Suspect in Leipsic shooting death enters insanity plea

OTTAWA — The Lima man charged with murder in last month’s shooting death at a trucking company entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity late last week.

According to court records, Konner Dunklee filed a written motion on Thursday, May 16 asking the court to order an evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial. Judge Keith Schierloh approved that request the following day.

Dunklee, 26, faces a murder charge in the April 18 shootingdeath of Farrah Croninger at Kitchen Enterprises Trucking Company in Leipsic.

A pretrial hearing scheduled for Monday in Putnam County Common Pleas Court for Konner Dunklee was canceled. Schierloh also ordered a subsequent pretrial hearing scheduled for June 20 and Dunklee’s jury trial set for July 15 to be postponed.

Dunklee was indicted by a Putnam County grand jury last month on charges of aggravated murder, murder, attempt to cause an offense and felonious assault in the shooting death of Croninger, 30, of Deshler.

Croninger died when police say Dunklee entered the Leipsic business and opened fire. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and found Croninger dead at the scene. Michael Kitchen, 54, was also injured during the shooting and was transported to Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima.

Dunklee is being held in the Putnam County jail on a $1 million bond. Findlay attorney Drew Mihalik was appointed to serve as his public defender.