Tipp City man gets 15 to life for murder committed while off his meds

Credit: Miami County Jail

Credit: Miami County Jail

A Tipp City man pleaded no contest Monday and was found guilty of murder in the September death of his father’s longtime girlfriend and sentenced to an indefinite prison term of 15 years to life.

Joshua Kerg, 33, was not taking his mental health medication at the time of the April 27 attack on Sheila Davis, 67, Judge Stacy Wall said during a hearing in Miami County Common Pleas Court.

Wall noted that there were “issues” before the attack on Kyle Drive in Tipp City, again when Kerg was not taking the medication. “At some point, there has to be accountability,” she said.

Kerg declined comment before the sentencing.

Wall said she had received numerous letters from people who described Davis as a “caring” woman who was “full of life.” All who wrote expressed shock at what had happened, she said.

Two men who said they knew Davis attended Monday’s hearing but did not speak.

Police said Kerg and Davis were engaging in a verbal altercation when he grabbed her by the waist and carried her to the front lawn, where he punched her with his bare fists until she was unconscious. She remained in a coma after the attack until her death Sept. 27.

Before the death, Kerg had pleaded no contest and was found guilty of felonious assault. Davis died before he was sentenced.

The murder charge and the felonious assault charge were merged for the purpose of Monday’s sentencing. The sentence for murder was the mandatory 15 years to life. Kerg will receive credit for 259 days spent in jail since his arrest.

Wall told Kerg he could be eligible for parole after serving 15 years, but that decision would lie with the parole authority.

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