2 found shot dead in Republic, OH, Seneca County Sheriff investigating ‘Questionable Death’

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### Press Release ###
On Sunday, August 11th, 2024, the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of two unresponsive subjects found lying in the back yard at 6425 E. Twp. Road 106, Republic, Seneca County, Ohio.
Deputies and emergency EMS personnel arrived at the scene and discovered a female and a male lying in their back yard deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The Seneca County Coroner’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation – Crime Scene Unit and Detectives from the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office were requested to the scene.
Erik L. Werling, 52 YOA, and Dawn C. Werling, 53 YOA, both of Republic, Ohio were pronounced dead at the scene by the Seneca County Coroner’s Office and will be transported to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office for autopsies.
The scene preliminarily appeared that one of the deceased sustained a gunshot wound and the other subject appeared to have sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but additional investigation will be needed to conclusively rule on the investigation.
“The investigation is considered a “questionable death” investigation and will be considered an ongoing investigation. Our Detectives, along with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation – Crime Scene Unit are working diligently to track down all facts and circumstances involving the incident.” Sheriff Stevens said.

A Legal Battle for Transparency and Public Access: The Fostoria Free Press Decentralizes City of Fostoria’s Financial Records

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Body recovered in vehicle officials pulled from pond in Findlay

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Findlay, Ohio-  Saturday evening, authorities recovered a body from a vehicle submerged in a retention pond, according to a statement from the local police.

The Findlay Police Department reported that around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, they successfully retrieved a vehicle from a retention pond located near 1020 Interstate Court. Tragically, upon opening the vehicle, a body was discovered inside. The authorities have chosen not to disclose the individual’s identity at this point, as they are awaiting the notification of the person’s family.

The incident unfolded when officers received a distress call reporting a vehicle entering the pond. They promptly arrived at the scene, where the vehicle had submerged approximately 30 yards away from the pond’s edge. Numerous law enforcement agencies swiftly responded to the situation to provide assistance and support.

The circumstances surrounding this incident remain unclear, and an ongoing investigation is actively seeking answers to shed light on the sequence of events that led to this unfortunate discovery.

Josh Tolento Pro se v. The City of Fostoria | Ohio Supreme Court Case No. 2023-1360.

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Complaint Document

Public Docket

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OCTOBER 25TH, 2023
Author: Josh Tolento (Editor-in-Chief)
The Fostoria Free Press LTD.

Case No. 2023-1360 Josh Tolento Pro se v. The City of Fostoria was filed and accepted by the Ohio Supreme Court on Oct. 25th, 2023. This type of lawsuit is a Petition for Writ of Mandamus and I am seeking no statutory damages. A petition for a writ of mandamus relating to public records is a legal action that seeks to compel a government agency or official to release or provide access to public records. “Mandamus” is a legal term that refers to a court order that commands a government entity or official to perform a certain duty, often when they have failed to do so or are refusing to comply with a legal obligation.

In the context of public records, many governments have laws that require transparency and open access to government documents, subject to certain exemptions for sensitive or confidential information. When a person or organization believes that a government agency or official is wrongfully withholding public records or is not complying with their legal obligations under open records laws, they may file a petition for a writ of mandamus in court. This petition asks the court to issue a writ of mandamus ordering the government entity or official to release the requested public records.

If the court finds in favor of the petitioner, it will issue a writ of mandamus instructing the government agency or official to release the requested public records. This legal remedy is used to ensure transparency and accountability in government and to protect the public’s right to access information about government actions and decisions.

It has been over 3 weeks since I requested specific financial documents from the City of Fostoria. These documents can easily be printed of or electronically emailed. Case and point, I reached out to the City of Findlay & The City of Tiffin requesting city council minutes & parks and rec. budget reports. I received Findlay’s documents in less than 2 hours, and Tiffin’s in 6 hours. It is very concerning to me that The City of Fostoria has not sent the documents requested.  I do believe that the City is withholding/delaying the release of documents on purpose for an unspecified reason.

Therefore, I have filed an Original Action in Mandamus lawsuit against The City of Fostoria with the following requested remedies:

1. Court ordered release of the following originally requested documents:
BALANCE SHEETS: July 1st – Sep 31st 2023.
GENERAL LEDGER: Jul 1st – Sep 31st 2023.
BANK TRANSACTIONS: July 1st – Sep 31st.

2. Court ordered improvement of The City of Fostoria’s public records availability in a timely manner.

3. The prompt release of ALL financial documents upon future request of the Realtor.

Post Last Updated:  October 25th, 2023

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