A Knox County grand jury has indicted Patrick Yoder, 36, of Mount Vernon, on charges of aggravated murder with a gun specification in connection with the shooting death of Justin Proper. The indictment was issued on March 10 following the incident that occurred on Saturday, March 8.
"In returning an indictment for aggravated murder, the Grand Jury found that Yoder engaged in prior calculation and design of a purposeful killing," said Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville, according to a Facebook post from his office. McConville explained that this element distinguishes aggravated murder from murder.
According to the Facebook post, the Mount Vernon Police Department reported that Yoder followed Proper into the Dollar General Store on Coshocton Avenue late Saturday afternoon and shot him multiple times with a 9 mm pistol. A police investigation revealed that Yoder knew Proper from a work assignment. Yoder had alleged he had been assaulted in the workplace, but a previous investigation by Mount Vernon Police Department found no support for these allegations.
McConville said in the Facebook post that the charge of aggravated murder carries potential penalties ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment, including options for life without parole. The gun specification adds an additional three-year sentence to be served before any term for aggravated murder. He noted that none of the aggravating factors necessary for seeking the death penalty were present in this case.
Yoder is scheduled to be arraigned in Knox County Common Pleas Court at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
The investigation was led by Detective Tim Arnold of the Mount Vernon Police Department, with assistance from several agencies including the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knox County Coroner's Office, Licking County Coroner's Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
