A Glouster man who allegedly murdered his father was arraigned in court Monday, pleading not guilty to an indictment of nine felony charges.
Paul J. Roberts, 41, has been incarcerated in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail since Oct. 18, according to jail documents, and was placed on a bond of nearly $1 million, up from $100,000.
Although the court set the bond at $950,000, the state requested that it be set at $1 million, according to a news release from Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn’s office.
Paul J. Roberts was indicted Oct. 28 for nine felony counts, including the aggravated murder of his father, Paul E. Roberts. He was also indicted for gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and grand theft of a vehicle.
His charges include stealing his father’s 2004 Jeep Liberty, John Deere riding lawnmower and a credit card.
Although Blackburn previously said that the case could be death penalty eligible, he said during an Oct. 28 news conference that his office does not have enough evidence at the moment to make that call.
He also pointed out the possibility of new charges arising throughout the investigation.
The elder Roberts was 63 and is believed by law enforcement to have been murdered around Oct. 4. His body was found nearly two weeks later in a well under the front porch of his 68 Locust St. residence.
An initial coroner report deemed blunt force trauma to be the cause of death, according to a previous Post article.Paul J. Roberts was originally scheduled for sentencing Monday for previous felony charges, which the state was prepared to proceed with had it not been for the defense requesting more time, according to Blackburn’s release.
He will appear in court for a pretrial hearing Nov. 20.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
@KellyPFisher
