Murder suspect retains insanity plea

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Although he has been found competent to stand trial by two mental health professionals, accused murderer Shawn Jones maintained his request to maintain his plea of not guilty by reason of insantiy during his final pretrial conference Wednesday. Jones requested that Van Wert County Common Pleas Judge Charles D. Steele include the insanity plea along with a regular not guilty plea for his jury trial, scheduled to start Monday, August 8.

Jones was first found competent by Court Diagnostics & Treatment Center in Toledo, which handles competency cases for area courts. However, Jones’ attorney, Scott Gordon, then requested – and was granted – a second opinion, so to speak, on Jones’ mental fitness to stand trial.

A second mental evaluation, performed by Jeffrey Smalldon, Ph.D., of Columbus, also found Jones to be mentally capable to stand trial for the murder of his 83-year-old grandmother on October 1, 2010.

Jones remains incarcerated on a $500,000 cash bond.

Also Wednesday, a former local nurse was sentenced for allegedly fondling a patient in January at a local medical facility where he was working.

Douglas G. McNeal, 52, of Delphos, was sentenced to 60 days in jail on a charge of sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor, and was also classified a Tier 1 sex offender by Judge Steele, meaning he will have to register with the sheriff’s department where he works and lives on an annual basis.

McNeal was also fired from the facility after officials learned of the incident. The victim in the case was also in court and spoke briefly about the incident, which she said “…changed my life.”

The woman, who called herself a survivor, said she is working to rebuild her life after the incident and accepted an apology from McNeal, who would not look at her during the hearing. As part of the plea negotiation, the former nurse agreed to give up his medical license in exchange for reducing the charge against him from gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony offense, to the misdemeanor count.

A Quincy man was sentenced to up to six months in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima on a fifth-degree felony charge of possession of drugs.

Danel S. King, 39, was found in possession of drugs during a traffic stop by a trooper from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

A Van Wert woman with a history of domestic violence was given a 180-day jail sentence on a first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence count.

Adrian Mileto, 27, also received credit from Judge Steele for 117 days already served while awaiting sentencing. The woman was charged with felony domestic violence for causing harm to a family member back in March.

Judge Steele told Mileto that the adult probation department and her attorney, John Hatcher, are attempting to find a place for Mileto to live and, if that happened, she could possibly be released from jail early.

In another domestic violence case, Scott B. Chesbro, 29, of Van Wert, was given a year of community control on a first-degree misdemeanor charge of domestic violence.

According to Van Wert police, Chesbro assaulted his wife on May 21 during a domestic disturbance. Judge Steele ordered Chesbro, who is currently in a treatment program, to continue the program and also to take all medications prescribed by his doctor.

Justin Taylor, 26, of Van Wert, was given three years of community control on a charge of possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree.

According to city police, Taylor allegedly had Vicodin in his possession on August 12, 2010, when officers were called to his residence on an unrelated matter. Taylor told the judge that he has been involved in a treatment program for some time and wanted to continue the program, which would allow him to stay employed and support his family.

Judge Steele did order Taylor to spend 30 days on electronically monitored house arrest, undergo a substance abuse assessment and complete any treatment programs recommended.