James Edward Geran, 45, killed his “business associate in criminal activity” and dumped her body on the side of the road before killing his girlfriend’s mother during a standoff with deputies June 13 in Trenton, according to the sheriff’s office.
Geran was hospitalized under guard at a Dayton hospital for his gunshot wound until Tuesday, when he was released and booked into the Butler County Jail on two charges of murder.
He appeared in Middletown Municipal Court this morning for arraignment. Judge James Sherron read the charges and set the $4 million bond.
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Geran, who stood beside the bench said nothing during the short hearing, but shook his head when the judge asked if he needed a court-appointed attorney.
He also scanned the courtroom, but it did not appear that any of his family members of members of the victims’ families were present.
Geran, a convicted felon, shot Megan Motter in the head, killing her, and dumped her body off Woodsdale Road in Madison Twp., according to Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
The investigation of Motter’s death led deputies to an apartment in Trenton.
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When deputies knocked on the door of the Sal Boulevard apartment, Geran shot at them, according to Jones. Deputies returned fire, shooting about three rounds of bullets as they took cover, according to the sheriff.
Inside, Geran had three hostages: his 26-year-old girlfriend, Gina McCleary; her 27-year-old sister, Tammy Davis; and their mother, 63-year-old Sharon McCleary, Jones said. Over the course of about two hours, Geran continued to fire between five and eight times at the deputies outside, but negotiators were able to talk him into releasing the sisters.
Sheriff’s Office negotiators were eventually able to talk Geran out of the home.
“Said he was going to smoke a cigarette first,” Jones said.
However, when he let the second sister out, he immediately closed the door, the sheriff said.
“We tried to make entry at that time, then we heard gunfire,” Jones said.
Geran then crawled out, having shot himself in the chin with a .380 caliber gun, Jones said.
Geran was talking to emergency personal when he was taken from the scene, Jones said.
Inside the apartment, deputies found Sharon McCleary dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
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