MARIETTA — The murder charge against Russell Lee Farnsworth, 58, of 3227 Schoolhouse Road, Little Hocking, was increased to aggravated murder as part of the grand jury indictments this month.

Farnsworth was one of 21 people indicted by the Washington County Grand Jury.

He allegedly used a 12-gage shot gun loaded with a deer slug to end the life of his live-in girlfriend Patricia A. Corp, 55, on Dec. 11.

“He shot her in close range causing massive traumatic tissue damage to her head,” said Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings. “There wasn’t much of it left.”

Farnsworth is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing for the charge Wednesday and remains in the Washington County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond.

In another case involving an alleged road rage incident, Thomas Treadway, 26, of 995 Bethel Road, Marietta, was not among the other 20 people indicted because of insufficient evidence for a felonious assault charge, said Rings.

Treadway still faces three first-degree misdemeanor charges for assault in Marietta Municipal Court, one possession of drugs charge, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a minor misdemeanor. The assault and drug charges all stem from Treadway’s alleged attack on David Murphy, 75, of Marietta, on Nov. 9.

Murphy previously told The Marietta Times that Treadway had tailgated him along Ohio 676 by the Washington County Career Center, and then on Gilman Avenue Treadway side-swiped Murphy’s truck, pulled in front and abruptly stopped.

Murphy said Treadway then proceeded to drag him from his truck and assault him. Murphy was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

“I’m confident that (Marietta City Law Director Paul Bertram) will prosecute this as an assault, but the car was not used as a weapon and nothing was stolen form Mr. Murphy so it did not constitute a felony,” said Rings.

Marietta Safety-Service Director Jonathan Hupp said Thursday that Treadway, who had formerly worked for the Marietta’s water treatment plant, had been fired from his position in November following the incident.

In other indictments:

* Dakota D. Hines, 25, of 271 Muskingum Drive, Marietta, was indicted for pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony, and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony.

Hines was arrested Sept. 13 at the Super 8 Motel in Marietta on other charges of felonious assault. But upon review of his cell phone officers located a video of sexual activity with a minor female dated from late June of this year.

“On the video it is abundantly clear that he was involved with this 15-year-old child,” said Rings. “They had had a long-standing relationship, she was not being forced against her will but she is still 10 years younger than him.”

Rings said the video also increased the seriousness of the crime hence both second-degree felony charges.

* Abele Fissha, 22, of 3483 Courtright Lane, Columbus, and Nebiu Daniel Tefera, 23, of 6427 Kelsey Court, Canal Winchester, were both indicted in connection with their June 1 arrest for allegedly trying to fill a fake prescription for cough syrup.

Fissha was indicted for illegal processing of drug documents, a fifth-degree felony, trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony.

Tefera was indicted for illegal processing of drug documents, a fifth-degree felony, trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony.

Rings said the pair came to Marietta in an attempt to fill a 30-day prescription of promethazine-codeine at three different pharmacies.

“The prescription was for an elderly lady which raised red flags with the pharmacists and then the physician identification number was not present and when they called the supposed physician’s number, after normal doctor hours, a person answered with suspicious noises in the background,” said Rings. “When the pair were pulled over and arrested officers also found Alprazolan pills in the car with little distribution baggies as well.”

Rings said promethazine-codeine is a commonly abused substance watched by pharmacists.

“It’s often mixed with vodka in a concoction known as juice, drank or purple,” he said.

* Maria Ann Clark, 52, of 409 N. Seventh St., Marietta, was indicted for aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, and arson, a fourth-degree felony. Clark allegedly set fire on June 29 to her boyfriend’s VHS tapes and comic books in their home which were placed next to a wall, near a wooden dresser and on a wooden floor of their home. Clark allegedly told Marietta Police that she had set the fire after an argument with her boyfriend about not disposing of the tapes and books and because he had refused to purchase more alcohol for her.

* Stephanie J. Davis, 40, of 867 Riggenbach Hill Road, Fleming, was indicted for theft of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony. Davis was allegedly visiting Steve Thomas at his home on April 28, 2015, when she stole Thomas’ prescription Ambien, a medication used to treat insomnia.

* Brooks Espy Jr., 57, of 51 Brandi Drive, Mineral Wells, was indicted for grand theft, a third-degree felony. Espy allegedly embezzled more than $150,000 from Alliance Industries between 2007 and 2013 while working as a member of the company’s information technology department.

* Osten M. Hartshorn, 24, of 615 Mount Tom Road, Marietta, was indicted for possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Hartshorn allegedly overdosed from Fentanyl in his home on Aug. 3. When Reno emergency services and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to the overdose, traces of the drug were found in a syringe in his hand.

