Credit: Darke County Jail
Credit: Darke County Jail
William R. Duncan was found shot to death Oct. 6, 2022, in the 5000 block of Smith Road in Liberty Twp. in western Darke County.
“An adult male was found outside near a back door with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. This subject was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Sheriff Mark Whittaker said at the time.
Fields called 911, which was routed to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department in Richmond, Indiana. He told the dispatcher: “I just shot this (expletive) trying to get into my house. He’s dead.” The caller identified himself as William Fields, the affidavit stated.
A neighbor said Fields also called him following the shooting, and said “I just shot Dunc in the head,” according to an affidavit.
Duncan’s girlfriend said they lived at the home and had slept inside the night before the shooting. She said Duncan was trying to get into the house to retrieve blankets so they could sleep in their camper parked in the backyard.
“The witness stated she heard one gunshot and found her boyfriend deceased on the ground (near) the back door,” the affidavit read.
Fields was one of two suspects in separate murder investigations to have their cases transferred out of county after concerns that a social media post by the sheriff could result in unfair trials.
Whittaker in November 2022 posted on the department’s Facebook page that Fields and another man indicted in a separate murder case were released from jail after posting bail.
“As sheriff of Darke County and in the interest of public safety, I am compelled to inform the citizens of Darke County of the following information. Today, November 10, 2022, the following two subjects posted bond and are released from the Darke County Jail as required by the Darke County Common Pleas Court,” the post read. “Both subjects are on electronic home monitoring by the Court’s pretrial services division and are on house arrest as a condition of bond. Dean M. Baker is under indictment for murder, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse and is released on a $150,000.00 bond pending trial. William L. Fields is under indictment for murder and is released on $75,000.00 bond pending trial.”
A few weeks later, defense attorneys for both men requested the cases be moved out of Darke County. Both cited concerns with information released by the sheriff’s office, according to court documents.
Retired Darke County Common Pleas Judge Jonathan P. Hein in December ruled Baker’s case would be moved to Clark County and Fields’ case would be in Seneca County.
The judge noted Whittaker’s role as sheriff includes investigating criminal activity and operating a jail in addition to other administrative and registration duties.
“However, the Baker and Fields cases demonstrate the problems that result when the sheriff expands his role to be that of a social media influencer,” Hein wrote. “These cases are clearly the first time such conduct has occurred regarding persons charged with homicide. In doing so, regardless of his subjective intent, the sheriff inaccurately stereotyped both defendants as threats to the public. Further, he prejudiced both defendants by joining their cases together where there is no factual relation between them.”
Whittaker disagreed his Facebook post was enough to have the two cases moved out of Darke County.
“All I did was provide public information,” he said previously.
While the state filed for the judge to reconsider the change of venue in the cases, Judge Travis L. Fliehman — who was sworn as common pleas court judge after Hein stepped down — denied both reconsiderations.
Baker, 36, of Greenville was sentenced in June to 22 years to life in the August 2022 death of 30-year-old Corey Fleming, whose body was found in a shallow grave last summer at a commercial poultry farm in Brown Twp.
He is incarcerated in the Richland Correctional Institution, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction.
Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction
Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction
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