mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com
A Marietta man arrested in December 2019 and charged with 20 counts of rape was indicted again this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.
Richard Curtis “Rick” Decker Jr., 63, last known address of 708 Front St. Apt. 14, was initially arrested in December 2019,
Decker was charged with 20 counts of the first degree felony rape after a victim who is now more than 30 years old reported being raped by him from the ages of 5 or 6 to age 17.
He reappeared in court in July 2020, where Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi found him competent to stand trial.
Along with 20 counts of rape, he was also charged with the second-degree felonious assault of a 7-year-old girl.
At a Glance
¯ Crystal Burke, 41, was indicted on eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of rape.
¯ The rape charge is a first-degree felony, and the other eight are all third-degree felonies.
¯ She faces a maximum of 35 years in prison.
¯ Prosecutors say there were four victims, all around 14 years of age.
Source: Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Former Marietta Middle School coach Crystal Burke was indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury on one count of rape and eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Burke, 41, of 6625 State Route 60, Lowell, was initially arrested on six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
The 17-year-old juvenile accused of attempted murder of Devon Ours was bound over to Washington Common Pleas Court on Tuesday.
“Judge (Tim) Williams did find that there was probable cause to charge the juvenile with attempted murder as an adult,” confirmed Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil.
Williams is the probate and juvenile judge for Washington County.
“However, he is not yet indicted as an adult,” said Coil of the 17-year-old. “His case will now have to be presented to a grand jury just like any other adult.”
The juvenile is the third to face charges in an alleged assault on Feb. 12 which has Ours, of Marietta, recovering in Memorial Health System’s facilities.
mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com
The mother of a 2-month-old baby murdered last July was indicted this week for permitting child abuse and endangering children.
Marietta resident Megan Wiggins was charged with the first-degree felony permitting child abuse and the third-degree felony endangering children.
Ohio Revised Code 2903.15 states in part that no parent having custody of a child under 18 years of age shall cause serious physical harm to the child, or the death of the child, as a proximate result of permitting the child to be abused.
“It’s a first-degree felony if the child dies,” explained Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
The final defendant in the criminal case alleging attempted murder of Devon Ours did not appear before juvenile court for a hearing Wednesday.
Ours, of Marietta, is mending according to family members from injuries sustained during an alleged assault on Feb. 12.
Three individuals are accused of engaging in that attack with the two adults facing attempted murder charges amongst other felony indictments.
The third alleged assailant, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, is a minor who was scheduled to appear in Washington County Juvenile Court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether the 17-year-old would be tried as an adult alongside Steven Andrew Osborne, 19, of 529 Federal Road, Little Hocking; and Sierah Caldwell, 18, of 3719 Blue Knob Road, Apt. B, Marietta.