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Friday, October 23, 2009
Woman pleads guilty to sex charge involving boy
DAYTON — A woman accused of celebrating her 55th birthday by having sex with a 12-year-old boy pleaded guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition of a person under age 13 on Friday, Oct. 23.
Gloria J. Murphy, of 5440 Rawlings Drive, appeared before Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Katherine Huffman, who set sentencing for Dec. 2.
The charge is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Murphy, who uses a walker and an oxygen tube, appeared frail.
“I’m getting shook,” she said in a gravelly voice when she was confused by some of Huffman’s questions.
Murphy will be designated a Tier 2 sex offender. Her other charge, rape of a child under age 13, was dropped under the plea agreement. There is no agreement on sentencing. Assistant county prosecutor Joshua Muennich told Huffman that the victim’s family had approved the plea agreement.
Rape of a child under 13, a first-degree felony, is punishable by up to 10 years to life in prison.
“This defendant took advantage of a neighborhood child by providing him alcohol and having sex with him,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. said after Murphy was indicted in February. “
Dayton police arrested Murphy at 8 a.m. on Jan. 30 after the boy notified an adult he had sex with Murphy, according to police.
The encounter happened late Jan. 28 — Murphy’s birthday — and lasted into the early hours the next day, according to Dayton police. Murphy did not force the boy to have sex, but since he is younger than 13, it is considered rape, police said.
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Man sentenced to prison for his role in slaying at Nasru Fashions
DAYTON — Aaron Whitfield, one of four people charged in the 2004 robbery and slaying of a Dayton store owner, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery on Friday, Oct. 23.
Whitfield was to go on trial Monday. Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Katherine Huffman sentenced him to 16 years in prison, as specified in the plea agreement. An aggravated murder charge was dropped.
This was to be Whitfield’s second trial in this case. He was convicted of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery after a Sept. 2007 jury trial then sentenced him to 23 years to life. The Ohio 2nd District Court of Appeals reversed that conviction, stating that police violated his Miranda rights.
Three other people have already been convicted in the death of Mamadou Njie, 45, owner of Nasru Fashions, 1937 N. Main St.
Njie was shot several times during the Sept. 30, 2004 robbery attempt.
The shooter, Alexandre Pendergrass, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, and received a 23-year-to-life sentence. Pendergrass testified against Whitfield, whose role in the robbery was to distract Njie while Pendergrass entered the store.
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Two indicted in thefts from elderly relatives
DAYTON — Two people have been indicted in separate cases involving theft from elderly relatives they had power of attorney of, according to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr.
“The greed these defendants exhibited is appalling,” Heck said Friday, Oct. 23. The indictments were handed down by the grand jury on Oct. 15.
Cheryl Sorer, 48, of Cincinnati, was indicted on one count of theft of more than $100,000 from an elderly or disabled adult. She was also indicted on eight counts of forgery.
Sorer had power of attorney over a 93-year-old family member. During a four-year period, she took more than $115,000 from the victim’s bank accounts and Series E bonds, Heck said.
Steven Haggerty, 55, of Bellville, was indicted on one count of theft of more than $100,000 from an elderly or disabled adult and one count of attempt to commit grand theft of more than $25,000.
Haggerty had power of attorney over a 90-year-old family member. During a three-year period, he took more than $200,000 and attempted to close bank accounts containing about $79,000, Heck said.
Both cases are being prosecuted by prosecutor’s office’s Adult Protection Unit, headed by assistant county prosecutor Jennifer Heapy.
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Man who dragged police officer will spend eight years in prison
DAYTON — A man accused of dragging a Dayton police officer with his car will spend eight years in prison, under a plea agreement reached Friday, Oct. 23.
Gregory L. Walz, 53, pleaded guilty of all indicted charges, which included felonious assault on a police officer with serious physical harm, felonious assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and vandalism.
Walz will be sentenced on Dec. 2 by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Michael L. Tucker.
Walz’s trial was to start Monday. He faced a maximum of 26 years in prison had he been convicted of all charges at trial.
Walz was at the First Street Recycling Center on June 16 trying to cash in some brass fittings and copper when he was questioned by Detective Jamie Bullens. Walz hopped in his white Jeep Liberty and tried to take off. Bullens was dragged about 30 feet before Walz hit a wall.
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