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Urbana man sentenced for death of 'Spiderman'

Teesha McClam/Chad Jordan, the first of three men convicted in the March 2008 death of Johnny Spiderman Sowers of Sidney, was sentenced to 8 years in prison in Miami County Common Pleas Court in Troy on April 27.

Staff photo by Teesha McClam Teesha McClam/Chad Jordan, the first of three men convicted in the March 2008 death of Johnny Spiderman Sowers of Sidney, was sentenced to 8 years in prison in Miami County Common Pleas Court in Troy on April 27.

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By Nancy Bowman, Staff Writer Updated 6:13 PM Monday, April 27, 2009

TROY — An Urbana man begged the family of Johnny “Spiderman” Sowers to believe he never intended harm, let alone death, to the Sidney man whose body was found along a Miami County road following a March 2008 snowstorm.

“If I could erase that night and take it away ... I would do that,” a crying Chad Jordan, 25, told Sowers’ family Monday, April 27, before he was sentenced to eight years in prison. “I never meant for him to be hurt. I’m so sorry for everything ...,” he said.

Prosecutors said Sowers, 54, known as Spiderman because of spider tattoos on his head and forehead, met Jordan; Ryan Smith, 30, and Christopher Harvey, 27, March 7, 2008, at a downtown Piqua bar. Sowers was last seen alive leaving the bar with the three when the bar closed early because of a snowstorm.

The men drove around drinking before Sowers was robbed of around $400, assaulted and left along rural Bausman Road. His body was found in snow March 11, 2008, by a passing motorist.

Defense lawyers said Sowers did not have visible injuries and the men thought he’d find a way home because houses were near where he was left behind. The county coroner ruled cold weather exposure led to a fatal heart arrhythmia.

“Chad left that night with the belief this was anything but a murder or a manslaughter ... because injuries were not present,” his lawyer Jon Paul Rion said. “There’s a tragedy here.”

Jordan pleaded to aggravated robbery and involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal. Smith, who made the same deal, will be sentenced Monday, May 4. A trial for Harvey is scheduled for May 5 before Judge Robert Lindeman. Smith and Harvey are from Piqua.

Sowers’ daughter and sister asked Lindeman to have no mercy on Jordan.

“He did not have mercy on my dad that night he left him there to die,” Chastity Sowers said.

“We can’t bring him back. It’s done ... He was a good, kind person,” sister Rebecca Sowers said. “The only thing I can say is don’t have mercy upon him.”

Lindeman said he could not comment extensively on the case because of the two pending cases. He noted testimony by Jordan’s cousin and a friend that Jordan’s life has changed since Sowers’ death. One said Jordan had matured, the other said the situation made him “wake up” to reality.

“Another individual’s life has been changed for the worse. I cannot ignore that,” Lindeman said.

He sentenced Jordan to eight years for involuntary manslaughter and six years for aggravated robbery. The sentences will be served at the same time. He could have received up to 20 years. Jordan was given credit for 225 days served in the county jail since his arrest in September.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2292 or nbowman@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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