Smith sentenced to life in prison for aggravated murder

Sherman Ralph Smith, 66, of Mt. Orab was sentenced to life in prison for aggravated murder in relation to a shooting that took place March 30, 2022.

Smith was indicted on April 7, 2022 on one count of aggravated murder (uclassified felony), one count of murder (unclassified felony), two counts of attempted murder (first degree felonies), and one count of felonious assault (second degree felony) after shooting and killing his uncle, Jay Smith, 76, of Cincinnati, and shooting at another uncle (Ervin Smith, 73) and missing on the evening at the property located at 5040 State Route 286 in Mt. Orab. According to the court records, a Charter Arms .38 special revolver was specified as the weapon used in the shooting.

Smith appeared in the Brown County Court of Common Pleas for a trial by jury from Sept. 18-21 of this year. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury rendered a guilty verdict on all five counts in the indictment and specifications involving a firearm and forfeiture of a weapon on each count.

On Oct. 16, the defendant was brought before Brown County Common Pleas Judge Scott T. Gusweiler for sentencing. Judge Gusweiler sentenced the defendant to life in prison for aggravated murder, with parole eligibility after serving 20 full years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, to be served consecutively to the confinement of three years for the firearm specification. It was found that the murder sentence on count two of the indictment merges with the sentence for aggravated murder.

For attempted aggravated murder, Smith was sentenced to an indefinite prison term of a minimum of four years and a maximum of six years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, to be served consecutively to the confinement of the three-year sentence for the firearm specification and to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for aggravated murder.

The sentences for attempted murder and felonious assault merge with the sentence for attempted aggravated murder. The court further ordered the forfeiture of a charter arms .38 Special Revolver to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Smith was notified that post-release control is mandatory in his case for two to five years as to the attempted aggravated murder sentence.