The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Plea deals taken in Elyria murder
Pair plead guilty to amended indictments in shooting death of 19-year-old Cody Snyder
A pair of individuals involved in the January shooting death of 19-year-old Cody Snyder of Elyria pleaded guilty Sept. 17 as part of a plea agreement.
Jeffery Miraldi, 20, of Elyria, and Jenna Turner, 20, of Middleburg Heights, pleaded guilty to amended indictments as part of agreements with special prosecutors from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Miraldi pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, trafficking in drugs, four counts of tampering with evidence and single counts of possession of drugs and permitting drug abuse.
As part of the agreement, a three-year firearm specification was dropped to a one-year specification.
Turner pleaded guilty to three counts of tampering with evidence. As part of the deal, firearm specifications on those counts were dropped.
These are the latest guilty pleas in the case.
In July, 18-year-old Justin Smith, of Oberlin, and 17-yearold Qwanda Woodson, of Elyria, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, aggravated robbery and trafficking in drugs in connection to the January incident.
As part of the four plea agreements, the defendants are required to testify against 19-yearold Kajaun Anderson, who is the alleged gunman in the case.
Anderson, of Elyria, is scheduled to stand trial Dec. 3 on charges of aggravated murder with two gun specifications,
murder with two gun specifications, aggravated robbery with two gun specifications, robbery with two gun specifications and tampering with evidence with a single gun specification.
Prosecutors said the four defendants will not receive their penalties until the conclusion of that case.
Anderson’s attorney Jenifer Berki Merrill said her client has not been offered a plea agreement.
“I am assuming the prosecution has substantial mitigating factors as to why they would offer such an extraordinary plea deal on such serious charges,” Berki Merrill said. “I hope they give my client the same analysis.
“Thus far, it has not been the case.”
Turner is facing anywhere from community control to nine years in prison.
But Visiting Judge Robert Brown, who was appointed to the case by the Ohio Supreme Court, said it was unlikely he would sentence her to consecutive sentences.
Brown said he likely will consider a sentence between community control and three years in prison.
Brown also told Miraldi he likely wouldn’t hand down consecutive sentences in his case, and the minimum prison time he could face is four years.
Miraldi and Turner’s bonds were continued.
The pair were in a 2014 Ford Focus belonging to Miraldi’s father, Lorain County Common Pleas Judge John R. Miraldi, along with Snyder on Jan. 23 in the 100 block of Clinton Avenue in Elyria and attempting to sell marijuana to Smith, Woodson and Anderson.
After an exchange of gunfire, Snyder was hit.
Miraldi drove him to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center for treatment.
While doctors worked to save Snyder’s life, Miraldi had Turner take the Focus, a backpack containing marijuana, a cellphone and a firearm, provided by Miraldi, to her house to hide, police said.
Prosecutors said the gun and marijuana was never located.