LAGRANGE — The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and Lorain County Metro Parks Rangers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the Friday death of an Elyria woman.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said Quishawn Johnson, 31, died of an apparent drowning that is under investigation.

Police were called to the Carlisle Reservation Duck Pond picnic area shortly before 6 p.m. after reports that a woman was in the pond and a man with her drove off.

Members of multiple fire departments and dive teams came to the park to search for the woman she was pulled out of the water at 6:34 p.m. By 6:55 p.m. an ambulance transported Johnson to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center.

Lorain County sheriffs Detective Sgt. Randal Koubeck said police are trying to determine how Johnson went in the water and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

She was in the water for about 90 minutes and when the Carlisle Township Fire Department transported her to the hospital a faint heartbeat was detected prior to her death at 7:36 p.m.

“At this point we know she went in the water, but we don’t know what happened before that,” Koubeck said.

Lorain County Metro Parks Chief Ranger Paul Hruby said the picnic area is under video surveillance, and detectives will view the footage to see if it offers any details.

Hruby said the man with Johnson at the park is believed to have been a friend and he said the man was being questioned at the Sheriff’s Office on Friday night. He added that two witnesses at the scene said they didn’t see any signs of a struggle between Johnson and the man.

Lorain County Metro Parks Director Jim Ziemnic said the man called 911 to report the incident.

Hruby said police are talking to the man to determine why he left the park and what he and Johnson were doing prior to her drowning.

“All we know at this time is that they came to the park together and they knew each other,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Office declined to give the name of the man being questioned Friday night.

Johnson’s grandmother, Charlotte May Jackson, was called to the park shortly before Johnson was taken to the hospital and said she didn’t know who might have been with her granddaughter at the park.

Jackson said Johnson did not visit the park on a regular basis to her knowledge, and she has questions about what happened.

“I saw her this morning before I left for work,” Jackson said. “She comes in and out all the time. As far as I know she could swim and I’m wondering why she was out here.”

Ziemnic said cameras were installed at the park about four years ago when new restrooms were built.

Ziemnic said cameras were not specifically installed as a result of a previous incident in which a woman was shot and abducted in the park in 2008. He said the video footage should aid police in their investigation.

In the 2008 incident, a 43-year-old mother of three was shot in the back while hiking, abducted, shoved into a trunk and dumped off of Oberlin-Elyria Road after being sexually assaulted.

The abductor, Matthew Plas, was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2009 after the attack that left her paralyzed from the waist down.

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KRISTIN BAUER | CHRONICLE
A photo of Quishawn Johnson, of Elyria, is held by her sister, Enjole Davidson, outside of their family’s Elyria home.

ELYRIA — While sitting around a dining room table Saturday at a family home on Middle Avenue, the sister, brother and mother of Quishawn Johnson questioned how she ended up drowned in a pond.

Johnson, 31, died Friday after being pulled out of the Carlisle Reservation Duck Pond, and the circumstances surrounding her death are under investigation.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said an autopsy performed Saturday ruled Johnson did drown, but more tests will be performed to rule anything else out.

Johnson’s family said they can’t understand what she was doing at the picnic area with a man whom they described as a family friend.

Johnson, the mother of four girls between the ages of 6 and 12, feared water, didn’t swim and never visited the Duck Pond, family members said Saturday. In fact, Johnson would tease family members if they said they were planning on going to the Duck Pond.

Johnson’s mother, Gladys Glover, remained strong Saturday while remembering her daughter. She described Johnson as a loving mother and great cook who enjoyed spending time with family.

“She loved her kids — her girls were her life,” Glover said. “She had a loving spirit and always wanted to help people.”

At one point, Glover’s face went blank as she thought about how this weekend was supposed to be.

“I talked to her yesterday and we were going to drive to Fligner’s today to get our food for a Labor Day picnic,” Glover said while fighting back emotion.

Other family members talked with Johnson earlier in the day Friday and their discussions centered on getting together later that evening.

Glover said there also was an odd exchange between Johnson and one of her daughters, who called her mother about 2:45 p.m. The exchange has the family questioning whether Johnson was in distress while with the man who left her in the pond before rescuers arrived.

“Her daughter called and she told her daughter she couldn’t tell her where she was,” Glover said. “She never tells her kids something like that. She’s always there to get them, and if she’s not she always tells someone to get them for her.”

Johnson’s sister, Enjole Davidson, and her brother, Quion Johnson, said their sister’s fear of water was obvious. If family members were swimming in a pool she never got in, they said; she always just opted to dip her feet in the water.

Davidson said Johnson also was quite the hairstylist, opening up another perplexing question about why she was in the pond.

“We wear weaves and we don’t jump into water,” Davidson said. “We just don’t do it. Weaves cost a lot of money and it can easily come out with water. She had just had one done a few days ago.”

Johnson’s family hopes a police investigation yields answers. Glover said her emotions right now balance between sadness at the loss of her daughter and anger toward the man she was with.

“He just left my baby,” Glover said.

Quion Johnson said he believes his sister and the man she was with got into some sort of an argument, and he cannot fathom his sister ever jumping into a pond by choice.

Police questioned the man Johnson was with Friday, but no one at the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office could be reached Saturday to ask about the scope of those questions.

The man is being held at the Lorain County Jail on a contempt of court charge from an unrelated incident.

Although Johnson’s family provided the man’s name, police haven’t charged him with any crimes, and the detective handling the case couldn’t be reached to confirm whether charges are pending related to Johnson’s death.

