Investigators honored for work on Trumbull homicide cases

Staff report

WARREN

Law-enforcement officers in Bazetta and Howland townships, Cortland, Warren, Niles, Lordstown and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office were honored Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Trumbull County Homicide Investigation and Prosecution Unit.

Bazetta Det. Joe Sofchek, Cortland Det. David Morris, Sheriff’s Det. Jolene Marcello and Lordstown Det. Chris Bordonaro were recognized for work in the child-homicide case involving 4-year-old Nicholas Partin, who died at his mother’s home on North Park Ave. in Bazetta in June 2013.

Awards were given to Det. Justin Soroka, Sgt. Jeff Urso and Capt. Nick Roberts of the Howland Police Department for their investigation of the death of Laura L. Michael. Her brother, Bradley E. Milligan was convicted in her death.

Warren Police Patrolman David Weber, Det. John Greaver, Det. Mike Stabile and Sgt. Gary Riggins were honored for their investigation and testimony in the trial of Richard Clark, convicted last year in the murder of Dwayne Hickman at Hickman’s home on Williamsburg Street Northwest. Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation forensic expert Lindsay Pruneski and Stacey Violo were honored for their professionalism and testimony in the case.

Maj. Tom Stewart, Det. Mike Yannucci and Marcello of the sheriff’s office were honored for their work in the prosecution of William Helmuth in the death of Craig C. Neighbor at the Bristol Inn in January 2014.

Det. Craig Aurilio, Lt. Dan Atkins and Det. Jim Robbins of the Niles Police Department were honored for their work, which cleared the homeowner of any wrongdoing and led to the prosecution of four would-be burglars in the 2013 shooting death of a fifth would-be burglar at a house on state Route 46 in Niles.

The group also honored Fran Hively of the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office for 30 years of administrative service to the organization, which was created in 1984.