Year added to sentence for abuse of a corpse

YOUNGSTOWN — A murderer got an additional year tacked onto his prison sentence for abuse of a corpse during a resentencing hearing in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Dustin Phipps, 22, of Moyer Avenue, Boardman, drew the extra prison time today from Judge Maureen A. Sweeney after the 7th District Court of Appeals ordered the resentencing on the abuse of a corpse charge.

The appellate court said Judge Charles J. Bannon erred in 2004 by failing to state on the court record his reasoning behind the 11-month sentence he imposed for the abuse of a corpse. Judge Bannon had made that sentence concurrent with a mandatory 15-years-to-life sentence for the Feb. 28, 2002, murder of Adam T. Dixon, 18, of Boardman.

For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.