The man was a family friend from the neighborhood whom they’ve known for years, Johnson’s family said, but that friendship has come to an abrupt halt.

“He was cool up until this point,” Quion Johnson said. “I just don’t understand what went wrong.”

Davidson said questions remain about what happened in the hours and minutes before her sister’s death.

“Justice needs to be served because my sister did not kill herself,” she said. “She would not take her life from her kids.”

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CARLISLE TWP. — The Sept. 4 drowning death of Quishawn Johnson in the Duck Pond at Carlisle Reservation has been ruled an accident.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans issued the ruling Wednesday and county sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Randal Koubeck said the investigation into the 31-year-old mother of four’s death will be closed. The Johnson family declined comment Wednesday.

Koubeck said a review of videos of the scene and other evidence gathered in the case indicates that Johnson, whose family has said she didn’t know how to swim, went into the pond on her own. The pond has an incline of around 3 to 5 feet near the edge but drops to 9 feet away from the shore.

Evans also said Johnson had a high level of alcohol in her system as well as marijuana and tranquilizers.

Although he said the official cause of death was drowning, the alcohol and drugs were a contributing factor. Evans said those substances might have affected her decision to enter the water even through she couldn’t swim.

“I definitely think it contributed to it, but it wasn’t the cause of it,” he said.

Johnson was with a 53-year-old man at the time she entered the water and although her family has voiced suspicion over what happened, Koubeck said it doesn’t appear the man did anything to force her into the water.

By the time emergency responders arrived, Koubeck said, the man, who has previous criminal convictions and had outstanding warrants at the time, had left the scene, but summoned the help of two other people before he did so.

The man told deputies he didn’t enter the water because he felt he would have endangered himself.

“He knew his abilities in the water, and he probably would have gone under, too,” Koubeck said.

After the man left, he contacted Johnson’s family and called 911 to report what was happening, he said.

The investigation, Koubeck said, will be forwarded to prosecutors for review.

Allegations that Carlisle Township Fire Chief Kevin Dembiec pushed and threatened to throw fire Lt. Richard Willard Jr. in the pond after Johnson was pulled from the water by a dive team are being investigated by Lorain County Metro Parks rangers and township officials.

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ELYRIA — The trial of an Elyria man facing involuntary manslaughter and endangering children charges for his alleged role in the death of 2-year-old Demarius Boone three years ago began Monday with jury selection.

Timothy Walton-Kirkendoll

Evidence against Timothy Walton-Kirkendoll, 23, is expected to be presented beginning this morning when the trial resumes.

Walton-Kirkendoll was watching the 33-month-old boy for his girlfriend when Demarius consumed alcohol and suffered blunt force injuries that led to his death, according to prosecutors in the case.

An autopsy determined that Demarius had a blood-alcohol level of 0.45 percent, nearly six times the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent for adults. Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans previously has said that level of alcohol could be fatal even in an adult.

Evans has also said that the boy suffered blunt force injuries to his neck and back, which caused internal damage and at least one fractured bone.

Demarius’ mother called 911 about 10:45 p.m. Oct. 12, 2012, while she was on her way home. In a recording of a conversation between Walton-Kirkendoll and a dispatcher, he can be heard telling the dispatcher that the toddler smelled like liquor and had probably gotten into something.

Two other children were also home at the time of the incident but were asleep, according to a police report of the incident.

Walton-Kirkendoll has been free on bond while awaiting trial, although he has been subject to house arrest and required to wear an electronic device that monitors his whereabouts.

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OBERLIN — The fatal shooting of a 24-year-old Oberlin man has been classified as a homicide.

Steve Davis, 24, was found dead in his home at 40 Locust St., about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday after his cousin called police. He was shot multiple times including the chest and head, said Dr. Stephen Evans, Lorain County coroner.

The shooter remains at large, said police Sgt. David Jasinski who said he didn’t know the motive for the killing.

Read Thursday’s Chronicle-Telegram for the full story.

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OBERLIN — Homicide victim Steven L. Davis was remembered Wednesday as friendly and outgoing by neighbors.

Police said Davis was found dead in his apartment at 40 Locust St. by officers shortly after his cousin called police at 12:12 p.m. Tuesday. Dr. Stephen Evans, Lorain County coroner, said Wednesday that Davis died of multiple gunshot wounds, including shots to the chest and head.

Davis lived in a rear, efficiency apartment of the two-family home off South Main Street. A woman who lives in the front apartment with her boyfriend and elderly uncle said she was awakened by three loud bangs about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

“I thought it was my uncle falling,” said the woman, who asked not to be indentified. “I work around guns a lot and it did not sound like gunfire.”

The woman said she checked on her uncle, who was fine, and didn’t hear any other noise, so she went back to bed. The woman said she didn’t hear or see anything else unusual Monday or Tuesday. She said she and her boyfriend left her apartment shortly before the victim’s cousin arrived Tuesday.

The shooter remained at large Wednesday, police Sgt. David Jasinski said. Jasinski said he didn’t know the motive for the shooting and the investigation — which includes assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification — is in the early stages. “We’re just talking to a lot of people,” he said.

Outside Davis’ apartment Wednesday, two bouquets of roses and two stuffed animals were left. “Steve, I love you,” said the card on one of the bouquets. An overturned mattress and a box spring against the wall could be seen inside the apartment.

