60-year-old woman’s death ruled a homicide

Staff report

LIBERTY

The August death of a 60-year-old woman that initially appeared to be accidental was ruled a homicide by late Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk in March.

Loraine Lynn of Ravenna was found Aug. 2 face down in a pond at a Shannon Road residence.

At the time, police believed she was cutting grass with a tractor when she fell into the pond.

In March, Dr. Germaniuk ruled Lynn’s death a homicide.

Liberty Police Chief Rich Tisone said the eight-month gap between Lynn’s death and Dr. Germaniuk’s ruling presents a speed bump for investigators.

“That’s a little bit of a hurdle, but that’s not going to deter us in our investigation,” Tisone said.

He said detectives have been working vigorously on the case since Dr. Germaniuk changed his ruling in March.

He declined to provide further details about what officers and Dr. Germaniuk found while the case remains under investigation.

Tisone said Dr. Germaniuk, who died in April, was one of the best coroners, and his willingness to change the ruling is a testament to his abilities.