By Mary Beth Lane The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS – A Licking County judge says lapses in protocol and judgment led to a domestic violence suspect being released early from jail weeks before he killed his alleged assault victim, two others and himself.
The judge who granted early release from jail to the gunman who killed his ex-girlfriend, her co-worker and the Kirkersville police chief May 12 has identified problems with the release and supervision of Thomas Hartless and outlined steps being taken to address how offenders on probation for domestic violence are supervised in the future.
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Licking County Municipal Court Judge Michael F. Higgins released the report Thursday as part of his review of how probation officers supervised Hartless after his release. The investigation, conducted by Kevin Saad, director of the Licking County Municipal Court Adult Probation Department, identified several “areas of concern” in the post-release supervision of Hartless.
Higgins sentenced Hartless March 23 to 90 days in jail and two years on probation for assaulting girlfriend Marlina Medrano. On April 12, Higgins signed an entry that released Hartless from jail and placed him on probation for one year.
Among the report’s key findings:
• No checks and balances governed the early-release process.
• The senior probation officer didn’t approve the probation officer’s recommendation to release Hartless, and no formal hearing was held before the judge signed the order releasing him.
• The probation officer didn’t read all three incident reports about domestic violence by Hartless or any of the court files, and neither the judge nor the probation officer ordered a no-contact order with the victim.
In immediate response to those failures, a new three-tiered system of checks and balances has been implemented effective Thursday. Included: a probation officer case review including a thorough jail interview with the offender. A senior probation officer or probation department director must then review the case and interview packet. Then the presiding judge will review the entire case and interview packet during a formal early-release hearing.
The Advocate in Newark reports Hartless wasn’t supposed to have weapons, but a probation officer never checked his home, where authorities later found over 60 guns.