Putnam grand jury indicts murder suspect

Apr. 25—OTTAWA — A Putnam County grand jury on Wednesday returned murder charges against a Lima man charged with killing a woman during a shooting incident last week in Leipsic.

Konner Dunklee, 26, was indicted on charges of aggravated murder in the shooting death of Farrah Croninger, 30, of Deshler. Croninger died April 18 when police say he entered Kitchen Enterprises Trucking Company in Leipsic and opened fire. Funeral services were Thursday.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office responded shortly after 4 p.m. that day to 911 calls that reported shots being fired. Police officers found Croninger, who worked in the parts department, dead at the scene. A GoFundMe page set up to help her husband, Kyle, and three children had raised $39,970 by Thursday morning. It's online at bit.ly/49NmX0k.

Michael Kitchen, 54, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima. He recently returned home from the hospital, according to the business's Facebook page.

Dunklee fled the scene and was later arrested in Allen County. He was taken into custody later that day. Findlay attorney Drew Mihalik was appointed to serve as the public defender in the case.

During an arraignment hearing Thursday in Putnam County Common Pleas Court, Judge Keith Schierloh entered not guilty pleas to charges contained in the indictment that included aggravated murder, murder, attempt to commit an offense, felonious assault and simple assault.

Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Gary Lammers requested that Dunklee be held without bond. Schierloh set a July 16 trial date in the case, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for May 20.

During a preliminary hearing last week, Putnam County Municipal Court Judge Chad Niese set bond for Dunklee at $1 million.