Several Locust Street neighbors said they didn’t know Davis well, but described him as friendly. They said he had lived alone in the apartment between one and two years. Davis didn’t drive and was often seen walking to a nearby Mickey Mart convenience store on South Main or The Feve, a popular bar and restaurant.

Neighbor Nick Swendseid said Davis worked at the Discount Drug Mart on state Route 58. Swendseid said Davis often waved as he walked by. “He was very personable,” Swendseid said.

The homicide is the first in Oberlin since a 1999 stabbing in a domestic dispute, Jasinski said. Neighbor Dave Dayton, who moved into his home in March of 2014 said Locust Street is usually quiet and he was shocked to learn of the killing of Davis, who he said he often waved to when he walked by. “It’s unreal,” Dayton said.

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SHEFFIELD TWP. — There will only be a few contested state and local races in Lorain County during the March primary, according to a list prepared by the county Board of Elections after the filing deadline Wednesday.

The most crowded primary will be the contest to replace term-limited state Rep. Terry Boose, R-Norwalk. On the Republican side, outgoing Rochester Mayor Kathy Frombaugh, Timothy Opsitnick of Avon, Dick Stein of Norwalk and Lee Waldrup of Bellevue will face off against each other.

The winner will face Democrat Tom Dunlap of Norwalk, who is unopposed in his party’s primary.

State Rep. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, has no competition in his party’s primary, clearing the way to face Sheffield Councilman Kevin Watkinson, who has no challenger in the Democratic primary.

State Rep. Dan Ramos, D-Lorain, also isn’t facing a primary opponent, but will face Jessie Tower, a Republican who doesn’t have a primary foe, in the fall.

Most candidates running for county offices also aren’t facing challenges in the primary and unless an independent files in their respective races they won’t face an opponent in November as well.

County Commissioner Ted Kalo, Clerk of Courts Tom Orlando, Sheriff Phil Stammitti, Recorder Judy Nedwick, Treasurer Dan Talarek, Engineer Ken Carney and county Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski, all Democrats, don’t have opponents from either party.

County Coroner Stephen Evans, a Republican, also doesn’t have any opposition.

Commissioner Lori Kokoski doesn’t have an opponent in her Democratic primary, but will face Republican Connie Carr of Lorain in the fall. Carr is unopposed in her primary.

County Prosecutor Dennis Will, a Democrat, will face a challenge in the form of Elyria defense attorney JD Tomlinson during the primary. No Republican filed to run in that race.

There also will be several judicial primaries, including the effort by former county Common Pleas Judge James Burge, who resigned earlier this year after he was convicted of misdemeanor ethics charges, to return to the bench. Burge will challenge Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery in the Democratic primary, but the winner of the race won’t face a Republican foe in the fall.

County Common Pleas Judge Michele Silva Arredondo, the Republican appointed to replace Burge, will face a primary foe in the form of retired attorney Wilhelm Spiegelberg II. The winner of that contest will face Democrat Chris Cook, who doesn’t have a primary opponent, in the fall.

Another crowded race will be the contest to replace retiring Domestic Relations Judge Debra Boros, where three Democrats and two Republicans are vying for their respective part nominations.

On the Democratic side are Domestic Relations Magistrate Ben Davey, former Assistant County Prosecutor Sherry Glass and Sheffield Lake Law Director David Graves. The two Republicans in the race are attorneys Jenifer Berki and Krista Marinaro.

There also will be several issues on the ballot, including a 0.5 percent income tax increase being sought by Elyria officials.

School districts in Avon Lake, Oberlin and Vermilion are seeking levy renewals, while Firelands Schools is seeking a bond issues to finance capital improvements.

Libraries in Avon, Oberlin, Sheffield Lake and Lorain are seeking levy renewals with the Sheffield Lake and Lorain efforts including an increase.

Voters in Oberlin will also vote on renewing levies for current city expenses and garbage collection.

Columbia Township, Sheffield Township, the Amherst Township Road District and the South Lorain County Ambulance District are all seeking renewals of various levies.

There also will be local liquor options in Amherst, Elyria, Columbia Township and North Ridgeville, where there will also be a zoning amendment on the ballot.

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Drug overdose deaths continue to plague the county, with at least 56 confirmed deaths in 2015, and another seven deaths that the coroner suspects were drug-related but which results have yet to confirm.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said he sees one to two overdose deaths every one to two weeks. Drug overdose became the leading cause of death in the state in 2007, and Evans said it is an epidemic that touches every city, village and township in Lorain County.

Evans said drug overdoses hit every age group, although the most visible are younger adults in their 20s and 30s. But as a coroner, he’s seen a 1-year-old who died after getting a hold of drugs that were left out by parents, and he’s seen the death of a 75-year-old grandfather who overdosed after sharing heroin with a grandson.

“This is mothers and fathers, educated people, your co-workers, it touches everyone,” he said. “To me, overdoses are like the waves of the ocean — it just doesn’t stop and just keeps coming. It’s crushing and so sad. I’ve been in every nook and cranny of our county for an overdose death.”

Most overdoses are caused by heroin or prescribed opiates, Evans said, although it is not uncommon to see situations where a person dies after ingesting a mixture of drugs like heroin, cocaine, sleeping pills, tranquilizers and alcohol.

Evans said in 2015 there were a number of fentanyl overdoses. Fentanyl is a prescribed narcotic which heroin suppliers started substituting for heroin or cutting with heroin, he said.

