Sonja and Richard Greene Plead Guilty
Sonja and Richard Greene Plead Guilty
Scioto County Prosecutor, Shane A. Tieman announced that on April 26, 2021 Defendants Sonja and Richard Greene entered guilty pleas to various charges arising from the abuse of three grandchildren, which resulted in one child’s death. Defendant Sonja Greene, age 39, pled guilty to counts one, four and five of the indictment against her, to wit: Aggravated Murder and two counts of Felonious Assault. Defendant Richard Greene, age 46, pled to count one of the Indictment, to wit: Aggravated Murder.
The charges arose from an incident in early July 2020. One of the children, A.G., was brought into a local hospital with serious injuries. The child was ultimately flown to a Columbus hospital where she passed away. An investigation was conducted by the New Boston Police Department, with assistance from the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation resulted in multiple charges against the Greene’s for the injuries and death of A.G., and injuries suffered by two additional children, S.G. and R.G.
The pleas were the result of a negotiated plea and sentence between the Attorneys for the Defendants and the Prosecutor’s Office. Judge Howard Harcha III accepted the plea negotiation and jointly recommended sentence. Judge Harcha sentenced Defendant Sonja Greene, identified as the principal offender, to Life in prison without the possibility of parole for twenty-five years, for the Aggravated Murder, plus an additional two years on each felonious assault, to be run consecutive to one another for a total sentence of life without the possibility of parole for twenty- nine years. Defendant Richard Greene, was sentenced on the Aggravated Murder charge to life without the possibility of parole for twenty years.
The State of Ohio was represented by Assistant Prosecutors Julie Cooke-Hutchinson and Danielle M. Parker. Attorney Shawn Stratton represented Sonja Greene and Attorney Eddie Edwards represented Richard Greene. The plea negotiation alleviated the need for a jury trial which would have subjected various witnesses to the further trauma of reliving the events while testifying. It also severely limits any possible appeal.
Prosecutor Tieman thanked the New Boston Police Department and the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work in this matter. The cooperation in the investigation on this case was a precursor to the development of the Scioto County Special Victims Unit.
