BORDERLAND
Tiffin-area man pleads guilty to 2 Nov. murders
4/2/2014UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio — A Tiffin-area man pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder in the November shooting deaths of two people at the Carey Conservation Sportsman Association.
Richard L. Clark, Jr., 65, entered a guilty plea Monday in Wyandot County Common Pleas Courts to two counts of aggravated murder with gun specifications in the deaths of Roger Fredritz, 49, of rural Carey and Cynthia Hawkinberry, 49, of rural Tiffin. Ms. Hawkinberry was Clark’s former fiancee.
As part of the plea, the state dismissed three counts, including felony murder, kidnapping, and felonious assault.
Wyandot Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Miller said the assault charge involved a bystander who was “nicked by some debris” during the incident, and was dismissed with that victim’s consent.
Each aggravated-murder count carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving 20, 25, or 30 years, or life imprisonment without parole. The gun specification adds three years to each count. Sentences may be imposed consecutively.
Clark is to be sentenced May 7 and remained in the Crawford County jail Tuesday.