Fentanyl can be manufactured in a lab versus waiting for poppy plants, the traditional sources of heroin and opium, to mature for harvest. Evans said fentanyl is being made in Mexico and China and being shipped to the United States because suppliers are finding it’s a cheap way to bolster heroin supplies.

“The problem is that it’s 10 times as powerful as heroin,” Evans said. “If someone went to their dealer and used their normal dose, it would be 10 times the normal dose.”

The heroin and opiate epidemic is something Evans said people need to stop being ashamed of and start speaking up about and seeking help for. Drug addiction needs to be treated as a medical problem rather than a criminal act, he said, and more resources are needed to treat addiction.

And Evans said the source of the addiction seems to stem from two areas — young people who decide to experiment with prescription medication they find at home or those who get hooked on prescription painkillers who wind up using heroin because it is cheaper than pills.

It takes 35 weeks to get over a narcotic addiction, Evans said, but most in-patient treatment programs people can afford only last a month. This poses another problem because people who get off drugs often relapse and go back to the old dose they were taking and overdose as a result.

“The drug companies put these drugs out, and they convinced the doctors and government that these narcotic pain pills were safe and non-addictive,” Evans said. “Guess what? They are not safe, and they are addictive.”

Those looking for help with addiction should contact the Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board at (440) 282-9920. Families of drug addicts and those who have lost a loved one to drugs should call Lorain County SOLACE at (440) 823-6177.

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ELYRIA — A workplace death at the 3M Elyria plant is being investigated by the Lorain County Coroner’s office.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans verified David Kleinsmith, 48, of Elyria, died Feb. 13 as the result of an industrial accident at the Lowell Street facility.

David Kleinsmith

“It appears to be some type of electrical injury,” Evans said.

Kleinsmith died at University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center shortly before 4 p.m. the day of the accident.

A final report on Kleinsmith’s death and what caused it is pending completion of further investigation by a pathologist in Evans’ offices.

Evans indicated the death also is under investigation by the Toledo office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health & Safety Administration, which has jurisdiction over 17 counties in northwestern and northern Ohio including Lorain County.

Calls to the Toledo OSHA offices were referred to the regional Department of Labor offices in Chicago, where spokesman Scott Allen said the agency was most likely looking into the death, but he was unable to confirm late Friday that the agency has in fact opened an investigation.

Elyria fire Capt. William Gall said firefighters were called to the plant about 3 p.m. Feb. 13 after being notified of the accident by company personnel.

When they arrived, firefighter-paramedics found Kleinsmith being tended to by fellow employees who were performing CPR on the man.

Information in a report taken at the time did not indicate whether Kleinsmith was unconscious, although Gall said that was a likely assumption. Reports indicated the man did not appear to be breathing.

It was not immediately known what type of work Kleinsmith did at the plant, but he was found in an area of the facility devoted to what Gall termed chemical processes.

The plant produces goods including sponges and scrub sponges.

Gall said the Fire Department reports did not indicate the mishap was related to any type of electrical shock or explain what had happened. Firefighters continued CPR on Kleinsmith as a heart monitor was used to analyze his condition until an ambulance arrived.

Efforts were made to receive a medical history of the employee but none was provided at the time, Gall said.

The 3M Elyria operation dates to1951 when it began as Nylonge, a subsidiary of a multinational rayon manufacturer that produced sponges for some years before Kimberly Clarke acquired it in the 1970s.

A group of employees purchased the Nylonge plant from Kimberly Clarke in 1978 and ran it for nearly 20 years before 3M bought it in 2006.

Efforts to contact plant officials Friday for comment were unsuccessful.

Kleinsmith was a graduate of North Ridgeville High School. He is survived by his wife, Robin.

Funeral services were Friday and were to be followed by a private burial.

Memorial donations may be made in Kleinsmith’s name to the Cleveland APL, 1729 Wiley Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113.

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ELYRIA — The highest-paid worker in Lorain County government last year was a long-time deputy engineer who retired at the end of September.

Wayne Mileti, who worked for the county for 23ﾽ years, was paid a total of $173,636.24, including his regular salary of $78,391.04 and $3,711.12 of overtime pay. Mileti also cashed out unused sick and vacation hours for a total of $84,755.48.

Mileti said he had been saving up sick and vacation time to use over his career with the county but never got to use it all.

“I enjoyed my work,” he said.

Mileti also received a fringe benefit of $249 and converted other unused sick and vacation days into a bonus of $6,529.60, according to information provided by county Auditor Craig Snodgrass’ office.

County Administrator Jim Cordes, who was the second-highest earner in the county last year, also converted used sick and vacation hours into cash under a program that allows employees to give up two hours of time in exchange for one hour of pay.

Cordes took home $139,310 last year, including his regular salary of $130,700 and a conversion bonus of $8,610, according to Snodgrass’ office.

Such conversions weren’t uncommon in the ranks of the county’s highest paid workers.

County Board of Developmental Disabilities Director Amber Fisher, who was the third-highest earner last year, converted $8,462.54 worth of unused leave that along with a $2,500 bonus, her salary and other items gave her a total income of $135,741.52 in 2015.

County Department of Job and Family Services Director Mary Lou Golski cashed out $7,703.80 in unused time off that coupled with her salary brought her 2015 pay up to $133,609.40, the fifth highest in the county last year.

Finishing just behind Golski was county Board of Mental Health Director Charlie Neff, who converted $4,651.60 that in addition to fringe benefits worth $4,781.02 and his regular salary earned him $130,250.38.

