A New Marshfield man charged with fleeing a murder scene represented himself in Municipal Court Friday afternoon, but he declined to cross-examine the only witness against him and failed to lower his $50,000 bond.
Judge William Grim decided not to lower bond for John W. Perry Jr., 23, of New Marshfield, who investigators say fled from a trailer where Donnie Putnam, 39, was fatally shot in the chest during a drug dispute.
Perry will return to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, where he will stay unless he can post the full $50,000.
After investigators issued a warrant for his arrest, Perry turned himself in April 1. He also brought investigators a 9mm pistol, believed to be the same gun he took from the crime scene - a trailer in New Marshfield where an attempted robbery led to the shooting death of Putnam. For taking the pistol, prosecutors charged Perry with tampering with evidence, a third degree felony punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Putnam was shot with a 9 mm weapon, said Keller Blackburn, assistant county prosecutor. Prosecutors will likely seek a grand jury indictment against Perry, transferring his case to the Court of Common Pleas.
On Feb. 15, Perry was inside a trailer owned by Bill Osborne when two cars pulled up outside, testified Lt. Bryan Cooper of the Athens County Sheriff's Office. Two 17-year-old men from Columbus, Abdifatah Abdi and Mahad Osman, approached the trailer door, and at least one was armed with a pistol.
From my understanding this was a planned robbery to take money
possibly drugs Cooper said.
While Abdi and Osman attempted to enter, a third man, Phillip Boler, watched the house through the scope of his .22-caliber rifle, according to court filings.
When Osborne resisted, a gunfight ensued. Cooper said he believed that Perry shot at Abdi and Osman with his pistol before fleeing.
At the hearing, Perry didn't speak about the night Putnam died. He decided not to question Cooper, asking only if his bond could be reduced. Cooper said, in an interview, Perry admitted fleeing the trailer to avoid arrest on an outstanding warrant.
Perry has two pending theft charges, each a first degree misdemeanor, and three convictions for disorderly conduct, a minor misdemeanor, according to court records.
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Dave Hendricks
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John W. Perry Jr., center, awaits a preliminary hearing in Athens Municipal Court Friday. Prosecutors charged Perry with a third-degree felony for fleeing the scene of a murder with a 9mm pistol.
