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The boy who died was identified as Lamonie Campbell. The younger boy is expected to recover from his injuries.

The boys lost control of the ATV as it emerged from a private driveway into traffic on Ohio 113 and was struck.

“Send help to the basement of the Erie County Office Building,” the caller stated, according to an incident report filed btw the Sandusky police.

A heavy law enforcement and emergency response descended on the building early.

The deceased man has been identified at social media posts as Christopher Carroll, a respected and beloved public defender for the last 21 years, and a former police officer.

The 9-1-1 Disconnect and Discovery

Officers initially searched the lower levels of the parking garage before dispatch traced the phone number used to make the emergency call. The line belonged to Carroll, out of the Public Defender’s Office, on the lower level of the facility at 247 Columbus Ave.

When they entered, officers met a county employee who said she heard a loud “bang” just before police arrived. They searched the lower level and found an employee restroom door propped open by a book. Inside, they discovered Carroll’s body on the floor from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sandusky Fire Department medics arrived on the scene shortly after and confirmed the death.

Evidence collected

A black Heckler & Koch .40 caliber handgun was recovered on the floor near Carroll’s body. Investigators also recovered several personal items and documents left at the scene, indicating premeditation. Items collected by the police department’s processing unit include:

• A spent .40 caliber casing and the firearm magazine containing four remaining rounds.

• A wallet containing the individual’s Ohio driver’s license.

• Two sealed envelopes resting on the bathroom sinks, explicitly addressed “Dad” and (son) “Nick.”

• A yellow Post-it note containing court information found on the scene, alongside an additional note with a phone number.

• A single bullet hole located on the eastern wall of the restroom.

Ongoing Administrative Response

Because the incident took place within a secure government facility housing county courts and defense offices, the outer hallways were immediately locked down and secured by the Sandusky Police Department and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

The case has been turned over to Detective Lt. Christopher Denny for a full, standard investigation. While the incident is being treated as a non-offense death investigation, it marks a devastating blow to the local county government infrastructure and legal community.

There are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants living in Springfield and the surrounding Clark County. In the broader central Ohio region, there are approximately 30,000 Haitians holding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or other legal residency, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. TPS was started to protect Haitian and Syrian citizens from dying or being killed by extreme and oppressive governments and poverty.

Their legal status in now imperiled after the Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling set aside prior court rulings that prevented the Trump administration from ending the designations under the program, removing any restraints keeping Trump from restarting his plan to deport them, although the dire straits in their home countries have not changed.

“The Supreme Court’s decision means that many, many people are going to die violent, needless deaths,” Geoff Pipoly, one of the attorneys representing Haitian plaintiffs, said during a press conference immediately following the Supreme Court ruling.

Trump’s deportations will surely result in the deaths among the people who were formerly welcomed and encouraged to be part of the community, according to advocates. Trump intended to begin deportations in Springfield earlier this year but was derailed by the lower court rulings, and then the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of masked Border Patrol and ICE agents in Minneapolis. They were protesting ICE. The Trump administration lied about the circumstances of those deaths and has not brought charges against those responsible for the killings.

Trump. during the 2024 presidential campaign, also lied about Haitian immigrants in Clark County, claiming “in Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats.”

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Dussell, now 71, was first convicted more than 50 years ago in the brutal slaying of 17-year-old Jodi Auble, a popular Huron High School senior, cheerleader, and aspiring nurse.

But, in a decision that shocked the community, the state granted him parole in April 1984 after he served only nine years. It remains one of the most notorious examples of systemic parole failure in Ohio history. Dussell went on a crime spree attacking girls and women until he was finally convicted on violence charges again. In 1991, a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge sentenced Dussell to an additional aggregate stack of 63 to 98 years in prison after a jury convicted him on 12 counts, including six counts of rape, kidnapping, and felonious assault.

Dussell has spent his decades in prison filing continuous lawsuits against law enforcement and rehabilitation departments, fighting to scrub sex offender classifications from his file and force another release. He was denied parole in 2021, and is currently incarcerated at the Lorain Correctional Institution.

Right of terror: Read a timeline of Dussell’s violent history

But indications are the man was an attorney who worked for public defender’s office. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at around 7 a.m.

“I am truly heartbroken to learn of the death of a man who I truly learned to respect and love (as a friend) for his dedication to his work and his criminal clients,” Common Pleas Judge Beverly McGookey wrote in a post at Facebook expressing condolences.

Police have not said if the he left a note or if they’ve learned anything about why he might have turned the gun on himself. He’s listed as having worked for the public defender’s office for 21 years.

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Dear Rusty: We could use guidance on optimum dates for my spouse to begin taking Social Security (SS). She doesn’t have enough work credits on her own, so she will be using mine for spousal benefits. I was born in 1955, and I now get $3,886 in monthly SS benefits. My wife was born in 1961. We currently receive about $50,000 per year in royalties and VA disability payments that will stop upon my death.

