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Ottawa County man pleads guilty in 2010 deaths of three family members

Ottawa County man pleads guilty in 2010 deaths of three family members

PORT CLINTON — An Ottawa County man faces life in prison after pleading guilty Friday morning to the murders of three family members.

In subdued tones, William J. Liske, 24 at the time of the 2010 murders, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his father, stepmother, and stepbrother and faces life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Sept. 9.

As part of the plea agreement, all other charges were dropped, including firearms specifications.

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Ottawa County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Winters accepted the plea agreement. Citing a gag order that will remain in effect until after the sentencing, both prosecutors and defense attorneys declined to comment after the plea.

Family members also declined to comment.

Liske, who has a history of mental illness, had been charged with six counts of aggravated murder stemming from the deaths of William E. Liske, Jr., 53; his wife, Susan Liske, 46, and her son, Derek Griffin, 23. He had faced the death penalty.

Mr. Liske and his wife were found Oct. 31, 2010, with gunshot wounds to the head in the bedroom of their home on State Rt. 2 just east of the Lucas-Ottawa County line. Mr. Griffin had been beaten to death in his upstairs bedroom.

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The investigation quickly pointed to the younger Liske as a suspect in the triple homicide because of previous domestic incidents at the house. Just a few hours after the bodies were discovered by Mrs. Liske’s 16-year-old son, Devon Griffin, Liske was arrested at the family’s cottage in Carroll County, Ohio.

First Published August 12, 2011, 2:15 p.m.

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The home where the Liske family members were found murdered.  (THE BLADE)  Buy Image
Defendant William "B.J." Liske, left, sits in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court on Friday morning with defense attorney Adrian Cimerman, right.  (Sandusky Register)
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