Leesburg man indicted on murder charge

A Leesburg man accused of shooting and killing another man last month was charged with murder during the Tuesday, Nov. 3 Highland County grand jury session.

Cassen Conaway, 20, was charged with one count of murder, an unclassified felony, with a gun specification; tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; and a forfeiture specification.

It is alleged that on or about Oct. 22, Conaway “did purposely cause the death” of a victim and that he “had a firearm on or about his person or under his control while committing the offense and used the firearm to facilitate the offense.” It is further alleged that on the same date, Conaway “did alter, destroy, conceal or remove a thing with the purpose to impair its value or availability as evidence in [a] proceeding or investigation.” A semiautomatic pistol is subject to forfeiture for its alleged “instrumentality in the commission or facilitation of the offense.”

As previously reported by the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, Conaway was taken into custody Oct. 23 after an overnight search. 

On  approximately 8:05 p.m., authorities responded to a shooting in the 13000 block of state Route 72. Deputies with the Highland County Sheriff's Office, Leesburg Police Department and EMS responded to the scene and found a 41-year-old male deceased. 

An intensive, multi-agency manhunt for the suspect, Conaway, continued throughout the night. The Highland County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, the Highland County Sheriff's Office Drone unit, the Greenfield Police Department’s K-9 unit, the Highland County Special Response Team, the Ohio State Patrol Aviation Unit, Ohio State Patrol Troopers, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and BCI&I assisted in the investigation and subsequent search for the suspect throughout the night. Highland County Victim Witness personnel also responded to assist those affected.

In other indictments:

• Quentin Mecklenborg, 50, of Cincinnati was charged with 10 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, all second-degree felonies.

All 10 counts are for offenses that allegedly occurred on or about May 1, 2025 and continuing through Sept. 1, 2025 “in Hamilton County and as a continuing course of criminal conduct in Highland County.” The indictment alleges that Mecklenborg “did … promote or advertise for sale or dissemination, sell, deliver, disseminate, display, exhibit, present, rent or provide, or offer or agree to sell, deliver, disseminate, display, exhibit, present, rent or provide, obscene material that has a minor or impaired person as one of its [participants] or portrayed observers.”

• Timothy Olderham, 52, of Hillsboro was indicted on a combined six charges in two separate indictments.

In the first indictment, Olderham was charged with one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a third-degree felony; and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

It is alleged that on or about Aug. 29, Olderham “did knowingly obtain, possess or use” meth “in an amount equal to or exceeding bulk amount but less than five times bulk amount,” as well as oxycodone, according to the indictment.

The second indictment charged Olderham with one count each of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, a second-degree felony; aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a second-degree felony; possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony; and a forfeiture specification.

For that indictment, it is alleged that on or about Oct. 11, Olderham “did knowingly prepare for shipment, ship, transport, deliver, prepare for distribution or distribute,” and “did knowingly obtain, possess or use,” meth in an amount equal to or exceeding five times bulk amount but less than 50 times bulk amount. He is also accused of “obtaining, possessing or using” cocaine on the same date. A firearm and $5,876 in U.S. currency allegedly in Olderham’s possession are subject to forfeiture due to their alleged “instrumentality in the commission or facilitation of the offense.”

As previously reported by the HCSO, on Oct. 11, a Highland County K9 deputy conducted a routine traffic stop on state Route 73 near state Route 785 after observing a vehicle travel left of center.  The driver, identified as Olderham, was allegedly found to be operating the vehicle without a valid driver's license. A subsequent search of the vehicle by deputies and K9 Dom led to the alleged discovery of a loaded handgun, felony-level narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

• Larry Nunley, 56, of Wilmington was charged with one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; and one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

It is alleged that on or about Sept. 11, Nunley “did operate a motor vehicle … so as willfully to elude or flee a police officer after receiving a visible or audible signal from a police officer to bring [his] motor vehicle to a stop.” It is further alleged that the “operation of the motor vehicle by the offender caused a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.” On the same date, Nunley is accused of “obtaining, possessing or using” meth.

As reported by the HCSO, on Sept. 11, a deputy on patrol in the 11000 block of state Route 771 observed a silver Dodge Charger without a license plate was allegedly sitting stationary in the roadway. As the deputy attempted to turn around and investigate, the driver allegedly sped off northbound on state Route 771 at a high rate of speed. The deputy pursued the vehicle, which turned onto Bridges Road and eventually onto state Route 138, where speed was allegedly determined to reach 100 mph. The vehicle turned northbound onto Cope Road before the deputy terminated the pursuit. A short time later, an officer with the Leesburg Police Department stopped the vehicle in the 9000 block of Centerfield Road. The driver was identified as Nunley.

• Alex Franklin, 39, of Hillsboro was charged with one count of failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony, in connection with a theft case in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

• Seth Raypole, 33, of Hillsboro was charged with one count each of breaking and entering and theft, both fifth-degree felonies.

It is alleged that on or about Aug. 7, Raypole “did knowingly trespass” on a victim’s property “with purpose to commit therein a felony.” He is accused of “knowingly obtaining or exerting control over” a “boat and other miscellaneous items,” valued between $1,000 and $7,500, from the victim’s property.

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.