So, with that in mind, can you suggest optimum dates for my wife to claim, based on my projected death in early 2027 or early 2030? My wife is very healthy and will likely live beyond 2040. Of course no one can predict their own passing; these are just random dates I came up with based on probabilities with my health issues. Signed: Planning Ahead

Dear Planning Ahead: Life expectancy and financial need are primary factors for your wife to consider at this point, plus whether she is now working. Her full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security purposes is age 67 and, if she takes her spouse benefit before that, the monthly amount will be reduced (by about 8.3% for each year early), and she will also be subject to Social Security’s Annual Earning Test which limits how much she can earn from working prior to reaching her FRA.

Statistically, your wife’s life expectancy is about 87 (that’s average longevity for a woman your wife’s current age). Even though she isn’t eligible for her own SS retirement benefits, she can still get a spousal benefit while you are both living and will get an even higher surviving spouse benefit when you die. That’s because her spousal benefit (while both living) will be based on 50% of your full retirement age (FRA) entitlement, but your wife’s surviving spouse benefits when you die will be based upon 100% of the benefit you were receiving at your death.

Generally, if you believe you will pass within the next few years, and your wife isn’t working, her best option would be to claim her regular spouse benefit now. Although she will initially get less than 50% of your FRA entitlement, that amount will be replaced automatically by her higher survivor benefit when you pass. Depending on her age when you pass, she will get the full $3,886 monthly amount you are receiving at your death (plus any COLA yet to be awarded). If that happens before she reaches her full retirement age, her monthly survivor amount will be actuarially reduced based upon how far before her FRA it is claimed. Generally, the survivor benefit reduction will be about 4.75% for each full year claimed early (about .396% for each month early).

So, to a large degree, your wife’s options for spouse and survivor benefits are based on your expected longevity. If you have reason to believe you will pass within the next few years, then your wife should probably claim her spousal benefit now (while you are both living). Because she is a bit shy of 65 years old, her initial SS spouse benefit will be reduced (she’ll get about 42% of your FRA benefit amount, instead of the 50% she would get if she claimed at age 67). She can collect that amount until you die, at which time she will receive her survivor’s benefit as your widow. If she has reached age 67 when that happens, your wife’s benefit will become the same as yours was when you died (the $3986, plus any COLA since awarded). And she will collect that higher SS survivor benefit for the remainder of her life which, from what you’ve shared, would likely be about 20+ years. Assuming her life expectancy is at least average, that is how your wife would get the most cumulative Social Security benefits over her lifetime.

As you have said, no one can predict how long they will live, but from the information you’ve provided, I expect that the above would likely be your wife’s best Social Security strategy. And, for the record, I admire you exploring your wife’s options in advance. I hope this answers your question, but rest assured we are always here if you need any further information.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org).

The Sandusky Register first reported the incident this morning about 7:45.

A 911 call came in at 7. When officers arrived, they located an adult male in one of the building’s bathrooms, the Register reported. The man’s name has not released.

The county building was closed for about three hours and reopened at 10 a.m.

Two U.S. Senators—Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts—are urging Congress to take action to protect and preserve the Social Security Trust fund.

In a joint New York Times op-ed, they are calling for raising payroll taxes on the wealthy to save Social Security.

“One of us is a Republican from Ohio who built a business that generated hundreds of jobs. The other is a Democrat from Massachusetts who built a career protecting consumers from financial tricks and traps.

“We don’t agree on everything, but here’s one thing we do agree on: Congress must act now to save Social Security for generations of Americans to come.”

Moreno and Warren support the “common-sense solution: lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap,” they wrote in the op ed.

The op ed also reflects the message that Sue Daugherty has been bull horning to the community for months — that Congress must act. The executive director of Serving Our Seniors has scheduled a forum in August, inviting Moreno and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted to participate. Daugherty also invited U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur to the forum at 1-3:30 p.m. August 20 at the UAW Hall on Hayes Avenue in Sandusky. Kaptur is the only elected representative, so far, to agree to participate. Make reservations to attend by calling 419-504-0585.

The U.S. Congress is responsible for the Social Security Act of 1935. The proposal for reforms, updates and modernized legislation supported by Moreno and Warren has other support from both sides of the aisle.

Serving Our Seniors represents more than 20,000 Erie County residents age 60 and older, supporting independent, active living. A substantial portion of the county’s residents rely on their earned Social Security benefits, Daugherty said. If Congress fails to enact reforms the Trust fund’s obligations will outstrip its revenues and automatic cuts to the benefits customers receive could range from 20-28%, according to federal projections.

The Social Security forum in Sandusky is cosponsored by StayTunedSandusky.com and will feature a panel of experts fielding audience questions. The date of the forum was pushed back to August, when Congress is in recess. Moreno and Husted have not RSVPd.

