Bleything pleads guilty to murder, YSPD chief responds • The Yellow Springs News

On Monday, November 18, 22-year-old Jackson Isaiah Bleything pleaded guilty to the March 14 murder of Yellow Springs resident Connie Vang.

Greene County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Buckwalter sentenced Bleything to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 30 years.

In exchange for pleading guilty to charges of aggravated murder, improperly discharging a firearm into or into a dwelling, aggravated assault and five counts of tampering with evidence, Bleything’s other charges of possession of criminal tools and inducing panic were dismissed – a Exchange that allowed Bleything to avoid the maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

Bleything, a Springfield resident and 2020 graduate of Yellow Springs High School, was arrested March 17 – three days after the fatal shooting of 71-year-old Vang at her South High Street home.

Vang’s obituary, which appeared in the March 28 edition of the News, described her as “the embodiment of hearth and home for so many and … one of the kindest and most beautiful people.”

After a weekend-long manhunt, police arrested Bleything in Clark County, 16 miles from the crime scene, about three hours after he pointed his gun at another Yellow Springs resident on West South College Street.

Upon his arrest, Bleything initially pleaded not guilty to murder and later pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. This plea was officially withdrawn on November 15, ahead of a jury trial scheduled for November 18, which was replaced by the hearing at which Bleything pleaded guilty.

Jackson Isaiah Bleything, 22, was arrested Sunday, March 17, in connection with a murder that occurred Thursday, March 14. The 2020 Yellow Springs High School graduate pleaded guilty to murder on Nov. 18 and faces life in prison. (Submitted photo)

The boss responds to requests and previous concerns

As the News reported earlier this year, some residents were disturbed not only by Bleything’s crimes, but also by the Yellow Springs Police Department’s (YSPD) response – particularly the department’s public communications between the murder and Bleything’s arrest three days later.

The situation began on Thursday, March 14, when YSPD responded to a report of an assault at a residence in the 600 block of South High Street at 7:45 p.m. On the way to the apartment, the single officer on duty received additional information from the dispatch center that the victim of the alleged assault had possibly suffered a gunshot wound. This information led the officer to issue a “Signal 99,” an emergency call that brought over two dozen police officers from surrounding jurisdictions to the scene. Two hours later, the home was classified as an active crime scene by the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI).

A few hours after the shooting, the Village of Yellow Springs released a statement on social media to, as Chief Paige Burge told the News earlier this year, “explain the escalated police response” and “inform residents that an ongoing investigation.” running”.

The suspect – who Burge said was unknown at the time – had disappeared from the scene and was at large.

This weekend, Burge said local law enforcement and BCI “worked around the clock for more than 20 hours collecting evidence and interviewing neighbors and potential witnesses … to identify a suspect or suspects.”

This investigation culminated on Sunday, March 17, when the YSPD received a 911 call at approximately 6:15 p.m. from a West South College Street resident who reported that they had answered the door to a man named Bleything who was a Gun pointed at him.

Later, at 9:31 p.m. – more than three hours after the 911 call – the village, via its Facebook page, urged residents to “be on the lookout” for a person considered “armed and dangerous” and ” to stay in place.” and “refrain from answering doors” while BCI and Yellow Springs police conducted their search.

A hyper-reach emergency notification was also sent to area residents at 10:19 p.m. with identical text to the previous Facebook post.

Then, at 10:59 p.m., the village lifted its alert via Facebook and Hyper-Reach, notifying the public that there was a “person in custody.” Investigators found Bleything at an apartment on Willowdale Road in neighboring Clark County and arrested him shortly before 11 p.m

On Monday, March 18, the Village of Yellow Springs held a press conference where Police Chief Paige Burge (center) confirmed that Jackson Bleything had been arrested the night before in connection with a murder on Thursday, March 14 At the podium were Village Council President Kevin Stokes (left) and Village Administrator Johnnie Burns. (video still)

At both a press conference and a regular village council meeting the following Monday, Yellow Springs residents and news media filled the council chambers to express their concerns and ask Chief Burge a series of questions:

Why didn’t the YSPD immediately inform the villagers that a neighbor was killed? That the suspect – or several – was at large for three days? Why did it take the village over three hours on Sunday to notify the community that a likely suspect had pulled a gun on a resident’s front door? Were social media and hyper-reach the best means of communication?

In response to these concerns, Chief Burge in her press conference waived what she described as “standard procedure” whereby both the BCI and YSPD do not release details about ongoing investigations until “final information” is available.

Earlier this week – more than half a year since Vang’s death and Bleything behind bars – Chief Burge spoke to the News via email to address Bleything’s plea and what she described as “the belief that the community at large during the investigation remained at risk” said the YSPD “willfully failed” to inform community members of possible risks to their safety.

“During the execution of the initial search warrant conducted to identify any evidence at the residence related to the murder, evidence was discovered that provided investigators with clues to a possible motive for the murder,” Burge stated. “As a result of this discovery, a second investigation was launched which ran parallel to the murder investigation.”

This discovery of incriminating evidence, Burge said, led her and investigators to believe there was “no major threat to the community.”

She added that while the murder investigation was closed due to Bleything’s admission of guilt, the second investigation was still open and ongoing. She declined to provide further details about this ongoing investigation.

In her most recent correspondence with the News, Burge reiterated similar sentiments to those in March – that she remains proud of her department and its contribution to Bleything’s arrest.

“While the investigation was conducted properly, any complex law enforcement response will be met with challenges and criticism – both of which I welcome,” she said. “We have been steadfast in our commitment to public safety and justice for this family, which has resulted in the arrest and conviction of a murder suspect who no longer poses a threat to this or any other community.”

Chief Burge added, “For the sake of the family, we are very pleased that this chapter is now closed.”