Travis Gast is charged with Aggravated Murder.
Gast was arrested in Mason County, Kentucky on May 5th in connection to the death of Miranda French (also known as Miranda Carpenter) on May 4th.
“Normally what happens when we pick up a fugitive in another state is they waive extradition,” said Brown County Prosecutor Zac Corbin. “Most of the time, inmates want to get things moving. It’s usually in their best interest.”
Gast, however refused to waive that process. Law enforcement had to get a more time-consuming Governor’s Warrant in order to for him to be brought back into Ohio for his trial. When asked why Gast would choose the lengthier option, Corbin responded: “I have no idea.”
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled to occur on August 18th, 2020 for one count of Aggravated Murder and one count of Murder. According to the report from an autopsy that took place in Frankfort, Kentucky, French died as a result of homicidal violence including strangulation and blunt force injuries to the head and body.
“That would tend to indicate some type of premeditation, the fact that you’ve got two different types of violence cited by the medical examiner,” said Corbin.
The combination of the autopsy report and witness statements led the Prosecutor to believe “that this was something that he thought through. It wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing.” The premeditated nature is key to landing an indictment of the first charge. “Aggravated murder includes a prior calculation and design,” Corbin explained.
Each charge carries the penalty of life in prison. A Murder conviction would allow the possibility of parole at 15 years. An Aggravated Murder conviction could forestall parole for 20-30 years or eliminate it entirely. Gast is currently being held by Brown County Sheriffs Department on a one million dollar bond.