
Allen Tisdale, accompanied by his defense attorneys, Robert Bricker, left, and Charley Kidder, apologizes to the family of Brycen Douglas for his part in the 2021 shooting that left the 20-year-old dead in East Liverpool. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)
LISBON — The family of Brycen Douglas prayed for God to touch Allen Tisdale’s heart and on Monday, he apologized to them before being sentenced to a minimum 10 years in prison for his part in Brycen’s 2021 death.
Allen Tisdale entered a guilty plea in May to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and complicity to improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, a second-degree felony. Then he testified last month in the aggravated murder trial against his cousin, Elvin EJ Tisdale, who was found guilty of shooting Brycen to death and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Allen Tisdale told jurors what happened, about seeing Elvin Tisdale and another man identified as Curtis Holland, shooting guns from in between two houses on Pennsylvania Avenue while he acted as a lookout, resulting in the death of Brycen, 20, who was seated on a porch across the street.
On Monday, Brycen’s aunt, Shauna DeSenze, stood at the podium in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court with her sister, Brycen’s mother Traci DeSenze, and addressed the court. She told Allen that they prayed the Lord put it on his heart, to do what he did.
She also encouraged him to align his life with God’s will and told Allen that whenever he gets out of jail, “keep doing what you’re doing, he’s on your heart for everything.”
Allen also addressed the court, first apologizing to the family for what happened to Brycen and adding “this is not the person I am.”
He also apologized to his own family and said it hurts to know that he was part of something to end someone’s life.
“I hope one day that Brycen’s family can forgive me,” he said.
Judge Megan Bickerton followed the prosecution’s recommendation for sentencing, explaining that both charges are qualifying offenses, meaning she must note a minimum and maximum. The minimum is the required sentence, but dependent on his behavior in prison, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections could decide to keep him for additional time equal to half of the required sentence.
Bickerton sentenced Allen Tisdale to 10 to 15 years for the involuntary manslaughter and eight to 12 years for the complicity charge, ordering them served concurrently, or at the same time.
County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone, who tried the case along with county Assistant Prosecutors Tammie Riley Jones and Christopher Weeda, stressed that the investigation is not complete into the investigation of Brycen’s death. He explained that as part of the plea agreement, Allen Tisdale is required to “provide complete and truthful information and testimony on behalf of the state in the continuing investigation of the death of Brycen Douglas and prosecution of any and all persons involved including but not limited to Elvin EJ Tisdale.”
When Allen Tisdale spoke with the prosecutors about what happened, Yacovone said “throughout all of our meetings with Mr. Tisdale, he did show genuine remorse for what his role was.”
He testified against his older cousin, Elvin Tisdale, and said he saw Elvin and Curtis Holland shoot, Yacovone said. Both during and after the sentencing hearing, he stressed “the investigation is still ongoing.”
Yacovone said they still have some work to do with the information they learned at trial, also noting that Allen Tisdale told them things they did not know.
If anybody has more information about the shooting of Brycen Douglas on July 15, 2021, he asked that they call the prosecutor’s office at 330-420-0140.
Defense attorney Charley Kidder, who represented Allen Tisdale, along with defense attorney Robert Bricker, said Allen was “genuinely remorseful for his role in this tragedy.”
He said he admitted to the role he played and “he gave honest, heartfelt and truthful testimony.”
Kidder asked the court to consider a nine-year sentence, sharing that his client has a 9-year-old child and wants to be part of the child’s life.
After the hearing, Kidder said “we wish the best to the victim’s family. I’m proud of my client for taking responsibility for his part, leading to the conviction of the shooter.”
Bickerton made a point of telling Allen Tisdale that the victim’s family members were praying for him, they lost a family member and yet they were praying for him.
“Think about the kind of people that would do that,” she said.
She asked if he knew Brycen and he said he knew of him, telling the judge “he just liked to play basketball.”
She told Allen she’s heard the family and watched the pain in their faces. She didn’t know how he got caught up in this. She said she’ll never understand and told him she also handled the case for the death of Dion McMillon. McMillon was shot to death on May 19, 2021 in East Liverpool and during the trial for Elvin Tisdale, prosecutors called the shooting of Brycen Douglas retaliation for McMillon’s death, but said Brycen Douglas had no beef with anyone and indicated he was not the intended target. He was just sitting on the porch with several others and Elvin Tisdale fired on that porch.
“So senseless, so preventable,” Bickerton said.
She said she hoped the reason Allen Tisdale changed his plea wasn’t just to get a better deal — she hoped it was over the amount of guilt he felt. She agreed with the state that his testimony was essential.
“I hope that this is the change for you,” Bickerton said, adding that she hopes when he’s released from prison that he finds himself a changed man, “or you’ll be back in the orange or in the ground.”
Allen Tisdale received credit for 497 days already served in jail. He was originally charged with aggravated, murder, murder and a firearm specification. The involuntary manslaughter was a lesser offense for the murder charge. The charge of aggravated murder and the firearm specifications were dismissed.
Also related to the case, a jury trial remains set at 9 a.m. Sept. 30 for Travis Kidder, 25, Bradshaw Avenue, East Liverpool, who’s charged with obstructing official business, a third-degree felony, for allegedly lying to investigators related to the Douglas shooting death. A final status hearing remains set for 9:20 a.m. Sept. 22. Kidder remains out of jail on a $50,000 recognizance bond. No other charges have been filed at this time against anyone else related to the case.