Geran pleaded guilty last month in Butler County Common Pleas Court to aggravated murder for shooting his girlfriend’s mother, Sharon McCleary, in the head on June 13 and murder for the fatal shooting of Megan Motter the day before.
Judge Keith Speath sentences James Geran to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the first charge for the shooting death of Sharon McCleary. @journalnews
— Lauren Pack (@LPackJN) January 17, 2019
Defense is asking the guns not be destroyed because he believes there is a possibility someone else could be charged with murder @journalnews
— Lauren Pack (@LPackJN) January 17, 2019
UPDATE @ 11:22 a.m.
The sentencing hearing for James Geran has started in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
James Geran sentencing starting now. Faces like in prison without possibility of parole for killing two women @journalnews pic.twitter.com/mBLIAGLwnY
— Lauren Pack (@LPackJN) January 17, 2019
Geran now addressing the judge. "Not a minute goes by that I don't regret my actions," @journalnews
— Lauren Pack (@LPackJN) January 17, 2019
INITIAL REPORT, 6:42 a.m., Jan. 17
A Middletown man will be sentenced today for killing two women last summer then turning the gun on himself after a standoff in Trenton.
Geran, 45, pleaded guilty last month in Butler County Common Pleas Court to aggravated murder for shooting his girlfriend’s mother, Sharon McCleary, in the head on June 13 and murder for the fatal shooting of Megan Motter the day before.
MORE: Middletown man pleads guilty to killing 2 women
The charges each carry three-year gun specification, which increases the sentence, and the prosecution has agreed the charges will run concurrent in exchange for the plea. Additional charges of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation and two counts of having weapons under disability were dismissed in exchange for a plea.
Geran faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The minimum sentence is life in prison with the possibility of parole after 26 years.
Despite a self-inflicted gunshot to the face as the standoff ended, Geran is able to talk and spoke clearly when he entered the guilty pleas.
MORE: Suicide attempt may be used as evidence in double murder trial
Geran, a convicted felon, shot Motter in the head, killed her and dumped her body off Woodsdale Road in Madison Twp. The investigation of Motter’s death led deputies to the Trenton apartment.
When deputies knocked on the door of the Sal Boulevard apartment, Geran shot at them, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
Over the course of about two hours, Geran continued to fire between five to eight times at the deputies outside. Negotiators talked him into releasing two sisters, including one who was his girlfriend.
However, when Geran let the second sister out, he immediately closed the door and deputies heard gunfire.
Geran then crawled out, having shot himself in the chin with a .380 caliber gun, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said in June.
Inside the apartment, deputies found McCleary dead.
MORE: $4 million bond set for Middletown man charged with double murder
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