Buckeye Briefs: Man convicted in 30-year-old cold case murder

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(The Center Square) – A jury found a southern Ohio man guilty Thursday of murdering a mother and her 17-month-old son 30 years ago, Attorney General Dave Yost said.

Scott Hickman, 53, was convicted on four counts of aggravated murder and two counts of murder in the 1995 deaths of Kimberly Fulton, who was 28, and her son, Daniel.

“These brutal murders went unsolved for three decades, leaving a family searching for answers and justice,” Yost said. 

Hickman was indicted in 2021 after investigators began reexamining the cold case in 2019, 24 years after the bodies were found in a burned mobile home in Palmer Township.

Investigators exhumed and had autopsies performed, which determined the victims had died before the fire.

Hickman will be sentenced Oct. 14.

MISSING RECEIPTS: The finding of recovery for $1,369 was issued for the former fiscal officer of the Village of Belmore after an audit and investigation into missing sewer receipts, according to state Auditor Keith Faber.

Tammy Rayle and her bonding company are both liable for the finding, which was included in a special audit released Thursday.

Rayle, who served as fiscal officer from 2009 until August 2022, was responsible for collecting, recording and depositing residents’ sewer payments. However, she could not account for all receipts collected between July 2016 and September 2022, and auditors found thousands of dollars in cash receipts that were not deposited.

The report said Rayle told investigators the money was from cash payments and stored in a safe at her home. After being questioned by investigators, she also made multiple large cash deposits into the village’s bank account.

STATE CANDY: Ohio Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, wants to make the Buckeye the official state candy.

DeMora introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday to officially designate the popular chocolate, peanut butter candy as the state candy to honor one of the state’s most recognizable symbols and “sweetest traditions.”

“The buckeye candy is more than just a dessert; it is a reflection of Ohio’s culinary heritage and a tradition unique to the state of Ohio,” DeMora said. “Much like the buckeye tree itself, the candy is a symbol of pride, community, and a shared identity that connects generations of Ohioans.”