SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio — Richard “Peck” Turner, a 29-year-old resident of Franklin Furnace, has been sentenced to a prison term of 23-28.5 years following a four-day jury trial presided over by Judge Mark Kuhn of the Scioto County Court of Common Pleas.
Turner was originally indicted on counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder, Attempted Murder, Felonious Assault, and Breaking and Entering, stemming from events that occurred on August 21, 2023, at 161 Big Doney Road in the Franklin Furnace area of Scioto County. After approximately four hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Turner of Attempted Murder, a Felony 1 level charge, Felonious Assault (of a peace officer), also a Felony 1 level charge, and Breaking and Entering, a Felony 5 level charge.
Immediately following the trial, Judge Kuhn announced Turner’s punishment, sentencing him to a maximum term of incarceration in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections of 23 years, plus an indefinite period of an additional 5.5 years. Ohio law allows for a sentence of 3-11 years for Felony 1 level charges and 6-12 months for Felony 5 charges.
The charges against Turner stemmed from an incident on August 21, 2023, when the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting squatters illegally residing at 161 Big Doney Road. Deputies responded, and upon entering the residence, found Turner passed out naked in a bedroom. Turner fled the scene, leading to a lengthy chase during which he resisted arrest and assaulted a deputy.
Despite the deputy’s efforts to subdue him, Turner managed to put the deputy in a chokehold, forcibly submerging him underwater. The deputy, after ingesting a large amount of stagnant water, dirt, and debris, was able to make it to safety and receive medical attention.
During the trial, the State of Ohio presented 14 witnesses over a four-day period, detailing the events of the incident and the subsequent manhunt for Turner. Turner was eventually located and arrested, after which he attempted to claim that he was the victim of an unprovoked assault by the deputy.