ATHENS, Ohio — The Fourth District Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Justin Anthony Pennington, 37, of Guysville, Ohio, who is serving a sentence of 27 years, 11 months to life in prison for a series of violent crimes, including the murder of Blaine Sharpe in 2021.
Pennington was convicted by a jury of murder, involuntary manslaughter, two counts of felonious assault, and breaking and entering. Additionally, the court found he violated the terms of his probation from previous convictions for receiving stolen property and identity fraud, leading to the reinstatement of a previously suspended prison term.
The crimes occurred on June 13, 2021, when Pennington attacked Sharpe at his Lodi Township home, leaving him with fatal injuries. According to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, Pennington later told Sharpe’s daughter that he had “just beat the pulp out of her father” and warned her to check on him. Sharpe was found unresponsive on his porch, with paramedics reporting severe injuries that led to his death at a local hospital.
Shortly after Sharpe’s death, Pennington attacked another victim, Heather Irwin, on Fossil Rock Road with an aluminum baseball bat. This second assault further added to the charges that ultimately resulted in Pennington’s life sentence.
The case was investigated by the Athens County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, which praised the appellate court’s decision to affirm the jury’s verdict.