Ohio’s Athens The conviction of Justin Anthony Pennington, 37, of Guysville, Ohio, who is serving a term of 27 years, 11 months to life in prison for a slew of violent offenses, including the 2021 murder of Blaine Sharpe, has been upheld by the Fourth District Court of Appeals.
A jury found Pennington guilty of two charges of felonious assault, breaking and entering, involuntary manslaughter, and murder. The court also determined that he had breached the conditions of his probation from prior convictions for identity fraud and receiving stolen property, which resulted in the resumption of a previously suspended jail sentence.
On June 13, 2021, Pennington attacked Sharpe at his house in Lodi Township, causing him to sustain fatal injuries. The Athens County Sheriff’s Office claims that Pennington later informed Sharpe’s daughter that her father had just been severely beaten and advised her to keep an eye on him. After being discovered unconscious on his doorstep, paramedics reported that Sharpe had suffered serious injuries, which ultimately resulted in his death at a nearby hospital.
Pennington used an aluminum baseball bat to attack Heather Irwin, another victim, on Fossil Rock Road shortly after Sharpe’s passing. The charges that finally led to Pennington’s life sentence were strengthened by this second assault.
The Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, which commended the appellate court’s decision to uphold the jury’s verdict, and the Athens County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and prosecution of the case.
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