Scott Ferris, the director of Lorain County Children Services earned a total of $126,672 last year, putting him in seventh place, while Lorain County General Health District Director Dave Covell had the eighth highest salary with $122,789.35.

The county’s nine judges would have finished in eighth place if their full salary had been paid by the county, which only contributes $14,000 to their pay each year.

The remainder comes from the Ohio Supreme Court. County Probate Judge James Walther, who serves as the county’s presiding judge, said the judges received a raise in the last three months of the year, which gave them salaries of $122,865 last year.

That’s an increase over the $121,350 they earned in 2014 and less than the $127,450 they’ll earn this year when the raises, which Walther said are the first in years for the judiciary, are fully in effect.

The ninth-highest salary went to another retiree, Angela Riley, who retired in November after working as a court report for county Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery. In addition to her salary of $63,974.88, Riley cashed out unused sick and vacation time worth $53,502.82. Her total pay last year was $117,477.70.

Rounding out the top 10 list are three elected officials.

County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans and county Prosecutor Dennis Will each earned $115,703 last year, putting them in a tie for the 10th highest salaries in the county.

County Engineer Ken Carney wouldn’t have made the top 10 list with his salary of $99,209 for his work as an elected official. But Carney also earns $35,287.74 as the county’s sanitary engineer, giving him a total salary of $134,496.74, the fourth highest in the county.

Top 10 salaries

1. Wayne Mileti $173,636.24
2. James Cordes $130,700.00
3. Amber Fisher $135,741.52
4. Kenneth Carney $134,496.74
5. Mary L. Golski $133,609.40
6. Charles Neff $130,250.38
7. Scott Ferris $126,672
8. David Covell $122,789.35
9. Angela Riley $117,477.70
10. (tie) Stephen Evans/Dennis Will $115,703.00
    Source: Lorain County Auditor’s Office

Lorain County Employee Salaries 2015

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ELYRIA — A Wellington man serving a 90-day sentence at the Lorain County Jail was found dead late Sunday night by jail personnel.

Joseph Boden

Joseph Boden, 37, was found by jail officers who were alerted to an inmate in need of assistance in the jail’s 4 West unit at 11:25 p.m., according to a statement issued Monday afternoon by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.

On-duty medical staff responded and administered emergency medical care to Boden, who was transported by ambulance to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, the statement read.

Boden was last seen alert and standing for a head count during a shift change at the jail at 11 p.m.

Officers investigating the man’s death were not available for comment.

Jail administrator Andy Eichenlaub declined to detail the investigation.

Eichenlaub said Boden was serving 90 days at the jail, which was a combined sentence for unrelated theft and contempt charges.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the Boden family during this time of need,” Eichenlaub said.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said his office was conducting an autopsy to determine an exact cause of death. Evans said Boden wasn’t hanged and his body showed no external evidence to indicate a cause of death.

“Even with young people, sometimes you find they have heart attacks,” Evans said. “We’re not ruling out a natural death, but we’re also not ruling out something else.”

Boden’s criminal record dating to 1997 had arrests for drug and traffic charges, domestic violence, breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and theft.

Boden was convicted of multiple drug charges in May 2015 after an incident with his wife and a male friend that occurred at an Avon Lake address.

In January, Boden was indicted on drug possession, drug paraphernalia and assault charges.

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HUNTINGTON TWP. — It’s unknown how long human remains found Tuesday were in a field along state Route 58, and the county coroner intends to bring in anthropology experts in an effort to help determine who the person was.

A farmer discovered the skeletal remains near state Route 58 and New London Eastern Road, but Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said not much else is known as to the age or gender of the unknown person.

The person had likely been in the area for a long time given that only bones, which now must be pieced together, were found. Evans said the body was decomposed, leaving no possibility of sharing any characteristics like tattoos or birthmarks with the public that could have aided in the identification process.

“At this point, we are still investigating and seeking outside help from anthropologists to get a better idea of who this is,” Evans said. “As far as age, sex or when this body was deposited there, we can’t say.”

Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Detective Randy Koubeck said detectives processed the scene where the remains were found for several hours, looking for any clues that could help determine how the unknown person wound up in the area.

“The coroner will also examine the bones and look for any evidence of trauma the person may have experienced,” he said.

Koubeck said the farmer, who has not been named, discovered the body because he was checking out his land several days after a car crash occurred in the area. The car crash has no connection to the remains that were found, Koubeck said.

Identifying the person will be a daunting task, Evans said.

“Unfortunately there are so many missing people in northern Ohio that it will make it difficult to determine who this is,” he said. “But we’re going to do our best.”

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Welcome back to The Morning Hit, where we talk about what people are talking about online. The web has become the digital equivalent of the office water cooler, and it’s becoming more necessary by the day to stay in the loop.

Enough of the pleasantries, let’s hit it.

Local anthropologists unite! The county coroner is going to need some help in identifying the skeletal remains found by a farmer in Huntington Township.

A farmer discovered the skeletal remains near state Route 58 and New London Eastern Road, but Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said not much else is known as to the age or gender of the unknown person.

The person had likely been in the area for a long time given that only bones, which now must be pieced together, were found. Evans said the body was decomposed, leaving no possibility of sharing any characteristics like tattoos or birthmarks with the public that could have aided in the identification process.

This whole situation is so creepy, but at least it provides an opportunity for some people to put those liberal arts anthropology degrees to good use!

