff,” Fickel said.

Fickle said also Natural Resources investigators “determined early on that the six foot log was pushed or thrown off the cliff.”

“Investigators spent countless hours following leads over the course of the past month, most of which were dead ends,” Fickel said.

It was the posting on social media by one of the accused youths that led investigators to the pair in connection with the alleged crime, Fikel said.

Fickel said Schafer was at Old Man’s cave with five high school students who were there for a graduation photo shoot.

Scahfer was a married, mother of four who ran her own photography studio. She stated on her official business web site – which was still operating as of October 11 – how “I'm a no-frills, less is more kind of photographer. My style is informal, fun and relaxed as I work to create images that cannot be created in a studio alone. I take the time to take the best candid-lifestyle portraits; the kind that can be cherished for years to come.”

Her obituary included how Schafer did candid photography for area first responders, and also was the Human Resources Director for the Chillicothe-based Petland pet store franchise.

Fickel and Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz both said her agency continues to lead the ongoing investigation. Among other agencies and groups involved with the effort are the Hocking County Prosecutor, the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, the Hocking County Coroner, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers.

“I appreciate the public’s valuable contributions to this case and the perseverance and determination of the investigators,” said Mertz in her prepared statement.

Ohio Natural Resources Department stress its safety first objectives for Hocking Hills State Park

With three fatalities – including one alleged homicide - thus far in 2019 at 2,356-acre Hocking Hills State Park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is offering assurances how the agency remains pro-active in protecting the visiting public.

The matter of visitor safety at Hocking Hills State Park become particularly relevant following the September 2^nd death of Victoria Schafer of Chillicothe. It is alleged that two 16-year-old males caused a 74-pound, six-foot long log to strike and kill the 44-year-old woman who was standing about 75 feet below and on a staircase at the park’s Old Man’s Cave.

At press time the pair have been charged with reckless homicide and are said to have admitted to the alleged crime.

In response to a series of questions posed by this writer, Natural Resources department chief of communications Sarah Wickman said the agency’s Natural Resource Officers assigned to the Hocking Hills region “regularly conduct enforcement patrols” at the park.

“Hocking Hills is one of the most heavily visited parks in the ODNR system,” Wickman said. “ODNR works to ensure that appropriate park staff and law enforcement coverage is maintained during both regular operations and special events such as holidays to address the needs of the park and the safety of our visitors.”

To illustrate, Wickman provided documentation of the Natural Resources Department’s on-going work at Hocking Hills. This documentation covers four areas: Public Safety Announcements, Signage, Fencing and Barriers, and Training of Natural Resources personnel.

Among some of the specifics include using stone work, steel cable, piping, wooden fencing and other materials to direct people to stay on designated trails and paths; training of staff in first aid and rescue; frequent use of unambiguous cautionary signage; meanwhile, the park’s new Visitors Center has a simulated trail that features signage and other information intended to stress personal safety.

As for the policing, management and removal of objects that could be used as projectiles along with the elimination of potentially hazardous dead limbs and trees from along trails, Wickman says the Natural Resources Department is active in that arena, as well.

“The Division of Parks and Watercraft works closely with the Division of Forestry in all state parks to remove dead trees and reduce potential safety issues,” Wickman said.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk4@gmail.com

Ohio's to-date deer kill-harvest up and encouraging over like to-date 2018 numbers

With computerized check-in numbers still in their very early reporting stage, the results of Ohio’s to-date deer kill is showing initial improvement over the corresponding 2018-2019 figures.

And the promise of a much better all-seasons’ tally is encouraging wildlife biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

In all - and as of October 8^th - the Wildlife Division’s on-line check-in deer-kill (harvest in agency parlance) stood at 8,599 deer, among which were 2,696 antlered deer. For the period ending October 10th, 2018 the figures were 7,072 and 2,160, respectively, and all but a tiny number performed by archery tackle.

Consequently, the gains recorded were 22 percent and 26 percent, also respectively, says Ohio Division of Wildlife officials.

All of which should – though by no means is guaranteed – bode well for the reminder of Ohio’s still very-long 2019-2020 all-seasons deer kill, says Mike Tonkovich, the Wildlife Division’s deer management administrator.

“I’m half joking when I say this, but a hunter may have to work hard at NOT killing a deer this year,” Tonkovich said with a chuckle.

To further illustrate just how much the early to-date deer kill fortunes have changed between 2018 and 2019, of Ohio’s 88 counties only 10 have posted declines. These counties were – and as of October 8th – Brown, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Meigs, Union, and Vinton. And none of these counties were off by any large value.

Of the gainers, among the significant ones (with their respective October 10^th, 2018 numbers in parentheses for comparison) were: Ashtabula - 286 (255); Geauga – 149 (110); Guernsey – 142 (112); Holmes – 254 (183); Knox – 192 (158); Lucas – 80 (43); Mahoning - 142 (97); Marion -39 (16); Putnam – 66 (28); Richland – 174 (132); Summit – 138 (89); Trumbull with the highest to-date deer kill – 336 (275); Tuscarawas – 238 (174); and Washington – 83 (47).

Tonkovich has several theories regarding the current to-date deer kill/harvest increase when laid next to its 2018 counterpart.

“What I can say is that we are in a better place than we were last year this time,” Tonkovich said. “We saw a larger carry-over of deer to this year that were not taken during the 2018-2019 season.”

Another key factor, says Tonkovich, has nothing to do with the number of deer inhabiting Ohio’s farms, forests, suburbs, and even swampland. Instead, the wet and cold spring resulted in the state seeing about one-third less field crops such as corn being planted, Tonkovich says.

“And we’re seeing an increase in the early harvesting of those crops, too,” Tonkovich says.

The translation is that with less standing corn out there the deer have fewer hiding places and less cultivated crops to dine on, Tonkovich said.

“So corn isn’t – and won’t be - an issue this season,” he said.

Oak mast might be a different matter, however. While surveys of several public hunting areas do suggest about two-thirds of the available red-black oak trees on them do have acorns, it appears these trees are bearing less mast, also says Clint McCoy, the Wildlife Division’s lead deer research biologist.

As a result, if Ohio’s deer kill-harvest trend continues than the all-deer-hunting-seasons’ final tally may very well reach 185,000 animals, up from last year’s 172,049 animals, says Tonkovich.

Also, last year the Wildlife Division issued 399,306 deer permits of all kinds, a drop from the 429,006 issued during the 2017-2018 deer-hunting season. The largest number of all deer-hunting permits issued by the Wildlife Division since at least the 20027-2008 deer-hunting season was the 624,908 documents issued during the 2009-2010 season. Not since before at least the 2007-2008 deer-hunting season has Ohio issued fewer than 400,000 deer permits of all kinds.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk4@Gmail.com