Great Escape Contest Sponsors
Dee’s Restaurant,    Finishing Touch Flooring & Carpet Cleaning,    Magic Hobbies,    May Valley Floors,    Performing Arts Center at KSU Tusc.,    Saltwell Western Store,    Signs To Go,    Sugar Valley Meats,    Tuscarawas County Senior Center,    Tuscarawas County YMCA,    WJER Radio,    We Lov Pets!,    Willie’s Custom Golf Center,    Yaggi’s Cheese House,    Yoder’s Hometown Market
menu Home
Local News

Second suspect in body dumping case pleads not guilty

| May 18, 2022
Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Ernest has set bond at $75,000 for Daniel Fitzgerald, 38, of Akron, who's charged in connection with the dumping of Amber Sherrell along White Bridge Road last October.

NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (May 18, 2022) – The man accused of helping his girlfriend dump a Dover woman’s body alongside a Goshen Township Road last October is contesting a grand jury indictment charging him with gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

38-year-old Daniel Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty to those counts and a misdemeanor charge of tampering with evidence during his arraignment in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon. Assistant County Prosecutor Scott Deedrick asked Judge Michael Ernest to set a cash or surety bond of at least $50,000 due to Fitzgerald’s history of trying to subvert the judicial process.

“He has a conviction for attempted escape. He has a conviction for escape. He has five separate convictions that I’ve been able to find of failing to register an address based on a sexual offense registration requirement. He has criminal convictions in Franklin and Summit County. He has an obstruction conviction. We showed that there was a warrant still outstanding for failing to appear on recognizance bail.” 

Judge Michael Ernest upped that to $75,000, denying a request from Fitzgerald’s attorney that he be placed on pretrial supervision with a GPS ankle monitor.

“While GPS bracelets are good, I find that they basically just let people know when someone has stopped complying. We know they’re gone, but it doesn’t help us after they’re gone.”  

Investigators say Fitzgerald and 26-year-old Cekoyia Riechers left the body of 38-year-old Amber Sherell along White Bridge Road days after she died from a drug overdose. Fitzgerald must report immediately to the county jail upon his release from the Lorain Correctional Institution where he’s being held for a parole violation. Riechers previously pleaded not guilty to the same charges he’s facing with an additional tampering count.

Written by