Plea in aggravated vehicular homicide case

YOUNGSTOWN — The jury trial of Michael J. Behanna on an aggravated vehicular homicide charge in the death of Wendy Manis ended abruptly Tuesday afternoon in a plea agreement that will keep Behanna locked up for about three more years.

Behanna’s lawyer, John F. Shultz, said the prosecution’s assertion that Behanna was drunk at the time of the crash was weakened by testimony concerning police mishandling of blood evidence supporting that assertion.

Shultz said that testimony put him in a favorable position to negotiate a plea agreement, in which the prosecution recommended a four-year prison term on a reduced level of aggravated vehicular homicide charge.

In the plea agreement, Behanna also pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and evidence tampering charges from an unrelated multi-count automobile theft and conspiracy indictment, with the prosecution recommending a total of 4 1/2 years in prison for those offenses. The four years for aggravated vehicular homicide will be served concurrently with the 4 1/2 years in the other case.

The defense waived a pre-sentence investigation, and Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the sentences Tuesday as recommended by the prosecution. Behanna will get credit for 16 months he has already been jailed.

Read more in Wednesday’s Vindicator and at vindy.com