BUCYRUS — Frederick Saunders, a Galion man accused of murdering his father, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday after agreeing to a plea deal.
Saunders faced an aggravated murder charge, kidnapping and tampering with evidence after an incident last September that left his father, Frederick Saunders Sr., dead. Autopsy reports indicated cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Had Saunders not taken the plea deal offered by the Crawford County Prosecutor, he could have faced 20 years to life in prison.
The plea deal included a change from aggravated murder to voluntary homicide and the tampering with evidence charge was also dropped.
That left Saunders with two first-degree felonies, amounting to a possible 22-year sentence. County Prosecutor Matt Crall said since Saunders did not have criminal record, the judge’s 20-year sentence was fair, and that it was still one of the court’s lengthiest terms levied.
“The attorney (Adam Stone) spoke with his client (Saunders) yesterday morning and he decided he was ready to take that step. Considering the 20 years in prison, that’s a pretty big step to take,” Crall said.
During a hearing Wednesday, Stone said Saunders, a military veteran, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and experienced a blackout during the incident that killed his father.
Crall said the plea deal did not include a provision regarding judicial release, colloquially known as an early release. However, Ohio state law says Saunders, and any prisoner, could be released after court approval once the prisoner serves 80 percent of the sentence.
Saunders’ wife, Marla Saunders, faces a complicity to aggravated murder charge, an unclassified felony, and a third-degree felony obstruction of justice charge. Though the allegations are connected to the same crime, her case is being tried separately.
Her trial was scheduled to begin in July but was postponed. According to court files, there was no request for a mental evaluation on Marla.
Richland Source reported in June that the couple would not consider a plea deal. Due to a gag order filed by Crall in late June, Stone declined to comment on Marla’s case. He was unavailable to comment on Frederick’s sentencing.
Crall said a jury trial for Marla has not yet been set.
