Athens County man guilty of murder and four other charges in 2019 assault

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) – A southeastern Ohio man was found guilty of murder and three other charges after a four-day trial in Athens County Common Pleas court last week.

According to a release by Athens County Prosecuting Attorney Keller Blackburn, Justin Pennington, 37, of Guysville, was found guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter, breaking and entering and two counts of felonious assault.

Pennington will face a sentencing judge later this month after he was convicted of killing Blaine Sharpe, 59, of Lodi Township on June 13, 2021. On that day Pennington went to Sharpe’s home in Shade and brutally assaulted him. According to an Athens County Sheriff’s Office report, Pennington then walked to the home of Sharpe’s daughter and said, “I just beat the pulp out of her father, he is laying on the porch and she better go check on him.”

Sharpe was unresponsive to medics on the scene with visible injuries to his head. He was taken to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens where he later died.

An hour after the original assault a call came in to Athens County 911 saying Pennington had allegedly used an aluminum bat to assault two women on Fossil Rock Road. Authorities say Pennington fled into nearby woods where law enforcement took him into custody.

Pennington was also accused of attacking another man in August of 2018, however, the victim was uncooperative with the police investigation at the time. For the murder case, he was issued a $1 million bond without being allowed a 10 percent posting in June of 2021, and will face a sentencing judge later this month.