May
LEBANON — The widow of the Warren County Sheriff’s deputy killed last week during a high-speed chase sat in court and watched as a $2 million bond was set for the man accused of killing her husband.
Marcus Isreal, 22, of Middeltown plead not guilty to nine felony charges, including murder, during his arraignment Tuesday in Warren County Common Pleas Court.
Prosecutor David Fornshell asked Judge James Flannery to set the high bond, citing Isreal’s criminal record and said he was a flight risk.
Following the hearing, Isreal’s attorney, Clyde Bennett, said he would seek a special prosecutor and a different venue for the case to be tried.
“Warren County is a very conservative county…. I’m not convinced a jury of his peers can give him a fair trial,” Bennett said.
Isreal allegedly drove the stolen Cadillac that was pursued in a high-speed chase May 10 by Franklin police across northern Warren County. The chase ended on U.S. 42 at Utica Road near Lebanon when the car struck and killed Sgt. Brian Dulle while traveling more than 100 mph, according to police.
Isreal faces felony charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, two counts of felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, receiving stolen property, two counts of having a weapon under disability and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. Each carries a firearms specification because police said Isreal had a gun.
If convicted on all charges, Isreal faces 37½ years to life in prison, Fornshell said.
Sheriff Larry Sims and members of Dulle’s family, including his wife, Abbie, were in the courtroom. The small courtroom was crammed with deputies, court officials and the media.
Some of Isreal’s family members were also at the court building.
Isreal remained silent during the arraignment. He was escorted by five sheriff’s deputies.
“I want to apologize to the family,” Isreal told reporters as he was being escorted from his May 12 arraignment in Lebanon Municipal Court. “I want to make sure they’re OK.”
Bennett represented former Mason High School student Bruce Suggs in a 2007 police shooting incident in West Chester Twp. Bennett was convicted of federal charges after pleading guilty to making illegal financial transactions in 2007. His license to practice law was reinstated on April 29.
Sims said the Sheriff’s Office and the family of Sgt. Brian Dulle appreciate the “tremendous support” the community has shown over the past several days.
“We’re making sure our staff is getting through this as best they can,” Sims said.
In addition to a number of planned fund-raisers for the Dulle family, Sims cited a couple of examples of the “heart-warming” support.
Some of those examples included a father of a young set of twins who went to a local bank and donated the dollar they each received for their birthday and an 88-year-old woman who walked from her home near the Warren County Career Center to attend the graveside services for Dulle at Lebanon Cemetery.
Sims also said two residents used metal detectors around the crash scene to locate Dulle’s wedding ring that had come off of his finger. He said the ring was located on Saturday and returned to Dulle’s widow as she was leaving the cemetery after the graveside services.
“We look at these examples as positives and the arraignment was another part of the process,” he said.
When asked if it was difficult for Sims to look at Isreal during the court proceedings, he said that it was but he also wants to make sure the system works.
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