Murder suspect again found competent

Van Wert independent/CP Court information

A second competency hearing for a man accused of killing his 83-year-old grandmother turned out the same as the first: Shawn Jones will be standing trial on a charge of murder after a Columbus psychologist also found him mentally competent.

Van Wert Common Pleas Judge Charles D. Steele again found Jones competent during a hearing held Monday morning.

That was also the verdict on January 5 when Judge Steele first found Jones competent following an evaluation by Court Diagnostics & Treatment Center in Toledo. However, Jones’ attorney, Scott Gordon, requested – and was granted – a second opinion, so to speak, on Jones’ mental fitness.

A second mental evaluation was conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Smalldon, Ph.D., of Columbus, who also found Jones to be mentally capable of standing trial for the October 1, 2010, murder of his grandmother.

Judge Steele tentatively scheduled a trial in the matter for March 14-18, although Gordon said he has a number of motions he will be filing in the immediate future in connection with the case.

Jones remains in the Van Wert County Correctional Facility on a $500,000 cash bond.

Also Monday, a former soldier charged with sex crimes changed his plea after efforts to get his confession thrown out were unsuccessful.

Cody Markward, 20, of Van Wert entered guilty pleas to one count of dissemination of matter harmful to juveniles, a fourth-degree felony, three other, lesser counts of attempting to disseminate matter harmful to juveniles and two counts of importuning. The three attempting to disseminate counts and the importuning counts are all fifth-degree felony offenses.

Markward was arrested following an investigation by the County Sheriff’s Department into allegations that Markward, who was serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq at the time, was sending pornographic materials to juveniles and also soliciting sexual activity with them.

The former soldier faces a maximum of 6½ years in prison and a fine of up to $17,500 in connection with the charges.

A presentence investigation was ordered by Judge Steele, who scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 30.

Two other men were arraigned Monday on indictments handed down by the county grand jury.

Leonard L. Lash, 45, of Lorain, pleaded not guilty to a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a third-degree felony because of Lash’s previous drunk driving convictions.

Lash, who had previously entered a similar plea to drunk driving charges in Van Wert Municipal Court, as released on a $5,000 cash bond, along with a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond.

A pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 15.

Andrew Taylor, 25, of Elida, entered not guilty pleas to two separate indictments charging him with forgery and possession of drugs, both felonies of the fifth degree.

He was release on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference set for 8 a.m. March 15.