Ezekiel in Elyria! Former Ohio State running back and (probable) future first round pick Ezekiel Elliott was in Elyria yesterday signing autographs during the grand opening of the new Panera Bread on Chestnut Ridge Road.

KRISTIN BAUER | CHRONICLE Matt Farnsworth, 9, of Brunswick, shakes the hand of Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, a runningback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, on Wednesday evening, March 23, while at the newly opened Panera Bread, outside of Chestnut Commons.

Elliott plans to attend the NFL Draft on April 28 in Chicago — “That will be a very special moment and I’m looking forward to it,” he said — but said he will take advantage of autograph signings like the one at Panera’s 2,000th store opening Wednesday night and another this weekend in Toledo.

“It’s always a great opportunity to get out and get a chance to touch the fans,” he said. “You don’t get a lot of opportunities to be with the fans and interact with them (while playing at Ohio State), so this is something I enjoy — getting out and interacting with the people that supported me the last three years. It’s time to show them some love — come out and shake hands and take pictures, give back to Buckeye Nation.”

My uncle took my 8-year-old cousin to the event, and she said that Elliott was really nice and people were lined up “all the way to the trees.” That’s cool to hear. I remember when I was young and Sandy Alomar did this kind of thing at the Marco’s Pizza on South Abbe Road back in the day.

I wonder if Elyria’s Chase Farris had anything to do with getting Elliott to Elyria…

“All That” reunion! “All That” was a popular Nickelodeon sketch comedy show from the 90’s, and the cast is reuniting for the show’s 22nd anniversary.

To celebrate the show’s 22nd anniversary, All That cast members Danny Tamberelli, Kel Mitchell, Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg, and Kenan Thompson have reunited to film new, original segments together. The one-to-three minute sketches will air during an All That marathon this April. The group will also share backstage secrets and stories.

Gotta cash in on that 90s nostalgia while it’s still hot! And what better occasion to celebrate than a 22nd anniversary?

*sets DVR*

That’s it for me today. If you want to contact me, all of my information is below in the author box. Be sure to follow The Chronicle on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with what’s going on around you.

Have a great day everybody.

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ELYRIA — The woman who took her own life Friday outside the residence of a former girlfriend died instantly, officials said.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said Saturday that the woman, whom he identified as Ricki Jenkins, 21, died immediately from a single gunshot wound to the head with a 20-gauge shotgun.

A truck is on fire on Turner Boulevard and Brunswick Drive in Elyria. JON WYSOCHANSKI/CHRONICLE

Jenkins took her life just before 1 p.m. Friday after setting her ex-girlfriend’s Ford F-150 pickup on fire at the intersection of Turner Boulevard and Brunswick Drive, according to Elyria police.

After setting the vehicle ablaze, Jenkins walked about a block to a townhome where her 19-year-old former girlfriend resided, where she shot herself, police said.

Evans said it was not believed that the younger woman saw the death.

“What I was told was that she did not witness it, but heard it,” Evans said.

The younger woman was believed to be inside the residence at the time of the shooting.

Evans did not directly handle the case, which was handled by Deputy Coroner Frank Miller.

Calls to Elyria police spokesman Capt. Christopher Costantino on Saturday seeking further details in the case were not returned.

Evans said it was his understanding that the two women had recently separated.

“They were a couple before who had separated in the not-too-distant past,” Evans said.

It was not immediately clear whether the residence where Jenkins went to shoot herself had been shared by the two women.

Police said Friday that Jenkins had made an agreement with her former girlfriend, who was not identified by authorities, to return the woman’s pickup to her sometime during the week.

The former girlfriend called 911 after becoming aware that Jenkins had set the F-150 on fire, officials said.

In the call, the woman requested police, firefighters and an ambulance, and stated the woman later identified as Jenkins was “extremely drunk, she has a gun and I’m afraid she might kill herself.”

This post has been updated to reflect the following correction: Ricki Jenkins’ first name was spelled incorrectly, and the incorrect age was given.

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SHEFFIELD LAKE — An elderly man died in an apartment fire Tuesday afternoon.

According to Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans, a 69-year-old man died in what appears to be an accidental fire at the Erie Shores Landing apartments on Lake Road.

Evans did not release the name of the man because family had not yet been notified.

See Wednesday’s Chronicle for more.

SHEFFIELD LAKE — A man died in a fire Tuesday at an apartment complex.

Richard Dull, 69, died in the fire that started about 3 p.m. in his first-floor apartment at The Perch on the Lake Apartments, 5115 Lake Road, formerly Erie Shore Landings.

Avon Lake firefighters battle an apartment fire at The Perch on the Lake on Lake Road in Sheffield Lake on Tuesday, April 19. STEVE MANHEIM/CHRONICLE

The Sheffield Lake Fire Department got called at 3:23 p.m. after an employee at the complex pulled a fire alarm. Crews extinguished the fire, which was mostly confined to Dull’s living room, by 3:32 p.m.

Fire Chief Tim Card said the building is designed in a way which prevented the fire from spreading to other units or floors, but Dull’s apartment was extensively damaged by smoke and fire. Card said the cause is under investigation by the state fire marshal although it is believed to be accidental.

Lorain County Coroner Stephen Evans said Dull likely died of smoke inhalation and burns. Dull had health problems and couldn’t walk, Evans said, and it is believed a cigarette may have fallen on the floor, leaving him unable to smother it or escape the burning apartment.

Resident Daniel Baker, who lives one floor above Dull, said he was sitting by his living room window when he heard an explosion, which he initially thought he mistook for a slamming door.

