MANSFIELD — A 17-year-old Mansfield teen may be bound over for trial as an adult for the second time in just three months on homicide-related charges.
The alleged crimes occurred just six months apart, according to court records.
The teenager was arraigned Tuesday in Richland County Juvenile Court on eight new counts, ranging from aggravated murder to conspiracy to tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property, according to Judge Steve McKinley.
The charges were filed on May 2 in Juvenile Court.
Those allegations stem from his alleged involvement in the Oct. 10, 2023, shooting death of Jason Antrican. The defendant was 15 years old at the time.
The actual charges were not discussed during the brief court appearance before McKinley, but the judge confirmed them Tuesday afternoon.
The same juvenile was previously bound over by McKinley into adult court in February on multiple charges, including reckless homicide (a third-degree felony) and unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance. He was 16 at the time of those alleged offenses on April 3, 2024.
At the time the juvenile was indicted for reckless homicide, prosecutors said they didn’t believe it was a purposeful killing and instead involved juveniles “playing around” with firearms, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old male.
The juvenile is being held on a $1 million bond in the reckless homicide case. A hearing seeking to modify that bond is scheduled Friday in Richland County Common Pleas Court.
The defendant, represented by Columbus attorney Sam Shamansky on both cases, doesn’t turn 18 until February 2026.
A pre-trial on the case that’s still in Juvenile Court is scheduled May 21, according to McKinley, who said prosecution and defense attorneys will meet during that session. On May 1, prosecutors filed a motion to have the defendant moved to the Richland County Jail from the juvenile justice center.
Assuming no agreement is reached, McKinley said a preliminary hearing will be scheduled 30 to 45 days later. He said both sides can present evidence and the judge would make a decision to keep the case in his court or bind it over for consideration in adult court.
Shamansky represented the defendant via telephone during the hearing Tuesday. He waived his client’s right to have the charges read in open court. He entered a denial to the charges on his client’s behalf.
Shamansky was in the news in April, representing former Faith Life Church chief media officer Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee Jr. on 27 felony charges in Knox County Common Pleas Court, including 11 allegations of first-degree rape.
“It’s too premature for me to comment,” Shamansky said when contacted after the arraignment. “Give me a couple of weeks.”
Antrican, 42, was killed in a Brookfield Drive apartment complex hallway, the ninth of 12 gun-related homicides handled by Mansfield police in 2023.
Antrican’s family, including his parents, Fred and Ginger, were in the courtroom on Tuesday. Fred Antrican declined to comment afterward.
In February, the parents offered a $20,000 reward for information that led to the conviction of the suspect(s) who killed their son. It’s not known if that reward led to a break in the case or led to the defendant, who has been behind bars on other charges.
During an informational protest outside Juvenile Court in February, Fred Antrican said his son was struck by three bullets from two different guns.
“(He) was visiting some friends. He did not have a firearm with him. It’s horrible. You always read about it, but you’re thinking that is never going to happen (someone you love.)
“But it did,” Fred Antrican said.
