FREMONT (WTOL) - Daniel Myers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges in the 2015 murder of Heather Bogle and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At court proceedings Wednesday afternoon, his previous not guilty pleas were withdrawn and he pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, firearms charges, kidnapping charges and specifications that alleged he committed the offense with sexual motivations.
The defense acknowledged that the only available sentence for him is life without parole.
He is to be classified as a sexually violent predator.
Bogle was found murdered inside of the trunk of a car in Clyde in April 2015. Bogle first was reported missing after she failed to pick up her daughter from school. One day later, officers found Bogle shot to death in the trunk of a car in an apartment complex in Clyde.
After the initial investigation failed to find a suspect, Myers was arrested in 2017 after the case was picked back up by the Sandusky County Sheriff’s department.
The judge addressed Myers during the change of plea hearing Wednesday to make sure he understood exactly to what he was pleading.
“There is no possibility that the death sentence will be imposed today. Do you understand?” asked Judge John Dewey.
“Yes,” Myers replied.
“The specifications 4 and 5 under count 1 relate to the sexual motivation of the offense as well as you being a sexually violent predator. Those specifications (mean) the court is mandated to impose a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“The court can impose a fine of up to $25,000. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“You understand that you are also pleading guilty to the aggravated murder under count two of the indictment - that is the aggravated robbery - that the specification 1 and 2 are to be dismissed by the prosecution in return for your plea?”
“Yes.”
Myers’ voice wavered slightly during the back and forth with Judge Dewey, and he looked down at the desk at which he was seated and rubbed his head several time during the discussion of sentencing.
After signing his court documents, Myers sat stonefaced between his attorneys as they consulted with him.
The prosecutor in the case was Timothy Braun. Myers was represented by defense attorneys Merle Dech and Jane Roman.
Braun addressed the court to lay out facts of the case.
One of the points that Braun brought up was that Myers contributed $125 to the Go Fund Me campaign started by her parents.
The text that accompanied his contribution read, “Heather you were such an amazing person. Although we have only known one another for such a short time I have came to appreicate our talks about our kids. I am distraught that there will be no more of your smile at work. You will always be in my thoughts. Your daughter will always be in my prayers...”
A statement from Bogle’s mother was read by victim advocate Carlee Fairbanks. In part, it read, “I hope she haunts you for the rest of the days that you are breathing, because you deserve that.”
When given the opportunity to make a statement, Myers said, “I have nothing to say.”
Judge Dewey, in delivering the sentence, noted he thought there might be an expression of remorse from the defendant. Hearing none, he said, “pretty sad commentary. Pretty sad.”
“I thought there might be some exhibition of remorse. I’ve seen none. This case has been in discovery for about three years. You were on the sidelines, watching everything unfold,” Judge Dewey said. "Pretty sad. Pretty sad commentary. "
At a news conference following the conviction and sentencing, Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton stressed that the years-long investigation was a collaborative effort among agencies and he expressed satisfaction that the “predator who took Heather from those who loved her is going to get what he deserves.”
“He’s not going to be able to hurt anyone again. He will never ever see the light of day as a free person,” Hilton said of Myers.
The sheriff also referred to having an “a ha” moment, when it came to a technical breakthrough in the case that involved Google data and GPS data.
He also said that good police work was a key to moving the case ahead.
“This was good, old fashioned police work. It was thoroughness. It was togetherness,” Hilton said. “That’s why we got to where we got. It was good, old-fashioned cover your bases, do everything you need to do.”
