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Thread: Joshua Gurto Sentenced to 8 Years for Involuntary Manslaughter in 2017 OH Death of Sereniti Jazzlynn-Sky Blankenship-Sutley

  1. #11
    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Prosecutor seeks time to answer Gurto defense motions

    By MARK TODD
    The Star-Beacon

    JEFFERSON — Prosecutors say they need more time to answer almost a dozen motions filed earlier this month by attorneys representing Joshua Gurto, the Conneaut man accused of raping and killing a 13-month-old girl almost one year ago.

    On Tuesday, prosecutors filed a motion with Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Marianne Sezon seeking an extension of time to respond to 11 defense motions filed earlier this month. Among the defense motions was a change of venue, which is essentially a request to relocate Gurto’s trial out of the area.

    The prosecutor’s office had 14 days to answer the defense motions from the date they were filed on Sept. 5, according to court records. The motion filed Monday did not state how much time the state needed to respond.

    Sezon had not ruled on the prosecutor’s motions as of Wednesday afternoon, a court spokesperson said.

    In response to an email message, Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci said Wednesday afternoon he was involved in a jury trial and unavailable to immediately comment.

    Gurto, 38, has been charged in the rape and murder of Sereniti Jazzlyn-Sky Blankenship-Sutley, his girlfriend’s daughter.

    The change of venue motion stands out among a handful of motions that deal primarily with a number of procedural matters.

    A change of venue is traditionally sought by attorneys who believe their client cannot receive a fair trial in the local court. In such cases, attorneys often cite publicity as a reason to move the trial elsewhere.

    Gurto’s attorney, Thomas Shaughnessy, could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

    Gurto faces eight charges: aggravated murder (two counts) and murder (three counts), both unclassified felony offenses; rape (first-degree felony); felonious assault (first-degree felony) and domestic violence (first-degree misdemeanor).

    Death penalty specifications were added to the aggravated murder charges. If found guilty of that charge, he could also be sentenced to life in prison without parole or jailed with parole possible after 25 or 30 years.

    The girl died from blunt trauma to her head and trunk, according to the Ashtabula County coroner’s office. Authorities have not released any other details about the crime.

    Gurto was formally charged with murder and rape Oct. 13 by Conneaut Law Director Kyle Smith.

    He fled the area, hitchhiking and camping in the woods until his capture Oct. 27 in Franklin Park Borough, Pennsylvania.

    Gurto was secretly indicted by the Ashtabula County grand jury Nov. 7 and returned to the county from Pennsylvania two days later. He is being held in Ashtabula County Jail in lieu of a $1 million cash or surety bond.

    Gurto is not the child’s father, authorities have said.

    A pre-trial hearing is set for Oct. 25 in Sezon’s court. A jury trial is scheduled for April 2019.

    http://www.starbeacon.com/news/local...6bf10ba98.html
    Last edited by Moh; 09-20-2018 at 10:37 AM. Reason: Indenting
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  2. #12
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Hearing for Conneaut man accused of raping, murdering girlfriend’s daughter in 2017

    By Julia Tullos
    WOIO News

    ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - The Conneaut man accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter in 2017 had a hearing in Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas Friday.

    The attorney for Joshua Gurto asked Judge Marianne Sezon for Gurto to be allowed out on home arrest in his pastor’s house.

    The attorney also requested Gurto go on trial after the child’s mother.

    Sezon took both requests under advisement and will make a decision at a later date.

    Conneaut police said Gurto attacked Sereniti JazzLyn-Sky Sutley at their apartment in the 500 block of Clark Street on Oct. 7, 2017.

    The little girl was rushed to UH Medical Center Conneaut where she died several hours later.

    “She was such a happy baby, she always smiled. She just learned how to walk. She would come outside waving. She had these bright blue eyes,” said neighbor Erica Smith.

    Police said Gurto fled the area after the murder and was arrested on Oct. 27, 2017 at a gas station in Alleghany County, PA.

