Marysville man indicted in roommate’s beating death

A Union County grand jury has indicted a Marysville man, accusing him of beating his longtime friend and roommate to death last month.

The grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday against Todd Michael Lane, 43, on single counts of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the death of 45-year-old John Dixon.

Lane has been in the TriCounty Regional Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond since his arrest May 27 after an early-morning dispute in his home in the 700 block of East 4th Street, just east of Marysville’s downtown.

When police arrived, they found Lane standing over Dixon, who was facedown and bleeding on the front porch. Dixon had suffered severe head injuries, and he died two days later at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The violence sprang from a day of disputes between Dixon, who owns the home, and Lane, a longtime friend, Union County Prosecutor David Phillips said.

Before the incident in the home, Lane and two others were at the Flamingo Bar, about four blocks away. Dixon arrived at the bar later and exchanged words with Lane before returning home and having a few beers, Phillips said. At some point, he went into Lane’s room and began to assault Lane and a woman who was with him. Lane reportedly bit another man during the incident.

Dixon eventually called 911 after everybody had left, Phillips said. Dixon gave dispatchers the wrong address; police figured out the mistake and arrived up to three minutes after the initial call to find Lane and Dixon, who was unconscious.

Phillips declined to comment on what Lane told police, or to speculate on what sparked the violence, saying “there is no evidence that this was an appropriate self-defense case.”

Phillips said the injuries to Dixon’s head “suggest it was (caused by) primarily more than a fist.”

Lane is likely to be arraigned within a week, Phillips said. If convicted, he faces up to a life sentence with eligibility for parole after 15 years.