Medina man indicted following Elyria homicide

A Medina man was indicted this week on aggravated murder charges in connection with the death of Matthew Stinton, who was gunned down in September.

According to Lorain County Common Pleas Court records filed Dec. 18, Jeremy Diestler, 30, was indicted on single counts of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, improper discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence and improper handling of a firearm.

Diestler is suspected of shooting Stinton multiple times in the head and upper body while Stinton was at his 424 Wesley Ave. apartment building.

The shooting also injured a 39-year-old Elyria woman who was grazed by a stray bullet while coming out of her apartment.

According to Elyria police, about 10:39 p.m. Sept. 17, officers responded to the Wesley Avenue apartment building for a report of shots fired.

When they arrived, police found the woman grazed and Stinson slumped over in a stairwell of the building, Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino said previously.

Stinson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman told police she was hit by a stray bullet after leaving her apartment to investigate what she believed were fireworks in the hallway.

Upon speaking with several of the apartment building’s tenants, detectives came up with several leads which eventually led to Diestler’s arrest.

He confessed to his involvement in the shooting after Elyria police and Lorain County Sheriff’s personnel conducted a search warrant at his residence.

Diestler is currently being held at the Lorain County Jail without bond.

Prior to his death, Stinton was awaiting trial on drug trafficking and drug possession charges after the Elyria Police Department’s narcotics unit executed a search warrant in January at his apartment building.

They uncovered handguns and an abundance of narcotics including heroin, cocaine, Suboxone and marijuana.

Officers believed that Stinton and Diestler were acquainted with one another and that the incident could have been drug-related.