McDermott was scheduled to go to trial Monday on murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse charges. However, he pleaded guilty to charges via a bill of information filed that day. The murder and felonious assault charges were dismissed.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
McDermott is one of two people accused in the death of 47-year-old Steven T. Johnson.
On Oct. 8, 2018, a Browns Nursery worker found a body — later identified as Johnson — off Arlington Road. He was reportedly wrapped in plastic and put inside a sleeping bag.
Johnson died from blunt force trauma, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
Former Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer previously said Johnson was killed at a vacant house on Eichelberger Avenue in Dayton and that a metal pipe may have been involved.
McDermott’s co-defendant, David Savage, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in October 2021 and was sentenced to 13 years in prison in January 2022, according to court records.
As part of the plea deal, McDermott will be sentenced to 11 years in prison, according to court records. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31.
We have reached out to McDermott’s attorney for a statement and will update this story once we receive a response.
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