    Gurto was indicted by the Ashtabula County Grand Jury in November 2017 and faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

    Gurto has been in jail on a $1 million bond.

    https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/10/...ends-daughter/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
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  3. #13
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    Conneaut man accused of raping, murdering girlfriend’s daughter in 2017, now charged in 2004 rape

    By Julia Tullos
    WOIO News

    ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - The Conneaut man accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter in 2017 is now charged in a rape from 2004.

    The Ashtabula County Grand Jury indicted Joshua Gurto, 41, Wednesday on two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of rape and one count of felonious assault for the July 2004 attack.

    Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said a recent review of the rape by Conneaut police and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Cold Case Unit led to the resubmission of evidence.

    “This indictment is exactly why we created the Cold Case Unit – the application of today’s crime-fighting technology on old cases can lead to long-due justice,” Yost said. “BCI’s Cold Case Unit, along with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, are going to keep the bad guys up at night: your sins will find you out.”

    Gurto is currently behind bars and awaiting trial for the Oct. 7, 2017 murder of Sereniti JazzLyn-Sky Sutley.

    Conneaut police said the Gurto murdered the toddler in their apartment in the 500 block of Clark Street.

    The little girl was rushed to UH Medical Center Conneaut where she died several hours later.

    "She was such a happy baby, she always smiled. She just learned how to walk. She would come outside waving. She had these bright blue eyes,” said neighbor Erica Smith.

    Police said Gurto fled the area after the murder and was arrested on Oct. 27, 2017 at a gas station in Alleghany County, PA.

    Gurto was indicted by the Ashtabula County Grand Jury in November 2017 and faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

    Gurto has been in jail on a $1 million bond.

    https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/12/...-charged-rape/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #14
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    October 7, 2021

    Ashtabula County prosecutors seek plea agreement for Joshua Gurto, man accused of murdering, raping 13-month-old Conneaut girl

    Gurto faces several charges, including aggravated murder and rape

    By Marisa Saenz
    WKYC News

    ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio — It’s been five years since a 1-year-old Conneaut girl was allegedly raped and murdered by her mother’s boyfriend Joshua Gurto.

    After half a decade of the case being open, a motion has been filed for a plea agreement for Gurto.

    Serenity Jazzlynn-Sky Sutely was just 13 months old at the time.

    Sutley died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to investigators.

    Court records indicate Ashtabula County's Prosecuting Attorney Colleen O’Toole filed a motion for a plea agreement.

    In a statement to 3News Thursday afternoon, O’Toole said, “A plea agreement allows the defendant to be held accountable for the crimes and adds certainty to the outcome. There is no certainty in the outcome of a trial and no finality in the appeals process."

    It is unclear what is in the plea agreement.

    According to recent court filings, the judge has decided to have the proposed plea agreement sealed, meaning it cannot be viewed by the public.

    “This is actually is not that unusual of an order in this type of a high-profile and a capital case,” Senior Instructor of Law at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law, Michael Benza said.

    Benza analyzed court records with 3News Thursday, saying the next hearing, a status hearing, is also closed to the public. That's where plea negotiations will take place.

    “Part of that status conference will be to address the terms of the plea agreement off the record or at least out of the public view,” Benza said. “Those are confidential because during that discussion the defendant may be giving information that, if used in the public or used at trial, would be incriminating. Then if the plea negotiations fail that information is reported by the media your jury pool is going to hear that.”

    Court records filed Thursday also indicate the hearings will become public, as U.S. law requires, when plea negotiations conclude and a plea agreement is either accepted or denied by the judge.

    Gurto, who was captured in Pennsylvania following an extensive manhunt in 2017, faces several charges, including aggravated murder and rape.

    Benza said plea agreements don't happen without the family's support.

    3News attempted to speak with the immediate family Thursday, who O’Toole said she’d been working with, but was unable to reach them.

    This status hearing is set for October 14.

    https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/lo...7-f737f8ca56a6
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  5. #15
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    ‘Your Parole Officer Hasn’t Even Been Born Yet,’ Sentencing Judge Tells Ohio Rapist Convicted in Toddler’s Death

    By Jerry Lambe
    Law & Crime

    A 42-year-old Ohio man on Monday learned his fate after admitting that he killed his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter five years ago.

