MOUNT GILEAD, Ohio (WCMH) – A man who could be facing the death penalty in the death of a Morrow County sheriff’s deputy had his second arraignment hearing Tuesday morning. The bond for Brian Wilson, who has been in Delaware County Jail after the alleged murder of deputy Daniel Sherrer, was nearly doubled today in Morrow County Court of Common Pleas. Wilson, 53, is being held on 14 charges, including aggravated murder, and was previously issued a $5 million bond without the possibility of paying 10% by a municipal court judge. On Tuesday, a judge issued Wilson a $9 million bond. That amount was what Morrow County prosecuting attorneys were seeking during the original arraignment hearing out of municipal court on June 3.
County prosecutor Andrew Wick told NBC4 that today he asked the bond be set at $9.73 million, as a tribute to 973, the badge number Sherrer wore. The bond is one of the higher in recent memory. When a Columbus police officer was accused and later convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed man in late 2020, bond was set at $3 million for Adam Coy. In November 2022, Ohioans overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing factors including public safety and the seriousness of the offense when setting bond. The highest bond amount in Ohio history is believed to be $1 billion in a 2005 case of Kim Freeman, who was accused of operating a brothel and considered a flight risk to leave the country for Asia
Wilson is charged with aggravated murder, premeditated aggravated murder, felony murder, three counts of felonious assault, attempted murder, attempted aggravated murder, domestic violence, two counts of unlawful discharging of a weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm, and discharging a firearm while intoxicated. Eleven of the charges include a three-year weapon specification. Sherrer, 31, was responding to calls of a domestic disturbance at Wilson’s home on County Road 26, just south of Marengo. Upon arrival, Wilson reportedly told Sherrer, “You better just f—— go if you want your family to see you tomorrow.” Several gunshots were heard and Sherrer was hit during the exchange. More shots were fired, a court affidavit said, and two firearms were recovered, including a semiautomatic pistol and a revolver.
