Ravenna mother charged in crash that killed three, including her daughters, may plead in July

A Ravenna woman charged in a crash that killed two of her daughters and another girl and injured several others may be planning to enter a plea.

A July 19 jury trial for Julianne M. Shead, 42, has been canceled and a plea hearing has been scheduled in its place, according to Portage County Court of Common Pleas records.

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During a June 13 bond hearing, Shead's attorneys, Candace Knox and Jonathan Sinn, both told Judge Laurie Pittman that they had received a plea offer from the prosecution.

"In respect to a plea offer, we did just get that," said Sinn.

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Friday that the prosecutor's office believes Shead will plead.

"She has an agreement to plead," said Vigluicci. "I wouldn't say it's a bargain."

He declined to provide details.

"It's kind of a delicate spot right now, so we'll wait and see what happens," he said.

Sinn and Knox did not return phone calls seeking comment on Friday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Shead was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado at a high rate of speed when she lost control at a curve on Peck Road in Shalersville during the afternoon of Dec. 13, 2020. The pickup truck went off the east side of the road and hit a tree. The force of the impact caused severe structural damage to the vehicle and six of the occupants were ejected.

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Marlana J. Mullin, 22, Christine Shead, 12 — both Shead’s daughters — and Evey Montecalvo, 13, were killed. Shead's then 14-year-old sons, Garret and Austin Shead, Brandon Krotzer, then 15 and not a relative of Shead's, and Shead’s nephew Matthieu Glass, then 19, and Shead herself were all injured.

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A grand jury indicted Shead with three counts of first-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide, three counts of second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide, four counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault, four counts of third-degree felony vehicular assault, one count each of operating a vehicle under the influence, OVI of alcohol and OVI of meth, and driving under suspension, all first-degree misdemeanors, and reckless operation and failure to control, both minor misdemeanors.

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During the bond hearing, Sinn said he and Knox have never contested whether Shead had been using alcohol, but both he and Knox said there were questions as to whether she had been using meth.

Also during the bond hearing, Pittman ordered that Shead have no contact with several of her surviving children at their request. Shead is being held in Portage County Jail on a $1.5-million bond.

Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.