    Visiting County Common Pleas Court Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove on Monday ordered Joshua D. Gurto to serve a sentence of eight years in prison for the 2017 death of young Sereniti Jazzlynn-Sky Sutley, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

    Prior to Cosgrove handing down the sentence, Gurto formally pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after reaching a controversial plea agreement with the Ashtabula County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors initially charged Gurto with two counts of aggravated murder, three counts of unclassified murder, one count of felony first-degree of rape, one count of second-degree felonious assault, and one count of misdemeanor domestic violence.

    Much to the dismay of Sereniti's family members, Ashtabula County Prosecutor Colleen O’Toole dismissed all of those charges in favor of the lesser manslaughter charge earlier this year.

    O’Toole has repeatedly defended her decision to dismiss the more serious charges Gurto was facing, emphasizing a number of obstacles in the case as well as the fact that Gurto was recently ordered to serve a 28-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in an unrelated rape case.

    “The facts that surround this case, many of which are under seal and which ultimately lead to my decision to amend and dismiss some charges in favor of others are supported by the evidence, yet to be proven in court; however, the facts and specifics are prohibited from being disclosed based on a judge’s prior order until the case is concluded,” she wrote in a letter responding to the backlash about a possible plea deal.

    “These facts and the tragic death, which will be public record, occurred almost five years ago. I came upon this case after it had been pending for over four years,” the letter continued. “Therefore, I urge citizens to reserve judgment on the wisdom of my decision until all the facts are known.”

    Sereniti was killed on Oct. 7, 2017 in an apartment building located in the 500 block of Clark Street in Conneaut. Authorities confirmed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

    O’Toole during Monday’s proceedings provided some additional details, explaining that the rape charges initially filed against Gurto were based on faulty evidence, according to a report from the Star Beacon. According to O’Toole, doctors reportedly misdiagnosed a severe bacterial infection contracted by Sereniti to be medical evidence that Gurto had raped her. She reportedly added that the baby had been treated for the same condition on at least one other occasion prior to her death.

    “As of June of 2018, it became very clear that this child had not been raped,” O’Toole reportedly told the court.

    That explanation, however, was not sufficient for the multiple members of Sereniti’s family who attended the proceedings and read victim impact statements, particularly Melissa Sutley, Sereniti’s grandmother.

    “I would like this gentleman to turn around and look and watch. He did this. This is why we’re here,” she said from the lectern positioned several behind where Gurto and his defense attorneys sat. “He should see the emotions of what he’s done to the families — that he destroyed their lives. He should be forced to see us in the emotions instead of standing forward and his back toward us like it meant nothing. What is that — where is the justice in you standing there with your back against us?”

    When Judge Cosgrove told Gurto to turn around and face Sutley, he refused and she continued with her statement.

    “You did this! You put us all here!” Sutley continued. “Turn around and look at us! Face what you did to our family!”

    Sereniti’s mother, Kelsi Blankenship, also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in her daughter’s death last year. She was sentenced to six years in prison, but Judge Cosgrove noted there were aggravating factors in Gurto’s case, such as the fact that he fled and attempted to evade law enforcement following Sereniti’s death.

    Gurto’s existing 28-year sentence stems from pleading guilty in a separate case to two counts of aggravated burglary and one count each of rape and felonious assault. That was in 2020.

    Judge Cosgrove ordered Gurto to serve the two sentences consecutively, noting that there would be no chance of him getting out of prison until he was more than 70 years old.

    “With this additional sentence, that I’m adding on consecutively, and even giving you credit for the time spent in the Ashtabula County Jail, which I must as a matter of law, your new parole date possibility is somewhere around Dec. 10, 2052,” she said. “You’re 42 years old. Another 30 years, you’re going to be in your 70s, if you live that long. All I can say is your parole officer hasn’t even been born yet.”

    https://lawandcrime.com/crime/your-p...oddlers-death/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  6. #16
    Senior Member CnCP Addict one_two_bomb's Avatar
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    8 years? ����*♂️ I cant

  7. #17
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Eight years for beating a baby to death is not enough time. I don't know what happened, but I would sure like to know why they consolidated this with his other rape case. At least the terms are consecutive, and he has another 28 years for the rape conviction.
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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