A Scioto County jury has found 46-year-old Leo Cassidy guilty of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault following a three-day trial, resulting in a prison sentence of 18 to 20.5 years.
According to Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman, Cassidy, a longtime Adams County resident who had most recently been living in West Portsmouth, was originally indicted on six felony charges stemming from a violent January 2025 incident. The charges included kidnapping, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of attempted felonious assault.
The case began in the early morning hours of January 3, 2025, when the Adams County Sheriff’s Office received multiple 911 calls reporting a woman seeking help from residents in the Blue Creek area along State Route 125. Deputies located a 39-year-old woman suffering from significant facial injuries.
Investigators said the victim later identified Cassidy, her boyfriend at the time, as the person responsible for the assault. Medical evaluations revealed extensive injuries, including a subdural hematoma (brain bleed), a fractured and dislocated jaw, a swollen-shut eye, and numerous abrasions consistent with being ejected from a moving vehicle.
The investigation was led by then-Scioto County Sheriff’s Detective Donald Tackett-Dye. Prosecutors said Cassidy admitted he had been in the vehicle with the victim and had struck her but claimed he acted in self-defense. Authorities alleged Cassidy spent months avoiding capture before being apprehended in June 2025 following a vehicle pursuit and struggle with law enforcement officers in Pike County.
During trial testimony, prosecutors argued Cassidy assaulted the victim while traveling on State Route 125 and ultimately pushed her from a moving vehicle. Jurors rejected Cassidy’s self-defense claims and found that he had restrained the victim’s liberty for the purpose of inflicting terror or serious physical harm, satisfying the elements of the kidnapping charge.
At sentencing, Judge Howard H. Harcha III designated Cassidy a repeat violent offender and noted that the offenses were committed while he was on parole. The court imposed a sentence of 18 to 20.5 years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Cassidy also reportedly faces additional felony charges in Pike County related to the pursuit and alleged assault on law enforcement officers during his arrest.
In a statement following the verdict, Prosecutor Tieman described Cassidy as a “violent career felon” and said the sentence would ensure he remains off the streets for a significant period of time. He also noted concerns over a recent increase in cases involving assaults occurring inside moving vehicles, often referred to by investigators as “rolling domestic” incidents.
The prosecution thanked the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Waverly Police Department, Pike County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and Portsmouth Police Department for their roles in the investigation and apprehension of Cassidy.
