Man admits recruitment to bury bodies
A Columbus man who recruited several others to move, dismember and bury two bodies in concrete in the basement of a Sullivant Avenue building has pleaded guilty in federal court for his part in the crime.
Patrick M. Foster Jr., 37, of Franklinton, admitted to a felony count of being an accessory after the fact to murder and faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. He entered his guilty plea in federal court in Columbus Tuesday, appearing electronically before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah Mccann King.
According to court documents, Foster
recruited several other men in August 2018 to assist in moving the bodies of Tera Pennington, 48, of the South Side, and Henry Watson, 52, of the West Side, from the home of Larry Williams Jr., 40, formerly of the Southwest Side.
Williams was one of five men indicted earlier this month as part of a larger drug case that included three murders. Investigators allege Williams killed Connor Reynolds, 23, of Grove City, in June 2018 during an armed robbery of another individual at a home where Reynolds was staying. Two months later, Williams allegedly killed Watson and Pennington in an effort to cover up Reynolds’ murder.
Foster recruited several men to dismember and move the bodies of Watson and Pennington from Williams’ home on Stevens Avenue to the basement of a building owned by Foster in the 2400 block of Sullivant Avenue, according to documents.
Investigators found the remains underneath concrete during a search of the property in January.
As part of his plea Tuesday, Foster admitted knowing Pennington and Watson had been murdered by Williams and that he acted to hide the bodies.
Judge King heard Foster’s plea Tuesday and recommended its acceptance. U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson ultimately will determine whether to accept the plea and on a final sentence. mkovac@dispatch.com @Ohiocapitalblog