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Athens Co. Grand Jury Could See West Washington Shooting Suspects
By: WOUB Staff Writer
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ATHENS — An Athens County grand jury set to meet on Wednesday could be presented with the cases of five people connected to the death of a man in a shooting on West Washington Street.
Michael Allen Russell, 18, and Bernard Mitchell, 23, are both facing involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the death of Charles Duncan, Sr., 55, of Logan.
Mitchell is also facing a robbery charge in the case. Robert Martin, 26; Jonathon Champe McLaughlin, 23; and Troy A. Vermillion, 28, were all charged with burglary for allegedly going to a Glouster home and stealing four firearms the day before the shooting.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said investigators are considering the burglary charges connected to the shooting, but they are still looking into the exact roles the men allegedly played in the incident.
Blackburn confirmed the grand jury will meet Wednesday, the same time the men are scheduled to appear in Athens County Municipal Court for preliminary hearings. Typically, felony cases are bound over to Athens County Common Pleas Court, meaning they are taken from municipal court and prosecuted in common pleas.
The defendants must first be indicted by a grand jury, or waive formal grand jury proceedings, meaning the prosecutor can move forwarded with filing the charges in common pleas court without a grand jury indictment.