When Baker stepped outside, he saw plumes of black smoke pouring out of the apartment and he called 911, although he was told the fire department had already been notified.

“The smoke was so black, you couldn’t see a thing,” Baker said.

Sgt. Shawn Corr said he went to school with some of Dull’s children, and it was known that Dull had extensive health problems, although no one expected his death to come in such a way.

“I think they knew he would go at some point, but they never expected it to be like this,” Corr said.

Sheffield Lake firefighters received mutual aid from the Sheffield, Avon Lake, Elyria Township, Sheffield Township and Avon fire departments.

ELYRIA — A Lorain baby sitter has been indicted on murder, involuntary manslaughter and other charges in the death of an 18-month-old girl she was watching last year.

Summer Shalodi

Summer Shalodi, 30, also faces charges of endangering children, corrupting another with drugs and tampering with evidence in the death of Nadia Nicole Gibbons on Dec. 13.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said that Nadia died from “significant” head trauma and intoxication from alprazolam, a tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication known by the brand name Xanax. Evans said Nadia also had other minor injuries on the rest of her body, but those didn’t contribute to her death.

Evans also said that alprazolam isn’t prescribed to children.

“That’s an adult medication,” he said.

Assistant County Prosecutor Dave Muhek said investigators suspect Shalodi gave Nadia the medication.

“We believe that Ms. Shalodi caused the juvenile to ingest a controlled substance,” he said.

Muhek declined to comment on why Shalodi would have done that or how Nadia sustained the fatal injuries to her head. But Muhek did say that the baby sitter wasn’t always with the child she was supposed to be watching.

“She left the child unattended for a significant period of time,” he said.

Shalodi called Lorain police to her Driftwood Drive home about 6:30 a.m. Dec. 13, saying she was concerned about Nadia because the girl was making “gurgling” noises and was very still.

Police reported that Nadia was motionless on the floor next to the bed, wasn’t breathing and was cold to the touch when officers arrived. Police estimated that Nadia had been dead for hours before officers and paramedics arrived.

Shalodi later told investigators that Nadia had been fine when her mother, who shares the girl’s name, dropped her off about 3 p.m. the day before.

Justin Withrow, one of Shalodi’s attorneys, said Thursday that he couldn’t comment on the indictment because he had yet to review it.

Michael Hennenberg, another of Shalodi’s lawyers, said after a court appearance in February that Nadia’s death was an accident.

Shalodi is free on bond and will be arraigned next week.

AVON LAKE — Nancy Krasienko knows the agony that comes with watching a loved one spiral out of control as  heroin addiction consumes them.

The Lorain resident watched her daughter Megan Wheeler go from a happy kid with good grades to someone who stole, lied and did anything she could to feed her heroin habit.

KRISTIN BAUER | CHRONICLE
Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans speaks about the heroin epidemic at the Avon Lake Public Library on Tuesday evening, April 26.

Wheeler died at age 30 last April from an overdose, leaving behind two young children.

“She battled addiction for 10 years,” Krasienko said. “She was in and out of treatment, jail and homeless at times.”

Krasienko said Wheeler abused multiple drugs, and when an autopsy was performed the coroner found seven drugs, including fentanyl, in her system.

Wheeler grew up enjoying school, working at an ice cream stand, tutoring at the Salvation Army and generally being happy.

Krasienko’s birthday fell on the day her daughter graduated, and her daughter headed home to throw a party for her instead of having a graduation party. That’s the kind of person she was before addiction took over, Krasienko said — someone who put others before herself.

“She was a great girl who loved her mom and loved her family,” Krasienko said.

But after Wheeler graduated, Krasienko said she began running with the wrong crowd. She was soon stealing pills from her brother who was prescribed Adderall for attention deficit disorder. From there she was introduced to oxycodone and in a matter of time spoons began disappearing from the house as she started to mainline heroin.

April 6, 2015, is a day that Krasienko will never forget because it was the day her daughter became one of 56 who died of drug overdoses last year in Lorain County.

“It was the worst day of my life to lose my baby,” Krasienko said through tears. “It was more like she was murdered. That’s how it feels to me.”

Krasienko is one of many left behind who now seek comfort in the various support groups available to those whose children die of drug overdoses.

OD deaths double

During a Tuesday forum sponsored by opiate addiction awareness group Assist Avon Lake, Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said deaths from opiate overdoses are expected to hit 120 in the county this year, highlighting the need for continued dialogue on combating addiction.

Evans talked about the opiate epidemic in Lorain County where scores of people are abusing both prescription opiates like Percocet and street drugs like heroin. Out of the 30 fatal overdoses this year, 18 have been the result of heroin mixed with fentanyl, he said.

More than 600 people die daily in the United States from overdoses, including five people daily in Ohio and two people each week in Lorain County.

Every community has been affected, Evans said, from the urban and rural areas to the suburbs. Evans first gave a lecture about the heroin epidemic three years ago when Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka took the bold step of publicly acknowledging the problem after a string of overdoses occurred.

But the numbers continue to rise even though first responders and the public now can administer Narcan to revive those who have overdosed.

“We’re not any better and things have gotten worse,” he said.

Losing the War on Drugs

Pharmaceutical companies have a long history of introducing opiates into the population to address illness and pain, Evans said, going back to 1805 when morphine was introduced by Merck & Co. pharmaceuticals.

In 1890, heroin was introduced into the market as a safe and non-addictive alternative to morphine that was supposed to eliminate morphine addiction.

