On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the Delaware Gazette reported that a visiting judge was appointed to oversee the case of a Morrow County man accused of murdering a sheriff’s deputy after the original judge stepped down.

Brian Michael Wilson, 53, faced arraignment in Morrow County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday following his indictment earlier in June. He is charged with two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder, three counts of felonious assault, two counts of attempted murder, one count of domestic violence, one count of improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation, one count of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, two counts of possession of criminal tools, and one count of using weapons while intoxicated.

During the arraignment, a pretrial hearing was set for August 25 at 1 p.m. Judge Robert C. Hickson recused himself from the case, citing personal and business ties to the victim’s family. Judge Tom C. Elkin also withdrew, as he had previously handled a related search warrant. On Wednesday, James L. Kimbler, a former judge with nearly 11 years on the Wadsworth Municipal Court and 18 years on the Medina County Common Pleas Court, was assigned to the case.

Prior to the arraignment, Wilson’s defense attorneys, assistant state public defenders Kirk A. McVay and Kandra Roberts, submitted 10 motions, including requests to extend pretrial motion deadlines, allow Wilson to appear in civilian clothing, and demands for discovery and a bill of particulars. No further filings have been recorded since Kimbler’s appointment.

The charges stem from the May 26 shooting of Morrow County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Sherrer, 31, in Marengo. Prosecutor Andrew Wick stated the attempted murder charges relate to Wilson’s attempt to shoot his brother-in-law. The aggravated murder charges include specifications for murdering a law enforcement officer, engaging in a course of conduct, attempting to escape, and weapon forfeiture. Eleven charges carry firearm specifications, potentially adding three years to any prison sentence.

Sherrer was responding to a report of a truck being shot at 105 County Road 26 when he encountered Wilson, who was armed. According to a probable cause affidavit from Delaware County Sheriff’s Detective Philip Flahive, body camera footage showed Sherrer attempting to deescalate the situation. Wilson approached Sherrer, and gunfire was exchanged, fatally wounding the deputy. Wilson was hospitalized in serious condition and taken into custody.

Wick intends to seek the death penalty if Wilson is convicted, noting the specifications on the aggravated murder charges permit this.

Source: Delaware Gazette