Man pleads guilty in death of friend from childhood

MARYSVILLE — A Union County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his roommate and childhood friend following a brutal, alcohol-fueled fight last year.

In exchange for the plea by Todd Lane, 44, charges of murder and felonious assault were dropped in the death of John Dixon. Lane’s plea also includes an admission of tampering with evidence, after he washed blood from his feet and hands after being told not to after his arrest.

Lane’s attorney, Sam Shamansky, acknowledged the fight was savage, but maintains that Dixon’s enlarged heart and congested arteries likely caused the 45-year-old’s death during the fight May 27, 2017.

“The evidence is going to show that this big-ass fight ensued, and our claim is that he (Dixon) either passed out or had a bad heart,” Shamansky said before the plea arrangement in Union County Common Pleas Court.

Prosecutors said that the fight occurred in a secondfloor bedroom of a Marysville home that Lane and Dixon shared, and also involved a third man who was a friend of the roommates. The brawl included punching, scratching, pulling hair and biting.

Dixon left the bedroom, walked downstairs and out the front door onto the porch, and called 911

“There are about two minutes from the time he was on the phone to the time an EMS squad arrived,” said Union County Prosecutor David Phillips. That was likely when Lane followed Dixon outside and dealt at least one final blow to his friend that left Dixon near death, he said.

Common Pleas Court Judge Don Fraser ordered a pre-sentence investigation of Lane. A sentencing date has not been set.

The manslaughter charge, a first-degree felony, carries a maximum sentence of up to 11 years and a $20,000 fine. The tampering charge, a thirddegree felony, carries up to a three-year sentence and $10,000 penalty. Lane also faces mandatory parole of five years.

He could have faced 26 years to life in prison, “if things went haywire,” Shamansky said.

Backed by his parents and other relatives, Lane showed little emotion. A larger section of Dixon’s family consoled one another and at times wiped away tears.

The trial included several photos of Dixon on life-support at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. Witnesses included medical, DNA and forensic experts.