MARION—On September 26, Jonathan Welch was sentenced by Judge Matthew Frericks to life in prison.
Last month, Welch pleaded guilty to murdering Jasper Braddy.
“Mr. Welch demonstrated no value for Mr. Braddy’s life, and so I believe he should spend the rest of his behind bars,” said Ray Grogan, Marion County Prosecutor.
In July of 2020, Welch called 911 to report that he had shot Jasper Braddy and then buried him in the backyard of his home located at 476 St. Gallen Avenue in the city of Marion.
Police responded to the home and found an area in the backyard with freshly planted flowers and top soil.
The next day the area was investigated by a team from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and a trash can was found with a body inside of it. The body was identified as that of Jasper Braddy.
“As I said at the sentencing hearing when Mr. Welch is eligible for parole, I will be there to fight against it, whether I am still the county prosecutor or a private citizen, “said Grogan. Under Ohio law, Welch is eligible for parole in 15 years.
“I want to thank Jasper’s family, especially his mother, for the patience and grace with which they have handled this horrible ordeal,” Grogan said. “I also want to thank the Marion, Ohio Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Marion, OH, the Lucas County Coroner’s Office, the Marion County Coroner’s Office, Marion County Children Services, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost – BCI, for their work on this case.”