Tipp City man indicted on murder charge after death of assault victim

Joshua Thomas Kerg

Credit: Miami County Jail

Credit: Miami County Jail

Joshua Thomas Kerg

A Tipp City man originally charged with felonious assault in the April 27 severe beating of a woman in the front yard of a Tipp City home was indicted on new charges of murder and felonious assault following the death of Sheila Davis, 67, of Tipp City.

Joshua Kerg, 33, pleaded not guilty Monday to the charges included in a new indictment issued by a Miami County Grand Jury.

Common Pleas Court Judge Stacy Wall increased his bail from $100,000 to $600,000. Kerg remains in the county jail. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Jan. 3.

Davis died Sept. 27.

She had been hospitalized since the attack when Tipp City police said she engaged in a verbal altercation with Kerg at his father’s home. During the altercation, Kerg allegedly grabbed her by the waist and carried her to the front lawn, where he punched her with his bare fists until she was unconscious, police said.

She had remained in a coma since the attack, Wall was told in an earlier court hearing.

Kerg pleaded no contest to felonious assault and was found guilty by Wall in September. However, he was not sentenced on that charge before Davis died.

Before the first plea, Kerg underwent competency and sanity evaluations. He was found competent to stand trial and sane at the time of the assault following the evaluations conducted in August.

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