ROSS COUNTY, Ohio– A Chillicothe man may spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of Gloria Speakman.
Around 1:00 a.m. on April 14, 2021, Chillicothe Police were dispatched to the BP gas station on East Main Street on a single-vehicle accident. Upon arrival, officers discovered Gloria Speakman, 40, Chillicothe, with a knife wound to the head. EMS took Speakman to the hospital in critical condition. She would later succumb to her injuries.
In June, Chad Kuntz, 40, Chillicothe, was indicted for Speakman’s murder.
After a short trial, jurors in Ross County found Kuntz guilty of murder, felonious assault, and reckless homicide. Lawyers for Kuntz said that Speakman’s death was an accident. Ross County Prosecutor Jeffrey Marks argued otherwise.
Judge Mathew Schmidt sentenced Kuntz to 25 years to life in prison. Kuntz would not be eligible for parole until having served a minimum of 25 years.