Concord Township double murder case sent to grand jury

The case of a man accused of murdering two people in Concord Township is being bound over to the Lake County grand jury.

A probable cause hearing was held Jan. 14 in Painesville Municipal Court in front of judge Paul Malchesky.

The defendant, 27-year-old Blake Sargi of Concord Township, was present in the courtroom for the hearing with his attorneys Ian N. Friedman and Brad Wolfe. Several members of the victims’ and defendant’s family were present in the courtroom as well.

Sargi is facing two counts of murder for the Jan. 3 shooting death of Euclid residents Heavenly Goddess Murphy-Jackson, 38, and William Larondez Jackson Jr., 39.

Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno said at a Jan. 6 news conference that dispatchers received a call shortly after 11 p.m., Jan. 3, from Sargi’s stepmother. She said her stepson had shot and killed two people. She said the victims were in a white vehicle parked on Andrea Drive in Concord Township.

Leonbruno said at the news conference that deputies were immediately dispatched. Due to the nature of the call and threat of armed violence, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was dispatched.

When deputies arrived in the 7500 block of Andrea Drive they found the two victims inside of a 2019 White GMC Yukon. Leonbruno said both appeared to have been shot in the head and were dead. They were in the front driver’s side and front passenger seat of the vehicle.

Deputies secured that scene; detectives and the Lake County coroner were called.

Other deputies responded to the Oakridge Drive home where Sargi lives with his mother. Leonbruno said the father came out of the home and told authorities the mother was trying to convince Sargi to come out of the house and she feared what would happen to him.

After a SWAT negotiation, Sargi gave himself up to law enforcement and was arrested. He was arraigned on the two murder charges in Painesville Municipal Court Jan. 6. His bond was set at $10 million with a 10 percent cash surety option. A $1 million cashier’s check was posted by a family member for Sargi’s bond Jan. 7.

Part of Sargi’s stepmother’s 911 call was played during the Jan. 14 probable cause hearing. Lake County Sheriff Patrol Commander Lt. Robert Rizzo took the stand as a witness.

Rizzo is also the crisis negotiator for the SWAT team and spoke with Sargi on the phone that night. Rizzo said their talk lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. Rizzo said that during that conversation, Sargi said multiple times that he acted in self-defense.

Rizzo said that the sheriff’s office detective bureau is investigating the case and he has not had direct involvement with that investigation. Leonbruno said at the Jan. 6 news conference that no motive had been established. Leonbruno said in a Jan. 14 email there was no update regarding motive.

Malchesky found probable cause at the Jan. 14 hearing and bound the case over to the grand jury.

The murder charges each carry a penalty of 15 years to life in prison.

Terms for Sargi’s bond include GPS monitoring. He is also prohibited from having contact with the victims’ families and witnesses. He is also prohibited from committing further acts of violence and possessing or directly controlling firearms as well as other deadly weapons.