York homicide suspect wants statements tossed

UPDATE @ 6 p.m. (Oct. 7): A Troy man accused of the May homicide of 88-year-old William York Sr. of Tipp City wants statements he made to police thrown out as evidence against him.

The motion for Richard Terrel, 36, was filed Monday in Miami County Common Pleas Court. A hearing on the motion scheduled for today was continued until November.

Terrel’s lawyer, Jay Adams of Xenia, said Terrel was not advised properly of his rights as required by the Fifth Amendment. He argued in a motion the statements “were not voluntary … Mr. Terrel’s will was overborne.”

Terrel was indicted this summer on felony charges of murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property in the death of William York Sr. York’s remains were found June 3 in a sleeping bag in a Kentucky creek. He had been reported missing in late May from his Tipp City home, where Terrel and his girlfriend, Hope Earnshaw-York, 24, York’s granddaughter, had been staying, according to Tipp City police.

Earnshaw-York was indicted on charges of gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property. Both Terrel and Earnshaw-York have pleaded not guilty. Their trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 26. NANCY BOWMAN,CONTRIBUTING WRITER

UPDATE @ 8:31 p.m. (Oct. 2): The start date of the criminal trial in the slaying of Tipp City resident William York Sr. has been moved to 2016.

York’s granddaughter Hope Earnshaw-York and boyfriend Richard Terrel were to go on trial Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Miami County Common Pleas Court. Today, attorneys for both were granted their requests to delay the start of the trial.

Judge Christopher Gee set the new start date for Jan. 26.

Earnshaw-York remains in jail on $150,000 bail. Terrel’s bail is $760,000.

York, an 88-year-old World War II veteran, had been the subject of a statewide endangered missing adult alert. His remains were found June 3 in a Kentucky creek.

UPDATE @ 6:44 p.m. (July 9)

A Miami County grand jury has returned additional indictments in the William York Sr. homicide case.

His granddaughter Hope Earnshaw-York, 24, and her boyfriend Richard Terrel, 35, of Troy were indicted July 2 on felony charges of receiving stolen property involving guns stolen from William York Sr.’s home a few weeks before his death.

Terrel, already indicted on charges of murder, felonious assault, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, faces two additional charges of receiving stolen property. Earnshaw-York, already indicted on charges of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, faces three new indictments accusing her of receiving stolen property.

A grand jury report disclosing the new indictments was released July 9. Terrel and Earnshaw-York are to be arraigned July 15 in county Common Pleas court. Both remain in jail.

York reported guns missing May 10 to Tipp City police. According to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, Terrel and Earnshaw-York are accused of selling the guns to a Miami County gun shop.

County Prosecutor Tony Kendell said Thursday additional charges against Terrel and Earnshaw-York are being considered.

York, 88, was reported missing May 31. His remains were found June 3 in Boone County, Ky.

UPDATE @ 11:40 a.m. (July 2):

Bail was set at $750,000 cash for Richard Terrel, who is charged with murder in the death of William York Sr.

Terrel, 35, entered not guilty pleas to charges of gross abuse of a corpse, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and murder in Miami County Common Pleas court Thursday morning. He will get a court appointed attorney.

Hope Earnshaw-York, 24, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of her grandfather. Her bond was set at $150,000 cash.

Both are to be back in court July 13 for pretrial hearings.

UPDATE @ 5:33 p.m. (June 22):

A Miami County grand jury has indicted Richard Terrel of Troy and his girlfriend, Hope Olivia Earnshaw-York, on charges that include murder in the slaying of her grandfather, William York Sr.

Terrel stands indicted for the murder. Earnshaw-York stands indicted for gross abuse of a corpse.

Indictments against Terrel, 35, and Earnshaw-York, 24, of Tipp City were filed Monday in Common Pleas court. A county grand jury heard the case June 18.

Terrel also is charged with felonious assault, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Earnshaw-York also stands indicted on a charge of tampering with evidence.

“It’s despicable … Once you think you’ve seen it all, something comes along and throws you back a little bit,” Prosecutor Tony Kendell said. “It’s always difficult to see and be involved with and try to understand why people do things to other people like this. It is just beyond comprehension.” he said.

York died May 26, Kendell said. Tipp City police said he died of blunt force trauma to the head. Kendell said the trauma was to the back of the head but he declined to comment further on a motive or weapon.

A search warrant earlier this month revealed that suspected blood was found on items in the Evanston Road home of William York.

“It is a tragic thing but we are going to strive to get the maximum penalty under the law,” Kendell said.

Terrel is also facing a complicity to receiving stolen property charge related to the allegedly using William York’s ATM card and cashing checks from two of his bank accounts. Earnshaw-York has not been charged in the thefts.

Terrel, if convicted of all charges filed Monday, could be sentenced to 34 years to life in prison. Earnshaw-York could face a maximum of six years on the two charges combined.

Earnshaw-York also faces a separate felony indictment issued in April for possession of heroin in an Dec. 30 incident in Tipp City.

Terrel and Earnshaw-York were taken into custody July 3 in Butler Twp., Montgomery County, in William York.’s missing truck.

Arraignments are scheduled for July 2. . Earnshaw-York remains in jail on $160,000 bail in the other cases, while Terrel remains in jail on a $150,000 bond.

Tipp City Police Chief Eric Burris said he was pleased to hear about the indictments and thanked his officers and assisting agencies.

“There have been a lot of hours put into making sure we do what needs to be done correctly for Mr. York and his family,” he said.

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