Here is an AI recap of reforms that are being considered by Congress:

• Social Security Expansion Act: Introduced in Congress, this bill seeks to increase monthly benefits and change how annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated to better reflect seniors’ actual costs.

• Revenue Adjustments: To prevent an estimated 22% cut in benefits by 2032, proposals include increasing the payroll tax rate or eliminating the cap on taxable earnings (which stands at $184,500).

• Bipartisan Solvency Funds: Other legislative ideas, such as those proposed by Sen. Bill Cassidy, suggest creating a separate fund to invest in stocks on the program’s behalf to cover the shortfall.

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Huron County Prosecutor Jim Sitterly refuses to give any assessment of the new crash report or other new evidence turned over to the sheriff and his office related to the the 21-year-old corrections officer’s death in 2018.

Sitterly and Sheriff Todd Corbin both want to keep her death classified as an accident—sort of—and neither man will respond to questions about how she died, whether they are continuing to investigate and whether they will ask for additional expert assistance.

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The State Highway Patrol Sandusky post is investigating the crash, which happened at about 1:45 p.m. in the eastbound lane near milepost 10. The 13-year-old was operating the ATV; the 10-year-old was a passenger.

The ATV was struck by a 2021 Toyota Rav4, operated by Martin Klenk of Berlin Heights. The Toyota traveled off the left side of the roadway, overturned, and struck a utility pole, catching fire.

The older child was transported to Fisher-Titus Medical Center.

The 10-year-old passenger’s injuries, which were described as “life-threatening,” was transported to UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital by a medical helicopter.

SANDUSKY — A 30-year-old Sandusky man was killed Saturday after the vehicle he was driving went through a stop sign on state Route 113 and River Road without stopping, struck a ravine and overturned.

Jacob A. Lehrer, 30, was ejected from the Lincoln MKC and succumbed to injuries at the scene, according to the Sandusky Post of State Highway Patrol. The accident happened at 11 p.m., and remains under investigation.

Doyle B. Durst, 65, Bettsville, was eastbound on County Road 62 when he drove off the right side of the roadway. He overcorrected, according to the Patrol, causing the vehicle to travel off the left side of the road, where it struck an embankment and overturned.

Durst was ejected from his vehicle and succumbed to fatal injuries at the scene.

This crash remains under investigation.

The coordinated attacks resurfaced recently on social media. “It took less than two months to out the law firm bankrolling Tracy Thom and Matt Westerhold’s dark PR efforts and case solicitation grift,” convicted felon Elsebeth Baumgartner posted on Facebook.

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A certified, genuine war hero, Corbin was a standout as deputy for all the wrong reasons. In one instance, he failed to file a report or followup to connect a victim with a detective, leading to her rapist never being questioned or ever being brought to justice, according to one disciplinary report. As a supervisor, Corbin also failed to require deputies to file crime reports properly, according to another disciplinary record from back then.

Corbin, at the time and since, has claimed those reports were political, from his opponents. But his time since, as sheriff, bears out the warnings of those early documented instances of dangerous incompetence. My reporting since 2022 about Sheriff Corbin shows numerous instances in which records about other botched investigations—murders, rapes, suicides, drug investigations, and internal investigations—are missing, lost, destroyed, misplaced or otherwise unavailable.

Sheriff’s office personnel don’t have the skillsets needed to secure a crime scene, collect evidence, interview witnesses or safeguards for accurate documentation, reporting and record keeping, based on their histories of failures to meet basic standards of accountability. Corbin, and Huron County Prosecutor Jim Sitterly, over the years, have been oblivious to violations of the state’s Public Records Act and the Ohio Revised Code. The lack of professionalism in county offices feeds on itself.

For Amanda Dean, and for Katelynn Shepard, the consequences proved deadly.

In the beginning

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That’s what’s playing out for Ford, who was indicted Thursday on a 13th charge in her ongoing criminal fraud trial in Erie County Common Pleas Court. A grand jury indicted Ford on an additional charge of perjury, after a trial last month ended with a deadlocked jury. Ford, the only defense witness, lied on the witness stand, according to prosecutors.

Under Ohio Revised Code 2929.15, judges hold immense leverage over felony probationers. While non-criminal infractions like a missed meeting are categorized as “technical violations,” committing a new crime is considered a “substantive violation.”

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A Channel 19 News Cleveland reporter, Nichole Vrsansky, launched a blockbuster story citing a crash reconstruction expert who said there is no explanation for the trajectory of the pickup Katelynn Shepard was in when she was killed, or how it ended up in the ravine off Town Line Road 187.

Vrsansky reported Sheriff Todd Corbin declined comment because the accident was still under investigation. Corbin has stuck with that explanation since Katelynn was killed on July 9, 2018. He’s never personally met with Katelynn’s family, or their advocate, the same behavior he displayed when he was being questioned about why he never investigated the murder of Amanda Dean.

Do your job

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