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CANTON – Jurors convicted Jason McDermitt of aggravated murder and menacing by stalking for last year s shooting death of Morgan Fox. Justice was served, Dennis (Barr) and Kristen (Mlinar) (prosecutors) did a phenomenal job, Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone said at the conclusion of trial.
McDermitt s trial began last week in Stark County Common Pleas Court and jurors returned Thursday morning to deliberate before reaching a verdict around noon.
Judge Natalie Haupt will sentence McDermitt on April 14. He faces a life term in prison. Justice for Morgan Ashlye Fox has been served, Fox s stepfather, Leo Pappas, said in a statement following the verdict.
CANTON – The case against Jason A. McDermitt now rests in the hands of jurors.
Closing arguments Wednesday afternoon capped McDermitt s aggravated murder and stalking trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court. McDermitt, 29, is accused of killing his 29-year-old coworker, Morgan Fox, in October.
Fox was found partially inside her vehicle in the driveway at her Plain Township home. She was shot twice in the head sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 2:15 a.m. Oct. 28 and discovered by her live-in boyfriend approximately four hours later.
Stark County prosecutors said their evidence is circumstantial but there is direct evidence that McDermitt was sneaky, stealthy and deceptive. They allege he drove to the area, parked in a neighbor s yard and then shot her death on a rainy night as she got ready to leave for work.
CANTON – Some big changes are coming to the downtown dining scene.
A new restaurant is opening. A longtime eatery is relocating. And two other local favorites are reopening under new management.
Jerzee s Cafe in Centennial Plaza should open by the end of this month.
Owner Chris Maggiore said he s planning a soft opening before the NFL Draft begins April 29. All that remains are some final touches to the cafe s appearance, technology and staffing. We want to open and do it right, Maggiore said.
The restaurant at 330 Court Ave. NW will have a scaled-down Jerzee s All American Sports Grille menu: burgers, wraps, salads, boxed lunches, pizzas and flatbreads. It also will feature Starbucks coffee and tea beverages and a small selection from Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Commentary: 2020 saw a harrowing spike in drug overdoses
Frank Forchione
The year 2020 will go down as the deadliest year in U.S. history for accidental overdoses, as the crisis rages on. Sadly, Stark County had a dramatic increase 130 people died from overdoses, a 26% increase from the 103 that succumbed in 2019.
In Ohio, the preliminary figures look grim. It is projected that fatalities in 2020 will increase by more than 20% and break the all-time record of 4,854 fatal overdoses set in 2017.
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that overdose deaths should surpass 81,000 in 2020, up from 68,000 the previous year.
The Stark County Coroner’s Office found itself overwhelmed, with an excess of bodies. An analysis of its records revealed that 63% of those who fell to these stealthy killers were male, in comparison to 37% female. However, the breakdown in age ranges was a bit surprising, with 34% of the deaths occurring between 30 and 40 years o