On Tuesday, Tydell Butcher, a 36-year-old Zanesville resident, forewent his pending jury trial by pleading guilty to the felony charge of Attempted Assault in the third degree for an incident that occurred last year at Putnam Tavern. As reported by the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office, Butcher's plea comes ahead of what was scheduled to be his third trial on the matter, the previous two having ended with deadlocked juries. He now faces up to three years in prison.
The defense had initially cited provocative language as a factor in the assault, offering testimony from a witness who claimed to have heard the victim, whom she allegedly did not know, utter a racial slur. Despite the music from a DJ, her back to the bar, and the victim facing away, her claim of recognizing the voice and hearing the slur has been met with skepticism. Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch said, "Her claim about hearing a slur defies reason and common sense but her willingness to stick to such a remarkably dumb statement shows just how far some people are willing to go to prevent justice."
Contradicting the defense's stance, the State presented testimony from an independent witness situated right next to the victim during the assault, affirming that no slur was spoken. Surveillance footage also indicated that the reactions of those near the victim were not consistent with hearing a racial slur. Prosecutor Welch insisted that while no use of slurs is ever acceptable, "the law in Ohio establishes that insults and slurs are not a defense to viciously assaulting another person," according to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office.
The video evidence of the event, which occurred around 1:30 am on July 7, 2024, depicted Butcher at the tavern as the female accompanying him approached the bar to engage the bartender. Butcher, having interacted with the victim momentarily, asking what he was looking at, landed an unexpected punch on the victim's face after a brief exchange, causing the victim to fall unconscious. Per Prosecutor Welch, "The video clearly shows the defendant hitting an unsuspecting person. This type of unwarranted attack is cowardly and requires a substantial punishment," according to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office.
As a result of the assault, the victim sustained multiple facial fractures, necessitating medical treatment at Genesis Hospital. Following the plea, the Prosecuting Attorney's statement obtained by the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office expressed that the guilty plea would allow the victim to "move forward and focus on recovery" without the prolonged uncertainty of trial proceedings.