* Ashlee D. Martin, 26, of 100 Clark St., Marietta, was indicted for domestic violence, a third-degree felony. Martin was arrested Oct. 15 after an alleged argument with her then-boyfriend Timothy Beaver. Martin allegedly punched Beaver in the face. Martin has two prior convictions for domestic violence from June of this year and August 2012.

* Philip A. Martin, 28, of 5380 Johnson Ridge Road, Waterford, was indicted for robbery, a second-degree felony, robbery, a third-degree felony and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Martin was arrested in connection with the Nov. 17 robbery of the Par Mar gas station in Beverly. Martin allegedly robbed the store with a BB gun in his front pocket of his sweatshirt and was later located at his home burning the shirt and other evidence of the robbery.

* Emmett Joseph Mascha, 20, of 7076 Morley Road, Concord, was indicted for possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Mascha was arrested on March 12 by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on U.S. 50 near mile post 1. Upon approaching the vehicle the officer smelled marijuana and then searched the vehicle. Lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as acid or LSD, was found in the vehicle.

* Tyler Joseph McMahan, 24, of 205 ¢ Locust St., Belpre, was indicted for failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony. Miller was indicted in October in a domestic violence and drug case from April 16 where he allegedly had hit his live-in girlfriend Rainnon Croston, 25, and had his hands around her neck when neighbors called 911. Heroin and used needles were allegedly found at the home and in reach of the couple’s first child. Croston served 30 days in the Washington County Jail after pleading to child endangerment, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Through the investigation Croston allegedly admitted to being a recovering addict who recently had a relapse and used heroin the week prior. McMahan allegedly advised deputies that Croston was a methamphetamine user and showed deputies where her “stash” was located, however Croston stated that it was McMahan’s stash. The syringe was field tested, testing positive for methamphetamine.

McMahan also faces one charge of domestic violence, a fifth-degree felony, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony, possession of drug abuse instruments, a second-degree misdemeanor, and child endangerment, a first-degree misdemeanor.

* Brittni Messick, 23, of 460 Muskingum Drive, Marietta, was indicted for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified government facility, a third-degree felony. Messick was arrested outside the Locker Room bar on June 12 by Marietta Police. Messick was originally arrested for disorderly conduct but produced a bag of methamphetamine upon arrest. From an anonymous tip syringes were also found in her socks. After Messick was taken to the Washington County Jail and given the opportunity to produce any other drugs on her person, she allegedly denied having anything further on her. Then during dress-down for a shower and the issuance of her jail uniform more methamphetamine was found in her bra.

* Kevin P. Miller, 44, of 227 Franklin St. Apt. 1, Marietta, was indicted for domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony. Miller allegedly struck his girlfriend Jamie Zimmer in the face, pushed her into a coffee table and had his hand around her neck on Oct. 26. Miller has a prior conviction from 2012 of domestic violence.

* Angela S. Nutter, 38, of 4357 Laurel Creek Road, Waverly, W.Va., was indicted for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and possessing drug abuse instruments, a second-degree misdemeanor. Nutter was stopped on March 31 by Ohio Highway Patrol on Ohio 7 near mile post 25 for speeding. Nutter allegedly appeared to be under the influence of drugs and a drug-sniffing dog found a syringe with 0.178 grams of liquid methamphetamine in it.

* Derek L. Ryan, 27, of 233 Hillcrest Drive, Apt. A, Marietta, was indicted for domestic violence, a fifth-degree felony. Ryan allegedly attacked his pregnant girlfriend on Nov. 18.

* Michael S. Salisbury, 25, of 230 Wood St., No. 316, Sistersville, W. Va., was indicted for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Salisbury was allegedly carrying a smoking pipe and a metal tin with 0.1 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket when he was arrested for shoplifting at K-Mart in Marietta on May 28.

* Shean D. Sparks, 32, homeless, was indicted for breach of recognizance. Sparks failed to appear for his final pretrial for two fifth-degree felony charges of theft. The pretrial was scheduled for Sept. 30.

* Nathan S. Tyson, 30, of 1215 Huck Road, Lowell, was indicted for trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony, and disorderly conduct, a minor misdemeanor. Tyson was arrested April 24 outside of the Locker Room bar where he allegedly was too drunk to stand and was stumbling to and from his car. Upon a pat down from Marietta Police, a bag of marijuana fell out of his pant leg. Police also found a line of individually-wrapped amounts of marijuana in his belt.

* Terry A. Waterman, 44, of 1005 Front St. Marietta, was indicted for domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony, and resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor. Waterman allegedly knocked his girlfriend, Erica Hilverding, out of her chair and into a concrete wall during an argument on Oct. 9. With one prior conviction of domestic violence in 2009, the charge was increased to a felony.