One hundred years later the drug companies again duped the American public when OxyContin was introduced, Evans said.

“I’ll throw (the drug companies) under the bus because they deserve it,” Evans said. “They paid for studies that showed that these heroin-in-pill-form drugs were safe and non-addicting.”

From there the drug companies went to the government and said doctors were undertreating pain, Evans said, and pain became the fifth vital sign and along with it came an explosion of prescriptions.

Both doctors and the public need to realize the risks associated with taking prescription opiates or leaving prescription drugs around and easily accessible to children, Evans said.

And Evans said it’s time to recognize that addicts have a medical problem and should not be treated as criminals. As a society we cannot arrest our way out of the heroin epidemic, Evans said.

“Ronald Reagan started the War on Drugs in the 1980s,” he said. “Guess what? We’ve lost that war.

“It’s not worked. For every drug dealer you put away, two rise up to take their place.”

The LCADA Way director Tom Stuber said drugs are getting more powerful and more dangerous.

“I’ve been in the field of treatment and prevention for 36 years and have never seen anything more threatening or destructive,” Stuber said of the current state of opiate addiction in Lorain County.

Those who use opiates experience an increase in dopamine levels that is higher than the levels produced by marijuana, cocaine or sex, Stuber said. Sex generally creates a 50 percent increase in dopamine levels while cocaine raises levels by 300 percent and heroin raises it 1,500 percent. When this happens, the structure and function of the brain changes and people can no longer function without heroin or opiates, Stuber said, which leads to intense craving and drug seeking.

Women will sign themselves out of treatment during late stages of pregnancy, Stuber said, while young people will continue to use even after they personally watch their friends overdose and die.

“The power of the drug takes total control of the individual,” Stuber said.

Krasienko knows the harsh reality of such control. Her daughter was writing fake prescriptions, selling suboxone and lashing out if she couldn’t get money for heroin.

Today Krasienko meets twice a month with other mothers who have lost children, meeting to grieve at a home in Amherst, share stories and ways to move forward.

“Go somewhere, anywhere, knock on a door, pick up the phone and get help,” Krasienko said. “Don’t be ashamed. Let’s talk about it.”

Such steps need to be taken, Evans said, because addicts and families of those who have died shouldn’t feel powerless or manipulated.

Evans pointed to a slide with 100 tombstones pictured on it, saying now is the time to share stories and work to educate people about the dangers of opiates.

“It’s time for us to say something,” Evans said. “We can’t give up on these people.”

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ELYRIA — A Lorain baby sitter facing murder and other charges in connection with the death of an 18-month-old girl she was watching pleaded not guilty during a brief court appearance Thursday.

BRUCE BISHOP/CHRONICLE
Summer Shalodi, left, appears Thursday in court with her attorneys while being arraigned on murder and other charges in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

Summer Shalodi, 30, also is charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, corrupting another with drugs and tampering with evidence in connection with Nadia Nicole Gibbons’ death Dec. 13.

Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans has said the girl died from significant head trauma and intoxication from alprazolam, a tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication better known by its brand name Xanax.

Prosecutors have said Shalodi gave Nadia the medication and had left the girl “unattended for a significant period of time,” although they haven’t disclosed where Shalodi was or what she was doing.

Shalodi called 911 about 6:30 a.m. and reported that Nadia was very still but making “gurgling” noises. When police arrived at Shalodi’s Driftwood Drive home, they found the girl motionless on the floor and estimated she had been dead several hours.

Shalodi later told police that the girl had been fine when her mother had dropped her off about 3 p.m. the day before.

Lawyers for Shalodi, who remains free on bond, have described the death as an accident.

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AMHERST — The death of an Amherst man who was struck by a train early Monday was an accident, according to the county coroner.

“At this point we have not ruled, but there is no reason to believe that this was anything but an accident,” Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said Monday afternoon.

Jeffrey Gula, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene of the train-pedestrian accident, Amherst police said in a statement. Police said his family said he regularly took a short cut across the tracks.

Authorities said Gula was hit sometime after  4 a.m. At 4:36 a.m., Norfolk Southern Railroad personnel notified police that a body was on tracks between the South Main Street and Milan Avenue overpasses.

The initial investigation indicated Gula was struck by an eastbound train as it traveled over the southernmost set of three sets of tracks in the area, according to Amherst police Lt. Dan Makruski.

“The train crew thought they felt something,” Makruski said.

Crew members on a westbound train traveling on the center tracks saw him and alerted authorities.

Gula sustained severe damage to his head and left leg, which police said “were consistent with being struck by a train.”

Makruski, who has had experience with seven to eight deaths of pedestrians by trains in his  20 years with the department, said the injuries sustained by Gula did not appear to be as extensive as those sustained by people in past years whose deaths were determined to be intentional in nature.

The train did not stop nor was it required to since its crew was unsure whether the train struck something, Makruski said.

Evans said his office is expecting to receive video footage shot by cameras mounted on the front of trains “that will give us an idea of what actually happened.”

A backpack found near the scene was believed to have belonged to Gula. Makruski said the backpack contained items of clothing as well as a quantity of suspected marijuana.

Authorities also found four cans of beer in the vicinity, but police could not say whether it belonged to Gula.

Toxicology tests will be performed before the coroner rules on a cause of death.

Makruski said Gula lived with a girlfriend in Amherst and his mother and grandmother live in the area, Makruski said.

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