News Release
A long time Adams County resident, recently of West Portsmouth, Ohio, was convicted of two counts of felonious assault and one count of kidnapping following a three-day jury trial in the Scioto County Court of Common Pleas on June 18, 2026. Leo Cassidy, age 46, was facing 6 total felony counts, including one count of kidnapping, four counts of felonious assault, and an additional count of attempted felonious assault. The trial was presided over by Judge Howard H. Harcha III. The State of Ohio’s case was presented by chief assistant prosecutor Julie Cooke Hutchinson, along with assistant prosecuting attorney Matthew Loesch while Cassidy was represented by local attorney Jesse Scott.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. on January 3, 2025, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office received multiple 911 calls reporting a woman in distress going house-to-house seeking help in the Blue Creek area along State Route 125. When Adams County Sheriff deputies responded to the scene, they encountered a 39-year old female Scioto County resident with what they described as significant facial injuries. She reported being assaulted by a male while she was a passenger in a White Nissan Altima and that she had exited the vehicle while it was still in motion.
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