Sentencing set for slaying suspect s mom

8/1/2007

CANTON The mother of Bowling Green murder suspect Craig Daniels, Jr., is to be sentenced Aug. 31 on charges she hid her son from authorities in the days following the slayings of his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Castillon, and her boyfriend.

Colenne Daniels, 58, of Louisville, Ohio, pleaded no contest and was found guilty by Stark County Common Pleas Judge Charles E. Brown Monday of one count each of attempted obstruction of justice, a fourth-degree felony, and obstructing official business, a second-degree misdemeanor.

She was helping her son hide from police, and she knew he was on her property, and she knew he was in her house, Toni Schnellinger, an assistant Stark County prosecutor, said yesterday. We believe she was providing him with food and money and helping him evade law enforcement.

Craig Daniels, Jr., 34, was found hiding in a hole under a tree on his mother s property April 2 four days after Castillon, 30, and John C. Mitchell, 22, were shot to death in Castillon s Bowling Green home.

Identified in a 911 call by Castillon s 10-year-old daughter as the killer, Craig Daniels was the subject of an intensive manhunt and was subsequently indicted by a Wood County grand jury on two counts of aggravated murder and one count each of aggravated burglary and burglary. He is being held in the Wood County jail.

Ms. Schnellinger said Colenne Daniels s home had been under surveillance since her son s vehicle was found March 30 about a mile from her property. She said it appeared he had been hiding in the hole for awhile but had been in the house too.

There were indications he went in [the house] to shower, to do laundry, to get food. Food was missing, Ms. Schnel linger said. His clothing was found in the house. The keys to his truck were found in the house. Bullets were found in the house.

Colenne Daniels was indicted for obstructing justice, a third-degree felony that carries a possible prison sentence of one to five years.

As part of a plea agreement, the charge was amended to attempted obstructing justice, which is punishable by six to 18 months in prison.

Ms. Schnellinger said the fact that the fugitive Daniels was shielding was her son played into prosecutors decision to offer the plea agreement, as did her lack of any criminal history.

Jennifer Feehan