Man charged in Cortland woman's death pleads guilty

WARREN — The Cortland man charged with hitting and killing a young woman jogging or walking along Ridge Road in Fowler Township last year has pleaded guilty to all charges.

Russell G. Lauer III, 45, of state Route 5 appeared before Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court today and changed his plea to guilty. Prosecutors will recommend eight years in prison when he is sentenced later.

Lauer has been in the county jail since shortly after the crash that killed Brittany Swedko, 27, of Cortland, who died of injuries March 1, 2016, two days after the accident.

Lauer was indicted on aggravated vehicular homicide, drunken driving and failing to stop after an accident. He could have gotten about 11 years in prison on those charges.

He was scheduled to go to trial July 10, but he also had asked for a hearing to argue that results of a test of his blood taken by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and statements Lauer gave to investigators should be suppressed from evidence.

The hearing was delayed by the retirement of a trooper from highway patrol who had been called to testify at the hearing but is now retired and living in South Carolina.

Today’s plea eliminates hearing and trial.