Menke arraigned on murder, other counts

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

An Ohio City woman accused of killing her mother and shooting her father is apparently seeking a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity plea, if her arraignment in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court is any indication.

A tear-streaked Tamara Menke, 47, shackled and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, was largely unresponsive during the arraignment hearing Monday morning. Her attorney, Scott Gordon, spoke for her throughout the hearing, and, when it came time to enter a plea, Gordon said his client was not prepared to do so at that time, and requested a mental competency evaluation be done on his client prior to a plea being entered.

Judge Charles D. Steele decided to enter a provisional plea of not guilty for Menke — at least until a competency evaluation can be completed.

“The court will order a plea of not guilty, with the understanding that, following a mental evaluation, you may decide to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity,” Judge Steele said, to which Gordon replied: “That is correct.”

Menke is facing one count of aggravated murder, an unspecified charge that carries a prison term of between 20 years in prison without parole to life in prison without parole; as well as one count of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; felonious assault, a felony of the second degree; aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; and burglary, a felony of the third degree.

All five counts also carry a firearms specification, which would add a one-year mandatory prison term to each count, to be served consecutively to any other charge.

On the recommendation of Assistant County Prosecutor Martin Burchfield, Judge Steele continued a $1 million cash bond originally set by Van Wert Municipal Court Judge Jill Leatherman during Menke’s initial appearance in that court. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday, December 23, in Common Pleas Court.

Menke is charged in the shooting death of her mother, Barbara Robinson, and for also shooting and wounding her father, John Robinson, at the Robinson residence at 223 S. Fulton St.

Menke then allegedly fled the murder scene and eluded a search by law enforcement agencies for 15 hours before she was captured without incident near her rural Ohio City residence on November 16.

Also Monday, Paul Susralski, 47, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to 13 sex-related charges, including eight counts of pandering obscenity involving minors and four counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented materials or performance, all second-degree felonies; possession of criminal tools, a felony of the fifth degree.

Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 4, 2014.